Fishy Dilemma, opinions wanted

[Triggreef]

I'm faced with a tough decision after my last acclimation didn't go as well as I hoped, in other words terrible. I have a 200g dd tank that is fully loaded. It is very wrasse heavy, but I also have 6 tangs. I love the tangs and together they really mow down any type of algae that is introduced and keep the tank looking good. Since there are 6, I really can't know which ones do the better job at this but I believe they all play a part. My favorite, the powder blue, is the one I'm debating on letting go as well as my desjardine sailfin tang. The other 4 I have are a yellow, a scopus, a kole, and a Caribbean blue tang.

The reason I'm debating this is that I just successfully qt'd a beautiful copperband butterfly who eats frozen and live black worms impressively. I had him over a month in an established qt, where he was treated for flukes, and I was also able to observe him eating a good amount of aptaisa that was in that tank, as well as leaving several corals that were in there completely alone. Which is great since I'm having an aptasia problem and need to respond to it. I then did TTM proactively prior to introducing him into the display, even though he never showed any signs of ich or anything else. What an awesome fish!

I gave him his intro at night as I usually do into the display. In the morning he was being relentlessly harassed by the powder blue and sailfin tang, which I really didn't expect since well its a butterfly not a tang. My tangs never really seemed to care about anything not a tang thus far as far as new intro's go. But anyhow it was well passed just a normal hazing, I'm quite sure they would have killed him if he weren't wedged in between some monti cap trying to retreat from there attacks. My beautiful copperband now sports some tattered fins, and missing scales, but the good news is I was able to catch him out of the display right away and relocate him back to his previous qt, where he is now eating again.

So, nothing aside from the powder blue and sailfin gave the copperband a second look. So I'm confident if I remove them, then I could add the copperband successfully. Removing them won't be an easy task though, and will most likely have to be done via hook and line as theres really no other way. I suppose that is probably the way to go for me as the removal of those 2 tangs, as much as I love them, will certainly decrease my bio-load which is helpful. The copperband proves itself very useful in the tank, and I'd still have 4 other tangs for algae control. Of course I would basically be getting rid of my "centerpiece fish" that everyone loves when they see my tank. :sad:

I just want to hear other peoples thoughts. Help me make a decision!!

 

[Humblefish]

Powder Blues can get nasty. Mine will bully anything that won't stand up to her, so I've been avoiding adding another CBB or Moorish Idol for the exact same reason you described. I think removing both the PB and Desjardini is going to be necessary if you want to have long-term success with the CBB. I recently caught a 7" foxface using a homemade fish trap made out of eggcrate. That might be a better option than the hook and line. I used nori as bait, and within a few days all of my tangs were going in & out of the trap.

 

[Triggreef]

Could you post a picture? I have plenty of eggcrate laying around. I've used traps before but I don't think any of my tangs ever went near any trap. It would have to be pretty large this time around. I'm pretty bummed about the way this turned out. Really not an easy decision. Wish I had time and money for a third tank so I could keep everyone.

 

[Humblefish]

Could you post a picture? I have plenty of eggcrate laying around. I've used traps before but I don't think any of my tangs ever went near any trap. It would have to be pretty large this time around. I'm pretty bummed about the way this turned out. Really not an easy decision. Wish I had time and money for a third tank so I could keep everyone.

I used this guy's fish trap as my template, it looks just like this: Reef Central Online Community - View Single Post - Homemade fish trap???You can make it any size you want, use zip ties to connect it all together, and fishing line to close the door.

 

[TJ's Reef]

How about after catching the two Bully Tangs keep the Powder Blue in QT as a Time out for several weeks then reintroduce him/her once everything is well settled with the Copperband B-fly. I to have kept my PB as a 'Centerpiece' Fish though was really planning to house only Fish native to Hawaiian waters.


Cheers, Todd

 

[eatbreakfast]

I had a similar problem with tangs attacking any laterally compressed newcomer I would add. I had a larger acrylic acclimation box made that could be put in the tank. It had to be large to properly accommodate larger fish like butterflys and angels, but really reduced aggression when they were let out into the display.

