Desjardini Tang Africa (Med)

About this fish

Desjardini Tang Africa (Med) is a marine surgeonfish sold under the name Zebrasoma desjardinii. In a home aquarium, a tang is mainly valued for its constant grazing behavior—helping consume algae-like foods—and for its active, open-water swimming style. This listing is intended for hobbyists looking to add a herbivorous tang to a well-established saltwater setup, with stable water quality and enough swimming room for a larger-bodied reef fish.

Features:

• Herbivorous grazer: typically thrives on algae-based and plant foods rather than meaty diets
• Active, fast swimmer that uses open swimming space—best kept with appropriate tank dimensions
• May show territorial behavior toward other tangs and similar-shaped fish; planning compatible tankmates helps
• Does best in aquariums with mature live rock or established algae growth (or consistent feeding of prepared algae/seaweed foods)
• Benefits from strong biological filtration and consistently clean water, since tangs are sensitive to rapid water quality changes
• A good choice for reef-safe fish keepers who can provide daily feeding and maintain stable reef parameters

Specifications:

• Scientific name: Zebrasoma desjardinii
• Category: Special Order Fish
• Care level: Moderate (requires stable, reef-quality water and consistent herbivore feeding)
• Diet: Primarily herbivorous; algae/seaweed-based foods and spirulina-type herbivore diets are commonly used
• Temperament: Active; can be territorial toward other tangs and similar swimmers
• Salinity: Marine reef range, about 1.020–1.026 specific gravity
• pH: Typical marine reef range, about 8.1–8.4
• Temperature: Typical marine reef range, about 23–27°C
• Alkalinity: Typical reef range, about 7–11 dKH
• Calcium: Typical reef range, about 380–450 ppm
• Magnesium: Typical reef range, about 1200–1350 ppm