What Kind of Fish Is Dory in Discovering Nemo? Well-known Film Characters

The long-lasting and lovable Dory relies on an actual species of fish often known as the Blue Tang. Although real-life Blue Tangs can’t discuss, they’re nonetheless fairly charming and make a enjoyable and exquisite addition to your tank. Nevertheless, on account of their care wants, they’re typically really useful for knowledgeable aquarists. Right here’s all the pieces it’s essential find out about Blue Tangs earlier than deciding on including them to your aquarium.

What Is a Blue Tang?

The Blue Tang, or Paracanthurus hepatus, is native to the Indo-Pacific Oceans. Within the wild, they’re coral reef dwellers and will be discovered at depths between 6 to 131 ft. Their pure weight-reduction plan consists of algae and plankton.

Blue Tangs have lovely royal blue scales and yellow tails. Additionally they have a black palette form that runs alongside the highest of their our bodies. They will develop as much as 12 inches lengthy, and males are sometimes bigger than females. These fish often dwell in colleges, they usually don’t dwell completely with their very own form. They’re recognized to be fairly shy and peaceable, however they’re additionally fairly energetic and require lots of house to swim and dart round.

Blue Tang Fundamental Care

Blue Tangs aren’t the hardiest kind of aquarium fish, so it’s necessary to repeatedly monitor their tank to make sure all the pieces is inside their tolerance ranges.

Tank Setup

Blue Tangs are sometimes mistaken as small fish as a result of they’re typically bought as juveniles which can be simply a few inches lengthy. Nevertheless, they will develop to turn out to be 7 to eight inches lengthy inside their first 4 to five years of life and might attain 12 inches lengthy as soon as they’ve reached maturity. Due to this fact, Blue Tangs must be in bigger tanks that maintain at the least 150 gallons.

Blue Tangs naturally dwell in waters with sturdy currents and excessive oxygen move. They typically want swimming in opposition to currents, so that they require a tank setup that has a powerhead or different present mills. They’re additionally very delicate to ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate ranges, so it’s necessary to remain on high of retaining tanks clear and temperate

One other necessary a part of your tank setup is hiding locations. Blue Tangs want to run away from threats fairly than confront them. They’ll want hiding in crevices between dwell rocks. It’s important for them to dwell in dwell reef aquariums in order that they’ve loads of hiding spots.

Eating regimen

Since Blue Tangs primarily eat algae within the wild, it’s greatest to feed them algae-based fish flakes. They will eat some krill and plankton, however the majority of their weight-reduction plan have to be algae. Blue Tangs are grazers that prefer to eat all through the day, so it’s greatest to stay to a feeding schedule that offers them alternatives to eat a number of occasions a day with out overfeeding them.

Tank Mates: Can Blue Tangs Dwell With Clownfish?

As comparatively peaceable fish, Blue Tangs can get together with many several types of fish. Blue Tangs are additionally social fish, so that they’ll want being in a tank with different fish. Since they’ve comparable tank preferences as Clownfish, it’s doable for each fish to dwell in the identical tank.

What’s most necessary is your tank measurement. Although a lot smaller than Blue Tangs, Clownfish can present extra aggression and can chase round a Blue Tang if they have to resort to competing for house. Due to this fact, you have to have a tank that’s giant sufficient for each fish. The tank should even have hiding spots and territories that every fish can declare for their very own in order that they don’t really feel threatened and have turf wars.

Blue Tangs can get together with many different varieties of fish. They typically do effectively with gobies, blennies, Cardinalfish, and Blue Inexperienced Chromis.

Conclusion

Identical to Dory, actual Blue Tangs are amicable and social fish. Nevertheless, they aren’t as adventurous as in Discovering Nemo and will be extraordinarily shy. Some necessary issues to contemplate when caring for Blue Tangs are tank measurement, water high quality, and offering ample hiding areas. As a result of they’re not hardy fish, they’re really useful for extra skilled aquarists who can persistently preserve their tank setup and reply appropriately to frequent points that provide you with tank retaining.

Featured Picture Credit score: Mirek Kijewski, Shutterstock