Behavior from my tangs

[zheka757]

I have 8 tangs
3 yellow tangs all same size 3"
2 purple tangs both same size 3"
1 gam tang 5"
1 hippo tang 7"
1 achilles tang 7"
Display tank is 96x30x30
Before I say anything, I have being aware from day 1 thay tangs do have aggression towards same kind... with that said... I being trying to understand for a while what is up with my purple tang. It will only chase 1 yellow tang, and only that same yellow tang, With that said. I was curious as to why he will not chase other purple tang or why not the other 2 yellow tangs? Or even that bigger gam tang.
With that in mind I came to wonder why some tangs do fight why some don't. I had 5 yellow tangs 5 years ago. And one was a bullie towards other tangs.
My conclusion to this whole thinking, why if it's not about being a same fish, but more about what sex of the fish. Why if I have 1 male purple and one male yellow tangs that doesn't t get along, and the rest of zebrasome family is females.
What you guys think about it? Do I make sense of am I full of it? Lol

 

[DrZoidburg]

I notice this some when having 1 male and all females is usually better. Similar with damsels. Females are usually more peaceful. However can you be sure this is not more of a pack mentality, or a issue of him the dominant purple seeing yellow tang as a threat to resources. How sure are you that their female? Have you vented them?

 

[Gtinnel]

I would just normally consider it personality differences between individual fish, but gender playing a role does have some logic to it. Although I have no clue if it's correct.

 

[zheka757]

I notice this some when having 1 male and all females is usually better. Similar with damsels. Females are usually more peaceful. However can you be sure this is not more of a pack mentality, or a issue of him the dominant purple seeing yellow tang as a threat to resources. How sure are you that their female? Have you vented them?

I'm not sure about any of it, I'm just observing my fish and coming up with theories/guesses. I don't know if we can or cannot tell gender in tangs.

 

[DrZoidburg]

I'm not sure about any of it, I'm just observing my fish and coming up with theories/guesses. I don't know if we can or cannot tell gender in tangs.

Well you would have to catch and "vent" them. With other species it is really obvious sometimes.

 

[i cant think]

Haha.. 6 Zebrasoma tangs, all have the same body shape and fin length. Get another Zebrasoma if possible so it’s not 1v1 or 3v3, Hippo and Achilles.. again similar body shape (Both elongated), I think that’s the issue.

I would just normally consider it personality differences between individual fish, but gender playing a role does have some logic to it. Although I have no clue if it's correct.

I agree with this but also territory plays a HUGE aspect in this. You have two males of the same species (I have two male Lubbock’s wrasse for example), give them plenty of room and you have less aggression because they take opposite sides of the tank. My biggest example of this is when it comes to wrasse because that’s the only wrasse I know I’ve done with two males. People have two males of the same wrasse in a 4’ tank or bigger, it works out because they have room to avoid eachother but in a 2’ tank they don’t have that room.