Surgeonfish – Care and Advice

The paracanthurus hiatus or surgeon fish is a highly valued species in aquariums and natural reservoirs around the world; the reasons are diverse, among them, it is a fish of evident beauty and a gentle temperament.

They are quiet creatures, remaining in groups or colonies when they are young, so they can hide among the corals if they perceive danger. In their natural habitat they prefer to be surrounded by their own species, but raised in captivity they are related to other specimens. It is rare to see these creatures swimming alone, as they usually create communities of about seven members, which take care of themselves from when the fish are born.

It has a curious personality, so they tend to explore every place they find themselves.  They usually stay in safe areas, only leaving their territory to feed, however their coloration acts as a protective shield; but if they feel stalked by any threat, they swim back to the coral reef and hide among the branches.

These fish are saltwater and live in coral reefs, they prefer the outermost areas of corals; they are located at a shallow depth, between 40 and 2 meters above the surface, since they like to receive direct sun. They are fish native to Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Madagascar, Japan, among other countries.

The physiognomy of these nice fish is very peculiar, their body color acts as a camouflage in the water. The curious shape of its body is totally compressed or flattened, simulating a coin but oval; the color of its body has various shades, but the indigo blue that blends with that of the sea stands out; also two irregular black stripes or lines on upper body.

The upper line starts at the caudal fin and continues to the head, even crossing the eye;  lower stripe ends at pectoral fin level; both meet at one end and form a small blue opening in the center. The dorsal and anal fins have the characteristic blue of the body, but all have a black stripe on the edge. The caudal fin is yellow, as well as the edges of the pectoral fins.

As it ages, the intensity of the blue color of the surgeonfish’s body increases. The average measurement of these fish is 60 centimeters in length, but specimens that reach up to 80 centimeters; which means that they are large creatures, being able to weigh up to 9 kilos. The lifetime of these fish reaches up to 15 years of age.

Surgeon fish have several species, which differ only by the variety of their colors; since the flat and oval shape remains the same in its different presentations. Among the different species that you can have in your surgeon fish hatchery are:

• Acanthus’s Achilles: also known as the fiery surgeon, thanks to the bright colors that its body exhibits. These colors are a bluish black or very dark brown throughout the body; with an orange spot on its caudal fin and a white one in the middle of the operculum. He also has a light blue ring around his chin.
• Acanthus’s Nigerians: known as white-faced surgeonfish; shows yellow lines from the dorsal fin to the caudal peduncle. The entire body is purplish-black in color but the dorsal and anal fins are light blue.
• Acanthus’s leucosternon: Called the sky-blue surgeonfish, it is the best-known species of these creatures described above.
• Acanthus’s japonicas: its colors present a kind of brownish, black or brown gradient, which lightens as it approaches the peduncle. The dorsal fin is a bright yellow.

Instructions

For many specialists and hobbyists, having surgeon fish in their aquariums represents a true trophy; because these beautiful creatures decorate any space with their beautiful colors; another attribute of these little animals is their peaceful behavior and coexistence with other species.

In order to care for these fish, some knowledge of their natural habitat is required; here are the instructions to properly care for surgeon fish in captivity:

1. The first thing is to have a large enough tank or aquarium, at least between 200 and 400 liters. Each surgeon fish needs about 20 liters of water, in this way you will guarantee enough space for its development.
2. You should change the tank water at least every two weeks; you can use a siphon, so that you can remove the organic waste accumulated at the bottom of the fish tank.
3. Remember that surgeon fish like to receive sun, because it comes from tropical climates; make sure that the water has temperatures between 24 to 27 ° C, no more or less. Do not allow for anything in the world that the water temperature rises or falls drastically, any change must be gradual.
4. The pH of the water must be between the acidity levels of 8.1 and 8.3 with a GH of 5 to 10°.
5. Now make sure to color a very intense light, about 200w, in the upper part of the aquarium; this is so that the algae that you must also color develop correctly.
6. To decorate, you need to place enough live rock or coral reefs; I remember that in their natural habitat these fish use reefs as a home or hiding places.
7. An important part of using live rock for decoration is that they provide organisms that surgeonfish usually consume.
8. You can decorate the tank with coarse sand and stones that do not have sharp edges or edges; the surgeon fish is slow moving and can be injured by stones.

What do you need

In their natural habitat, surgeon fishes typically feed on organisms that occur on live rock; as well as algae and small crustaceans, which indicate that they are omnivorous animals. If you are raising these unique little animals, you should know that they will need a combination of foods to develop well. Next, we indicate what you will need in terms of feeding the surgeon fish:

1. As you already know, these fish are omnivores, so you should add both plants and meat to their diet.
2. If you notice that the fish does not consume food at first, give it time, it may be adapting to the new environment. These animals can be a bit touchy.
3. They naturally consume larvae, bacteria, seedlings, insects and even eggs of other species, which makes them a predator.
4. In the aquarium you can feed them with small live crustaceans.
5. They also accept foods such as flakes and pastes that are prepared with products suitable for fish.
6. Other foods that you also accept are algae, so if you decorate with these, try to make them soft; surgeon fish tend to nibble on the algae leaves.
7. While you keep them in captivity, the surgeon fish will feed on the microorganisms that they create in the living rock; as well as the algae that you must also place in the fish tank; but it is very important that you do not forget to provide them with living meat such as larvae or sea fleas, etc.; the latter are essential to complete a balanced diet for these fish.
8. Other vegetables that they also consume are lettuce and cabbage.
9. The surgeon fish can coexist with other species , although sometimes it shows signs of aggressiveness when it is stressed; but there is a fundamental detail, it usually eats eggs, both its own and those of other fish; these make them predators, which is why you should be on the lookout, especially during the breeding season.

Tips

As you may have noticed, surgeon fish are peaceful creatures that can coexist with other species; however, its habit of feeding on eggs makes it a predator during the mating season. But beyond that, surgeon fish make good companions and excellent hosts, as long as you meet their basic requirements.

To begin with, the temperature of the water and the diet of these fish is a point to take into consideration; but for everything there is a solution when it comes to the breeding of these creatures. Here are the recommendations for breeding surgeon fish:

1. Adult surgeonfish need to feed on plankton and microalgae, as well as animal protein foods such as crustaceans.
2. In their natural habitat, the surgeonfish is usually more peaceful, but in aquariums their behavior is somewhat transformed. The most advisable thing is to introduce no more than four fish of the same age and do it at the same time; so that they feel like equals in their new habitat. If there is a smaller or weaker one, or one that was introduced later, it will suffer the mistreatment of the more dominant one.
3. You may notice that sometimes the surgeonfish tends to change the coloration of its skin a bit; this indicates that something excites him or he is on alert.
4. Always keep your aquarium clean, this way you will prevent your fish from getting sick; because these creatures are prone to skin diseases
5. When you clean your aquarium, avoid using products rich in copper, because this element damages the skin of the fish.
6. It is best to use ultraviolet sterilizers to avoid contamination by pests in the fish tank.
7. When you just buy the surgeon fish, it is best to keep it in quarantine for a couple of weeks; in this way you will avoid infecting other fish if it comes with a disease.
8. Do not forget to decorate the fish tank with corals, trunks or other elements that serve as a hiding place for the fish; in their natural habitat they use the branches of corals to hide.
9. While they are young, they are best kept in groups, but as adults they become more territorial; it is for them that in their adult stage we recommend that you isolate them in places away from the rest.
10. Finally, remember that surgeon fish like to receive sun, do not forget to illuminate the fish tank naturally or artificially.