Need help with fish aggression

nick0206 · Feb 8, 2020

Hello.
Yesterday, to fight aiptasia, I bought a Copperband fish for myself.
I had 7 fish in a 65 gallon system
3 Chromis, Filefish and 3 surgeons - Yellow tang, Sailfin tang and Blue Powder tang.
As soon as the Copperband was in the tank, the Blue powder and Sailfin immediately attacked him and kept up all day.
I did not expect such a reaction. Usually they are aggressive to the fish of their species. The only explanation is that the size of the Copperband is comparable to their size.
How can aggression be reduced?
What do you advise?
respectfully
Nick

Tahoe61 · Feb 8, 2020

You can try placing a mirror on the tank. Aggression intensify when large fish types are kept within a system that does not allow or provides areas to flee to from aggression.

Malifry97 · Feb 8, 2020

Tahoe61 said:
You can try placing a mirror on the tank. Aggression intensify when large fish types are kept within a system that does not allow or provides areas to flee to from aggression.

+1 to a mirror or two. Also I have heard that if you change up your rockscape a little, it can make the fish focus on getting their territory established again.

Uncle99 · Feb 8, 2020

In a 65, Once the tangs were added, anything less aggressive will be harassed.

Cell · Feb 8, 2020

Tank size seems awfully small for all those tangs. Aggression seems inevitable.

Little_Red_Ryan_Hood · Feb 8, 2020

Cell said:
Tank size seems awfully small for all those tangs. Aggression seems inevitable.

I agee completely.

Cell · Feb 8, 2020

Where is the CB supposed to retreat to in a 65 with 3 tangs?

nick0206 · Feb 8, 2020

Tahoe61 said:
You can try placing a mirror on the tank. Aggression intensify when large fish types are kept within a system that does not allow or provides areas to flee to from aggression.

Thanks.
Now they beat less. Copperband sits next to the pump and does not go out. Saifin seemed to calm down. The Blue Powder swims up to him, checks that the Copperband is sitting in its place in the corner, and then sets sail. I really hope that they get used to it and stop touching it. The fish is hungry (bought on the day of arrival at the store).

Jagg · Feb 8, 2020

Sounds like it needs a good telling off!

nick0206 · Feb 8, 2020

My first tang was the blue powder, as the most stress-resistant fish. After a couple of months, Yellow Tang and Saifin added.
Blue Powder, as the dominant began to pursue them, and in such a way that both thought they would not survive until the morning.
And in the morning everyone swam together, without any aggression.

oneilwiz · Feb 19, 2020

I hope they live in harmony. I am going through the same ordeal. I just got a Copperband fish and Purple tang ( all small) but my Powder Blue tang was furious started attacking both. Finally caught him, have it in a Brute Trash bin for now. My tank is a 120G

DarthSimon · Feb 19, 2020

In time hopefully the aggression subsides. I have actually printed pictures of the respective tangs or fish and tapped them to the tank so they think they are seeing bigger same species fish. That can help....

oneilwiz · Feb 19, 2020

DarthSimon said:
In time hopefully the aggression subsides. I have actually printed pictures of the respective tangs or fish and tapped them to the tank so they think they are seeing bigger same species fish. That can help....

thank you for that tip, I will do that today. I caught the Powder Blue Tang. Currently being housed in a big Fish Trap inside the tank.

egwich · Feb 19, 2020

Buy a bigger tank. All of your tangs are going to die of stress eventually. Tank size recommendations are normally spot on in my opinion. You basically have two Great Danes and a Rottweiler living in a trailer.

4FordFamily · Feb 19, 2020

Your tank is too small for any tangs, and probably a CBB. The only tang I can think of short-term is perhaps a Tomini for a 65.

Sorry but this is the root of your issues, a Sailfin and Powder Blue require a 150 gallon or larger.

Wolf89 · Feb 19, 2020

4FordFamily said:
Your tank is too small for any tangs, and probably a CBB. The only tang I can think of short-term is perhaps a Tomini for a 65.

Sorry but this is the root of your issues, a Sailfin and Powder Blue require a 150 gallon or larger.

Agree
65 is WAY too small for any tangs, let alone a powder blue! The sailfin tang and powder blue need 180 gallons or larger. If you do not do something, this wont end well

Bapeluso · Feb 19, 2020

The mirror trick worked with adding a baby naso and powder blue in with my 8" blonde naso. He had immediately chased them around. Tried the mirror trick, which is absolutely ingenious, and it worked out. Rarely now does he ever chase anyone around. He only does it when they get too close in his bubble and theres not an algae sheet hahaha. Here they are today

nick0206 · Feb 20, 2020

Thanks to everyone.
I have not visited the site for 2 weeks ...
After 3 days, the aggression ceased, the fish got used to each other and now there is peace and friendship in the tank.
The goal of the Copperband acquisition was to fight aiptasia.
In September, received 2 Peppermint shrimps as a gift ... I didn’t see any work, aiptasia covered all the rocks ...
In November, I bought 5 more Peppermint shrimps ... a week later they cleaned a small rock under which they sat ...
In early January, added a File fish ... again without results ...
In early February, acquired Copperband ...
Yesterday I suddenly noticed that there were very few aiptasias left ... I did not see with my own eyes which of them destroyed it, Shrimps, File fish or Copperband.