Crazy tang fight

germs101 · Oct 14, 2016

I am planning on adding a Yellow, Sailfin, and Scopas tang all at the same time into my 265 gallon. I have read a lot about it, but as a precautionary measure in case it won't work I wanted them to spend some time together in a qt tank. It's a lot easier to remove someone from there rather than a full reef tank

I started with the Yellow tang and did TTM, and it went into the qt tank. Then I got the Sailfin, Scopas, and a tiny Hippo and did TTM ( they never bothered each other). Yesterday I added those fish into the qt tank with the Yellow tang to test everyone out together. The three zebrasomas all flared their fins and swam backwards at each other! It looks ridiculous! They spent all day in a corner doing that. This morning they have spred out finally, but I still see the Yellow and Scopas do the backward fight move at times.

Will this version of "fighting" harm each other? Do I need to wait until they don't exhibit this behavior at all before they make the journey to the display? None of the fish seem to be hurt by what they're doing so far.

Germ42 · Oct 14, 2016

germs101 said:
I am planning on adding a Yellow, Sailfin, and Scopas tang all at the same time into my 265 gallon. I have read a lot about it, but as a precautionary measure in case it won't work I wanted them to spend some time together in a qt tank. It's a lot easier to remove someone from there rather than a full reef tank

I started with the Yellow tang and did TTM, and it went into the qt tank. Then I got the Sailfin, Scopas, and a tiny Hippo and did TTM ( they never bothered each other). Yesterday I added those fish into the qt tank with the Yellow tang to test everyone out together. The three zebrasomas all flared their fins and swam backwards at each other! It looks ridiculous! They spent all day in a corner doing that. This morning they have spred out finally, but I still see the Yellow and Scopas do the backward fight move at times.

Will this version of "fighting" harm each other? Do I need to wait until they don't exhibit this behavior at all before they make the journey to the display? None of the fish seem to be hurt by what they're doing so far.

Mine tend to do that at first to establish themselves with other similar fish in their territories, it's the Scopas and the yellow tang you'll most likely have t watch because they are both very similar looking. However, I have a sailfin, Atlantic Blue tang, lieutenant tang, and I had a small blue hippo in there as well and they all seemed to get along. In QT and the DT. They had a little sassyness at first but now they were doing great together. I moved the blue hippo tang and sailfin to my other tank after QT(letting my display sit fallow for 76 days) and I put in a clown tang yesterday with the lieutenant tang, and the Atlantic Blue tang in QT and they're doing fine thus far! Just watch them for stress and lots of fighting marks or scrapes.

Germ42 · Oct 14, 2016

Well at least that's my approach I'd take, I'm far from an expert but have had a lot of fun with different tangs and seeing how they get along!

germs101 · Oct 15, 2016

I noticed what appears to be scratches on the Sailfin. Do I just let them work it out? Also, the Hippo's fins look kind of tattered. However, the other tangs don't act like the Hippo exists, so what could be the cause? Ammonia is 0.