Goldflake angel is a terror

[jonbark]

Anyone have experience with goldflake being overall bullies? No tang police but here are list of fish

2 Picasso clowns
Flame hawk fish
Melenarus wrasse
Goldflake angel
Gem tang
Kole tang
Just added Small hippo tang and sunburst anthias.

When I added the gem tang the goldflake would nip at the gem some and still some chasing.

But just added a small hippo and sunburst anthias. The goldflake went after the hippo some. But terrorizes the sunburst. Right now I was able to get the sunburst in an acclimation box to hopefully stop the aggression by the goldflake. But anyone else have this issue with goldflakes?

sorry for typos, on my phone.

 

[Lasse]

Sunburst can be very, very shy in a company like yours. i do not think it is a problem only knitted to the individual fish - probably it is your goldflake that dominate you tank before and now he/she feels like it is hi/her that needs to protect the others from "invaders" - therefore he/she become a bullier. I have done some experiments with aggressive tanganyika cichlids in the past. It shows up that if the newcomer was allowed to go in the same water as in the DT for a week or two it was possible to transfer in new fish into an established community without any serve problems with aggression. It seems like the smell was the most important factor because it was the same if the fish could be seen by the others or not from the DT. Therefor - I always nowadays acclimate my newcomers in the refugium for a week or two before the transfer into the DT.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[LosReef]

If you're able to catch it. I found that removing the bully for a week or 2 and then reintroduce to the tank works. I had a Convict Tang that deserved the name. I had to put him in solitary confinement a couple times. I was lucky that he was an aggressive eater so a fish trap worked every time.

 

[medicw131]

My goldflake seems to be best friends with my yellow tang. Both are bullies in the tank though. I've had them take out a leopard wrasse, a McKosker's wrasse, and three dispar anthias. Luckily, the rest of my tank is full of inhabitants that can handle aggression! I think the goldflake thinks it's also a yellow tang, as it backs up to other fish to hit them with it's scalpel that is non-existent. I'm not exactly sure how things would go with any new additions though. At this point, I'm not going to add anything new without getting a bigger tank or rearranging everything. Probably not my most helpful post, but thought I'd share my experience.

 

[IKD]

Anyone have experience with goldflake being overall bullies? No tang police but here are list of fish

2 Picasso clowns
Flame hawk fish
Melenarus wrasse
Goldflake angel
Gem tang
Kole tang
Just added Small hippo tang and sunburst anthias.

When I added the gem tang the goldflake would nip at the gem some and still some chasing.

But just added a small hippo and sunburst anthias. The goldflake went after the hippo some. But terrorizes the sunburst. Right now I was able to get the sunburst in an acclimation box to hopefully stop the aggression by the goldflake. But anyone else have this issue with goldflakes?

sorry for typos, on my phone.

What size tank do you have? Aggression could be related to space maybe?

 

[IKD]

What size tank do you have? Aggression could be related to space maybe?

Just searched back and see you have a Red Sea 425 (88g). I think you’re going to have territory issues with your stocking list.

 

[Lasse]

ust searched back and see you have a Red Sea 425 (88g). I think you’re going to have territory issues with your stocking list.

I´m not sure that you are right - my general expression is that more crowded - less aggression will hit individual fish. If you have three mbunas (Aggressive and territorial cichlids from Lake Malawi) of the same or different species in 88 G - they will fight until is only one left. Put 30 of the same species in the same size of tank - things will work out well.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[jonbark]

Thank you for all the feedback. 88 gal Red Sea xl425. And I know I’m definitely pushing some boundaries with what I have. Thinking might be do to space over crowding. I have the anthias in an acclimation box right now. Was able to catch him in a trap. I’ll move him to the refugium and try and catch the goldflake. Then switch them. Maybe putting the goldflake in the sump for a day or two might reset things.

 

[IKD]

I´m not sure that you are right - my general expression is that more crowded - less aggression will hit individual fish. If you have three mbunas (Aggressive and territorial cichlids from Lake Malawi) of the same or different species in 88 G - they will fight until is only one left. Put 30 of the same species in the same size of tank - things will work out well.

Sincerely Lasse

Doesn’t that hypothesis assume same species crowding? Does Putting multiple species in a small volume of water still hold that true? I don’t think recommending smaller tank volume if you wish to have more large angels and tangs is appropriate.

 

[Lasse]

Doesn’t that hypothesis assume same species crowding?

No

Does Putting multiple species in a small volume of water still hold that true?

Yes - IME

I don’t think recommending smaller tank volume if you wish to have more large angels and tangs is appropriate.

If it is appropriate or not is one question - if it gets less aggression/fish is another.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[jonbark]

I was able to catch the goldflake in the trap this morning and put him in the sump. Maybe it will reset the hierarchy/aggression.

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

Way back in the day I had one of those big old Whisper HOB filters; removed the media from it and used it to isolate an ornery clownfish for a few days; it helped with his aggression issue...... But eventually I found that the two clowns I had would never stay at peace with one another, so had to get rid of one. Here is the remaining clown circa 1994......