Elegant Unicornfish (Naso elegans)
| Elegant Unicornfish Naso elegans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Elegant Unicornfish |
| Name Lat. | Naso elegans |
| Family | Surgeonfishes |
| Family lat. | Acanthuridae |
| Order | Surgeonfishes |
| Order lat. | Acanthuriformes |
| Origin | Indian Ocean |
| Habitat | Lagoons, coastal reefs |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| pH | 8.1-8.4 |
| Hardness | 8-10 °KH |
| Behavior | Semi-aggressive |
| Keeping | Pair, group |
| Reef Compatible | Yes |
| Care Level | Difficult |
| Life Span | 5-10 years |
| Protection | No |
| Metric Units | |
| Size | 35 cm |
| Temperature | 24-28 °C |
| Salinity | 33-36 ‰ |
| Aquarium | ~ 1.500 l |
| US Units | |
| Size | 14" |
| Temperature | 75-82 °F |
| Salinity | 1.020-1.025 sg |
| Aquarium | ~ 400 gal |
Distribution and habitat
The range of Naso elegans is the Red Sea south of Durban and the Indian Ocean from South Africa to Bali, where they live in small groups in lagoons and on sheltered reefs.
Maintenance
They require a well-structured aquarium with a lot of swimming space and a reef structure (hiding, resting and retreat possibilities) with living stones that act like a biological filter as well as fine-grained sand surfaces. Only lime-rich, heavy metal-free substrates may be used as substrate
Filters, skimmers and heaters are necessary to ensure water quality, as well as pumps to simulate tides, swells and bottom currents. Lighting must match the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals
| Salinity: 33-36 ‰ | pH value: 8.1-8.4 |
| Carbonate hardness: 8-10 °KH | Nitrate content: 2-8 mg/l |
| phosphate content: 0.01-0.1 mg/l | nitrite content: 0.0-0.05 mg/l |
For salinity, an average value should be aimed for, which may only vary slightly by +/- 0.5 ‰. Ammonia and ammonium must not be measurable. Special attention must be paid to constantly good water quality.
Diet
They feed mainly on plankton and plant food. The feed change usually succeeds without problems. The food supply should consist of a commercially available, vitamin-enriched frozen special food mix for planktivores or a combination of live and frozen food, such as mysis, plankton, artemia and krill with chopped shrimp and mussel meat. In addition, they need plenty of commercially available algae and kelp (e.g. nori, caulerpa, kelp) supplemented with high-quality flake or granulated food for herbivores. The plant food strengthens their immune system and reduces aggression. Fine coral sand serves as a digestive aid for them
It is recommended to feed small portions several times a day (3-5 times). Regular and varied feeding promotes health and increases resistance.
Behaviour and compatibility
Since these lively and swimming fish usually live in loose groups or shoals, it is recommended to always keep several animals at the same time. To avoid ranking fights, one group should be added to the aquarium at a time. They are often aggressive against other surgeonfish, towards all other fish they behave peacefully.
Sex dimorphism
There are no known external distinguishing characteristics.
Reproduction and breeding
There are no known reports of successful breeding in the aquarium.
Important
They can easily be confused with the Naso lituratus, which has a black dorsal fin
These excellent algae eaters are especially good at keeping algae growth in the aquarium under control
They require a lot of swimming space, so a central reef setup in the aquarium that these permanent swimmers can circle is recommended
As coral reef dwellers, they should not be maintained in a fish-only aquarium.
If different species are kept together, care should be taken to ensure that the fish match each other in terms of water quality and temperature requirements and social behavior, and that the setup meets the needs of all species kept together. New fish to be introduced must be acclimated slowly to the water in the aquarium.
Further literature can be found in your pet store.
References
Text: Werner Winter; Image: Franz Lowak
Source: KUITER, DEBELIUS (2007): Atlas der Meeresfische: Die Fische an den Küsten der Weltmeere, Kosmos Verlag; BAENSCH & DEBELIUS (2006): Meerwasser Atlas Bd. 1, Mergus Verlag; ENGELMANN (2005): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Fische, Verlag Harri Deutsch
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