Acanthurus tennenti
Acanthurus tennenti, Doubleband surgeonfish in natural conditions lives in the Indian Ocean, on the territory from the coast of East Africa to Sri Lanka and the islands of South Indonesia. In natural habitat, adult fish are found swimming alone or in small groups at depths of 1 to 25 m, in lagoons among coral rocks, overgrown with algae. Young fish are timid, hiding in crevices of reefs. The fish was first described in 1861.
Adult Acanthurus tennenti, in size and general features, are very similar to other surgeonfish species. They have a flattened body shape. The mature fish inhabiting the region of Sri Lanka and Bali have a whitish-gray coloration with darker stripes behind the gills and on the tail plumage. The tail has a black and bright blue edging. The dorsal and tail fins of fish living in the Maldives region have bright blue edging. Young fish are golden in color. Their caudal fin is also yellow, their eyes are black, and the dark mark just above the pectoral fin is crescent-shaped. There are no sex differences, although males may be slightly larger than females. In natural conditions, the size of fish reaches 31 cm, while in the aquarium, their length does not exceed 25 cm.
The relatively small size of Acanthurus tennenti makes them an excellent addition to the other inhabitants of the sea aquarium. These fish are hardy enough, quickly adapting to replacement food and water parameters. However, Acanthurus tennenti will feel much better in an aquarium that will not only be close to natural water parameters, but also other fish adjacent to them in natural conditions. The surgeon lieutenant is a fast and flexible swimmer and will spend a lot of time outdoors.
To keep the fish need an aquarium of 300 liters. It needs strong aeration and strong water flow. The aquarium should have plenty of free space for the swimming fish. The perimeter should be placed large stones and corals with crevices, which will hide fish. It is also necessary to have live stones, algae on which will be a valuable addition to the diet of the fish.
Water parameters: temperature 24-28° C, pH 8,1-8,3. Pisces are sensitive to water pollution organics, so you need a quality filtration and regular replacement (1 every 2 weeks) 1/10th of the aquarium water with fresh.
In nature, fish live in places well-lit by the sun, so and in the aquarium environment should provide them with bright light.
Acanthurus tennenti are constantly feeding, so the fish need a proper menu. They are susceptible to malnutrition, which can cause color loss, so adding vitamin C or a vitamin supplement directly to the water in the fish diet can avoid many diseases. Surgeons are mostly herbivorous fish. In nature, they feed on benthic algae, detritus and diatoms. In an aquarium fish are fed dry flake food containing spirulina, seaweed, lettuce, spinach, zucchini, as well as artemia and shrimp meat. The fish need to be fed at least 3 times a day.
Reproduction
Under aquarium conditions Acanthurus tennenti does not breed. All fish appearing in the local trade are supplied from their natural habitat.
