PBT advice

[Humblefish]

I have a PBT who is very special to me but also has turned into a homicidal maniac. I can't keep any other tangs with this fish ... I recently introduced a Ctenochaetus binotatus and she beat it within an inch of it's life. The PBT is currently in "fish jail" while I try to sort this all out.

I love this fish and really don't want to rehome her, but wife & I are planning on moving back to the UK this year anyway. I had even toyed around with the idea of taking her with us... but I think that idea is out.

So what would you do? Rehome her now, or wait until we know we're moving and have to? I'm thinking about leaving her in jail for a couple of weeks and then trying her out again in my DT. I've had this fish for as long as we've been back in the US (5-6 years now.) The thing is I have to know she's going to the right home, someone who shares my beliefs about QT & everything. I guess looking for that "perfect fit" now would afford me a lot more time than waiting until the very last minute...

 

[Reefing Madness]

Well, the only thing I've found that totally messes up a Tang, is totally re doing the rock work, this to me, messess up their ownership of the tank, and tends to calm things down.
Also, I've noticed that they will pick on other tangs, and other fish for that matter, for a few days after the new guy has been introduced. If you could seperate the DT, leaving the new guy jus some swim room, until the PBT can get used to seeing the new guy, the aggersiveness will calm down when he's released into the full tank.

 

[4FordFamily]

I have a PBT who is very special to me but also has turned into a homicidal maniac. I can't keep any other tangs with this fish ... I recently introduced a Ctenochaetus binotatus and she beat it within an inch of it's life. The PBT is currently in "fish jail" while I try to sort this all out.

I love this fish and really don't want to rehome her, but wife & I are planning on moving back to the UK this year anyway. I had even toyed around with the idea of taking her with us... but I think that idea is out.

So what would you do? Rehome her now, or wait until we know we're moving and have to? I'm thinking about leaving her in jail for a couple of weeks and then trying her out again in my DT. I've had this fish for as long as we've been back in the US (5-6 years now.) The thing is I have to know she's going to the right home, someone who shares my beliefs about QT & everything. I guess looking for that "perfect fit" now would afford me a lot more time than waiting until the very last minute...

I've not yet had a PBT for the length of time you have but I've had many over the years definitely long enough to see their temperaments.

Some PBT are just NASTY. I have not yet seen them become more docile. More tangs can spread it but if your PBT has a vendetta against a fish that's it. It won't get over it, it won't subside, and it won't let up like other tangs that seem to get over it in time or lose interest in bullying.

In my experience PBT are the nastiest tang by a large margin.

I have had some docile PBT believe it or not, but once mean they've never improved. I have two together I added at the same time and they tolerate each other and have established who the dominant PBT is. They've worked the same thing out with the other Acantharus tangs, the powder brown is just under the PBT's, Achilles tang last in the acanthus tang pecking order... But the boss is the Sohal tang. They would NOT let up on him until he slashed the snot out of the dominant PBT. Now, with scars to prove it, Sohal is boss and they respect him.

My Sohal is pretty timid though. He only defends himself, he doesn't start scuffles. He finishes them. Having a timid tang as tang boss is usually a good thing as they tend to keep order in a multiple tang tank. The PBT feel less inclined and driven to defend the tank since they are not in charge. So far, the Sohal is Godsent.

Anyway more relevant, you might try and see if I am wrong about time not helping. If nothing else the weeks in "timeout" will give the new fish time to acclimate and learn hiding places. It's worth a try before getting rid of the PBT

 

[4FordFamily]

Well, the only thing I've found that totally messes up a Tang, is totally re doing the rock work, this to me, messess up their ownership of the tank, and tends to calm things down.
Also, I've noticed that they will pick on other tangs, and other fish for that matter, for a few days after the new guy has been introduced. If you could seperate the DT, leaving the new guy jus some swim room, until the PBT can get used to seeing the new guy, the aggersiveness will calm down when he's released into the full tank.

I've re aquascaped a tank before on three different occasions to lessen tang aggression with temporary results in two cases, and no effect in the third (verry nasty Achilles tang).

It works with some less aggressive tangs or tangs with the propensity to "forgive and forget". PBT are not that tang, IMO.

My tank boss at one point was a Sailfin that was very welcoming to new fish (for a tang) with minimal if any harassment. Then I sold it and the purple tang took over. Harassed new tangs and other fish without mercy for a few days then forgot.

