Orange shoulder tang color question

[seafansar]

What's the longest it's taken an orange shoulder tang to change from yellow to grey in your experience? I've had one for over a year and he is still as yellow as when I first got him, but he's about tripled in size. Just wondering if he's ever going to change color, cause whenever I see ones his size at the store they are usually already transforming into their adult colors.

 

[coryjac0b]

I got mine when he was about the coloration of yours, and maybe 23" He has a definitive orange mark, and clearly a darker rear half, but still has a hint of yellow across his whole body, now he is about 6-7" now.

 

[Reef lvr]

I got mine at 3'' and it was 2-2.5 yrs before color started to change. Then after 4 yrs she got a taste for coral..:sad:

Good luck!! They are beautiful tangs!!

 

[seafansar]

6yr old BUMP! Lol!

He still is bright yellow! His orange stripe has gotten darker orange and longer.

I don't think he's ever going to change colors.

 

[4FordFamily]

It has to do with dominance a lot (by the way very cool a 6 year old thread was updated) so if there's a more dominant fish, especially a tang, it may take a long time to change.

 

[seafansar]

It has to do with dominance a lot (by the way very cool a 6 year old thread was updated) so if there's a more dominant fish, especially a tang, it may take a long time to change.

That's what we figured. He's been in a tank with an Achilles tang, but the Achilles was smaller. The Achilles was super aggressive with any new tang, but never messed with the orange shoulder. The orange shoulder gets along with everyone.

 

[4FordFamily]

That's what we figured. He's been in a tank with an Achilles tang, but the Achilles was smaller. The Achilles was super aggressive with any new tang, but never messed with the orange shoulder. The orange shoulder gets along with everyone.

Probably not a very dominant fish, as many orange shoulder are not. My blonde naso is my largest tang and she has zero aggressive tendencies

 

[kpacheco8]

6yr old BUMP! Lol!

He still is bright yellow! His orange stripe has gotten darker orange and longer.

I don't think he's ever going to change colors.

I have to ask the status of the Orange Shoulder. I have one that is nearly 3 years old, about 7-8" in length and still very much in his Juvenile colors. I see yours was at least 6 years into his juvenile coloration just curious, here we are in 2019 and if he/she is still in the same state of coloration. Thanks in advance.

 

[Jon Fishman]

Wow. I just looked at an orange shoulder today that was a little-guy, and very much grey already

 

[jkopfishman]

I got mine at just under 1" and hes now just about 2" and he just turned gray and has an orange stripe. Couldnt believe at that young and small of a size it changed already

 

[JustPoprocks]

In my opinion it’s a dominance trait, I’ve had a 4-5” one 60% change added a yellow tang and now back to yellow. Since they are a larger fish once they put grow their mates they will start to color better.

 

[Squidward]

I swore I heard it has to be with collection point. The ones collected in Hawaii will change color. I did h ave a big one like yours that stayed more yellow and didn't really change as well. Do you have a current pic of it?

 

[Saltyanimals]

I swore I heard it has to be with collection point. The ones collected in Hawaii will change color. I did h ave a big one like yours that stayed more yellow and didn't really change as well. Do you have a current pic of it?

I think so too.. Hawaii are suppose to have more of the traditional expected color change earlier.. whereas the indos and other regions may take longer. All anecdotal of course as mine is about 3.5 and not the fancy color yet.. and it's indo.

 

[CMMorgan]

This is an 11 year old thread?! What?!! Is this tang still alive? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[ajjw0828]

Always loved orange shoulder tangs and finally had a tank large enough to have one. Got mine from Hawaii and added to tank October 1st. Attached a pic when I got him. I’d say he started changing colors right away and has been fully chnaged (dark colors now will try and get pic) for about a month. But he was pretty much alone in the tank for awhile then I had to add him to another tank for a couple months that had a chocolate tang and a few other fish where he was definitely the most dominant. So I can’t say if dominance or being from Hawaii specifically accounted for him changing but if it’s both they definitely change quick!

 

[ajjw0828]

Got a pic of him today. Guess he still had a little yellow in him.

 

[Saltyanimals]

Got a pic of him today. Guess he still had a little yellow in him.

Nice. How big was it when it started changing?

My 3.5" indo came a week ago and still hanging out in sump to get him to settle in. He's eating like a pig, which is a good sign but the color is odd if you ask me: It's a very dark color. Almost like a dark gray and was never yellow like your Hawaiian.

 

[Rmckoy]

Mine is starting to change and a off grey / yellow colour

he’s considerably smaller in length compared to some other pictures I’ve seen .

 

[Zionas]

how big do they get? Anywhere close to the 14” listed on FishBase?

 

[Saltyanimals]

how big do they get? Anywhere close to the 14” listed on FishBase?

All hard questions like asking how big would by son get... =) Varies depending on the particular fish, diet and even environment. I'm a believer in tangs growing faster in a bigger tank. I had a yellow and blue in a 4 ft tank that stayed small for 4 years before a recent upgrade to larger tank. I would except those numbers would be the very high end in a very large system...like the ocean.