Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas)

The Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) is a grazing machine in the classic sailfin tang shape, wearing a subtle two-tone coat that fades from a pale yellow-brown face into a deep chocolate tail, finished with fine pinstripes and a white tail spine. It spends the entire day picking hair algae and film off your rockwork, which makes it one of the hardest working cleanup hires a big reef can take on. Hardy by tang standards and fully reef safe, it is a great fit for an established system with room to roam. Choose your size above, then browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies to round out the tank.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 100 gallons or larger for an adult. Scopas Tangs cruise constantly and need long, open swimming lanes plus plenty of rock to graze.
• Aquascape: mature live rock with natural algae growth gives it an all-day buffet. Strong flow and good oxygenation keep it happiest.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.026, dKH 8 to 12. Stability matters more than chasing exact numbers.
• Feeding: primarily a herbivore. Offer marine seaweed daily on a clip, like Rod's Leafy Purple Seaweed or SeaVeggies Green, and round out the diet with a meaty food such as PE Mysis a few times a week.
• Health: like all tangs it can be prone to ich when stressed. Keep temperature steady, feed plenty of greens, and avoid crowding.
• Handle with care: the white "scalpel" at the tail base is sharp. Guide it with a container rather than a net when moving it.

Specifications

Compatibility

The Scopas Tang is peaceful toward most reef community fish: clownfish, wrasses, gobies, blennies, anthias, and cardinals all make easy neighbors, and it will not bother corals or invertebrates. The caution is other tangs. It is territorial toward its own genus, so avoid pairing it with Yellow, Sailfin, or Purple Tangs unless the tank is very large and both are added at the same time. Dissimilar body shapes, like a bristletooth Tomini Tang, usually coexist fine in six foot and larger systems.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Rod's Food Leafy Purple Seaweed, certified raw seaweed grown for tangs
• Two Little Fishies SeaVeggies Green Seaweed, an everyday staple green
• VeggieMag Magnetic Seaweed Clip, holds the sheet right where it grazes
• Piscine Energetics PE Mysis, protein boost a few times a week
• Ocean Nutrition Green Marine Algae, another grazer favorite

FAQ

Is the Scopas Tang reef safe?
Yes. It grazes algae off rock and glass and leaves corals, clams, and shrimp alone. It is one of the safest tangs for a mixed reef.

Can I keep it with a Yellow or Purple Tang?
Usually no. All three are Zebrasoma and fight over the same grazing territory. In a very large tank, adding both at the same time can work, but one sailfin-shaped tang per tank is the safe rule.

Why is it mostly brown?
That is the natural two-tone look, a pale face fading into a dark tail with fine speckled lines. Juveniles show more contrast, and shading shifts with mood and age. A healthy Scopas is judged by nonstop grazing, not brightness.

What should I feed it?
Seaweed on a clip daily is the core diet, with spirulina-based flakes or pellets and occasional mysis for protein. A well-fed Scopas holds its weight and keeps its fins in perfect shape.