 

[ca1ore]

I think the problem with your tank is going to be that male Meleagris. He's really got to go, the aggressive SOB. As luck would have it I know of a terrific new home for him. Hello ... Hello .... Are you still there ..... Hmm, must have hung up .....

 

[Triggreef]

I used this guy's fish trap as my template, it looks just like this: Reef Central Online Community - View Single Post - Homemade fish trap???You can make it any size you want, use zip ties to connect it all together, and fishing line to close the door.

I'm going to use that. I have a homemade acrylic trap, but I think its too small. I'll be making a big egg crate trap!

How about after catching the two Bully Tangs keep the Powder Blue in QT as a Time out for several weeks then reintroduce him/her once everything is well settled with the Copperband B-fly. I to have kept my PB as a 'Centerpiece' Fish though was really planning to house only Fish native to Hawaiian waters.


Cheers, Todd

I might try that. I thought about it but my worry was that the other 4 tangs remaining in the tank might not take the re-intro too well.

I had a similar problem with tangs attacking any laterally compressed newcomer I would add. I had a larger acrylic acclimation box made that could be put in the tank. It had to be large to properly accommodate larger fish like butterflys and angels, but really reduced aggression when they were let out into the display.

I should have done that. I have a nice big acclimation box too. I opted not to because the CBB was already quite angry with the tank transfer method.

I think the problem with your tank is going to be that male Meleagris. He's really got to go, the aggressive SOB. As luck would have it I know of a terrific new home for him. Hello ... Hello .... Are you still there ..... Hmm, must have hung up .....

Lol. Sorry.

But if your still on the market for a sailfin....

 

[phillrodrigo]

I have the perfect fix give me the carribbean blue and the copperband problem solved.

 

[Humblefish]

I'm going to use that. I have a homemade acrylic trap, but I think its too small. I'll be making a big egg crate trap!

It took about 3 days for the tangs to go in (stupid/trusting dwarf angels were in it the very first day :xd; after about a week, all my fish were going in & out on a regular basis to eat the nori. Chevron tang became so comfortable with it that he would spend a lot of time inside picking at the algae that had started to grow and chasing all the other fish away from it. CB angel started sleeping in it at night. :wink:

After about a week, I knew I could just pick my day & time to catch the foxface. Before that, I cut back on the regular feedings and would just casually replace the nori inside the trap everyday - so they would get more & more comfortable with it.

 

[Triggreef]

I have the perfect fix give me the carribbean blue and the copperband problem solved.

Hey now I did help you find one! The Caribbean blue didn't pay it any attention.

 

[Saltgator]

I like TJ'S idea. My bullies in my system are terrible on new guys. Ccb was picked on by my angel and black tang, nothing like what you have going on. I gave up on the egg crate trap and solely rely on my acclimation box as a trap. My acclimation box is a xl critter cage. I drilled holes throughout it and use a magnet cleaner to hold it in place. Every day I feed in it. The only part I remove it the clear lid. Once they eat in there it's almost too easy to catch anything. This method has worked on wrasses, tangs, angels and triggers. This also allows me to just walk away and let the catch calm back down before a transfer. Adding the clear lid also allows the catch to stay in the system without me catching him for someone local to buy. GL

 

[mrbncal]

I have used mirrors in the past with great success. I place a mirror on one end of the tank and the aggressor is so interested in the reflection that it forgets about everyone else. Leave it there for as long as is needed. The first day or two they are so exhausted they don't even look at other fish.

 

[Triggreef]

I have used mirrors in the past with great success. I place a mirror on one end of the tank and the aggressor is so interested in the reflection that it forgets about everyone else. Leave it there for as long as is needed. The first day or two they are so exhausted they don't even look at other fish.

That was actually the first thing I tried. Everyone was crowding it except for the ones I wanted to. I gave it about an hour but I was going to have some injured fishies if I left it much longer.