For the people who have kept many of the same type of fish (Tangs / Clowns) what has helped to keep the aggression down minus the obvious over feeding. A heavy dense amount of rock work to keep ample hiding spots or very minimal amount of rock work for many open spots to keep the amount of 'territorial' caves down?
Many Caves VS More Open Space
- Thread starter SuperReefer204
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Auquanut
5000 Club Member
Partner Member 2024
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
RGB
Reef Squad Emeritus
Hospitality Award
Midwest Reefer
My Tank Thread
Whether it's aggression between fish or territorial-ism, the more structure the better. If a fish is territorial, it will find a spot to defend and keep it whether you have a lot of rock work or not. If it is an aggression issue, having hiding places and breaking line of sight of the pursuer helps. Is there a particular reason you ask? Is there an issue that we might be able to help with?
In specific i have a 330 gallon DT with essentially a rock wall. The fish were for the most part okay, they chase a bit. Once in awhile a fish would have a small bit fin. I recently took about half out one side and now I don't particularly see bite marks but more so the typical freshwater cichlid style tank. Just some short chases until they run into the bigger fish or a wall etc. Entire plan is to make 2 or 3 smaller rock structures to free up some future coral placement locations.
Freshwater the rules seems to be less homes and more open spaces with more fish to keep the aggression all mixed and nontargeted. But in reef tanks it just seems to be one of those just don't add it and break up the peace and keep stocking smallerish.
Darth.Daddy12
Active Member
Wo reading anyone else’s answers to this not sure if this has been said already..
Almost impossible to answer question. Some tangs like caves and some don’t. Blues for example like cave for sleeping and resting or when stressed. Yellows just like to swim 24/7.
I’ve never had an issue with clown vs tang aggression either.
The best thing is to ensure you have caves and open spaces. Clowns mostly like to swim up top or up to down where tangs like to swim across in quick bursts. To keep aggression down it’s more so the order you add the fish rather then what fish you’re adding. Add the more sensitive ones first and let them get comfortable. Add damsels and tangs last and when doing so it’s best to add them all in one shot before any claim a territory. Things like fire fish can be added with cuc. Tangs and even clowns should be about the last on the list when going into a tank.
You also have to consider if that fish likes to school or is only aggressive towards like species which most are. So long as you add say 4-6 chromos at a time (they school) this keeps Thier aggression down with each other vs if you had just 2. One would just constantly pester the other.
Clowns pretty much get along with each other and only pester others.
Tangs.. so many to categorize like this.. but generally speaking just one tang of each type of tang is common.
Wrasse are generally a single fish per species per tank fish.
Most damsels outside clowns are like wrasse and single type per tank.
Just lut the delicate fish in first keeping to traits. If they are schooling then get 4-6. If they are not then likely best to just get one unless tank is over 4’ with clowns being the only common singularity where they instill a full species hierarchy like a normal human family.
A fire fish or 2 and 4-6 cardinals then move to a pair of clowns, then say a 6 line then blue and yellow tang. for 1 example. Giving 1 month between each addition.