When I've had aggressive PBT and Achilles tangs - they don't let up. I've let things go for a month or more before pulling the fish out. They keep them pinned in a corner. Not a whole lot of damage but a LOT of harassing and keeping the other fish from eating. Damage is usually done in the first few days. It's not a good quality of life for the new fish to be confined to a small corner of the tank.

Again though, I guess it's worth a try if you want to try everything before selling it off

 

[Reefing Madness]

You just keep your Tangs in a 6' tank Ford?

 

[4FordFamily]

You just keep your Tangs in a 6' tank Ford?

I have three 6 foot tanks but yes I've kept most in six foot tanks.

 

[3Twinklets]

I find keeping my fish very well fed sometimes helps in the community situation. They have less reason to be aggressive if they are not hungry Also, I never, ever add fish without an acclimation box.

 

[Humblefish]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I think I'm gonna give her another shot in the DT after 2 weeks of being in "time out". Don't know if I could find the time to totally redo my scape.

 

[4FordFamily]

I feed my fish 3-7 times daily, for what it's worth. Have done that historically whenever possible

 

[Humblefish]

So, I've got some sad news... my beloved PBT "Mary Kay" is dead.

I've been having some aggression issues in my DT after adding some new fish. Mary, in particular, had turned into this homicidal maniac - I've never seen her this bad. In times past, I've been able to put her in a 29 gal HT "fish jail" for a couple of weeks and then back into the DT and the situation improved. So I setup the HT as usual, put her in it but was gone most of yesterday. When I got home yesterday evening, she was laying on her side breathing hard. I immediately put her back in the DT (in an acclimation box) but this morning she was gone.

Thinking back over what might have gone wrong, there's one thing that keeps popping up in my head. I got a new Koralia powerhead (in the mail) a few days ago and used that in her HT. Thing is I was in a rush to set the tank up, so I didn't rinse/soak the pump beforehand. I just used it straight out of the box (Koralias aren't sealed up or anything inside their box.) So I am thinking possibly the pump was exposed to a contaminate or something somewhere along the way. Maybe it had been sitting in a warehouse and they sprayed for roaches recently?

I'm still trying to process everything. I guess I'm still in shock right now. I had this fish for 5-6 years, and those of you who know me know how much this fish meant to me.....

 

[4FordFamily]

In sorry man. Unfortunately, things happen .

That's really strange. I assume you were providing ample oxygen it sounds like you were. Sometimes pbt stress themselves out when put in smaller tanks, but usually not to death?

 

[Z06-Hec]

Sorry for the loss.... PBT are beautiful fish but very nasty.
I had 1 for a few months and she was doing great. then when she got nice and fat tried to establish herself over the much bigger purple tang in the tank.
It was constant chasing and fighting and when i put up camera i saw her eating all my corals and picking at my clams. Once i saw that i had to rehome her.
She ate like a beast, always grazing and any feeding time would eat everything and chase everyone away from the food... its like she thought if someone else ate she wouldnt have any.... ALWAYS eating.

 

[Humblefish]

In sorry man. Unfortunately, things happen .

That's really strange. I assume you were providing ample oxygen it sounds like you were. Sometimes pbt stress themselves out when put in smaller tanks, but usually not to death?

Yeah, I had both an Aquaclear 70 and Koralia 600 going in there (29 gal.) The Koralia was even pointed at the surface, to draw in additional O2.

It's completely my fault for not taking the time to at least rinse the powerhead. That was a serious boneheaded move on my part. I should know by now that you have to dot ever i and cross every t in this hobby.

 

[4FordFamily]

Yeah, I had both an Aquaclear 70 and Koralia 600 going in there (29 gal.) The Koralia was even pointed at the surface, to draw in additional O2.

It's completely my fault for not taking the time to at least rinse the powerhead. That was a serious boneheaded move on my part. I should know by now that you have to dot ever i and cross every t in this hobby.

I feel stupid, I've literally never washed a power head and I've bought 8 new ones in the last year! Would have never thought of it so I am an idiot

 

[rlman41299]

I wouldn't say it was the koralia. I have had the same experience with a pbt with my previous setup. I have had him for 3 years and was the only tank in the 220g tank. Wife wanted to add a chevron which we did but the pbt was already established for 3 years and beat up the chevron really bad. So out came the pbt on a 30g holding that has always been setup. The next day he died.
I would say maybe the stress it went through with the bullying and trying to get him out of his environment put a lot of stress on him and when he got transferred to a new environment that he is not used to he stressed out more and ended up dying the next day. He was already on the large side around 7".

 

[4FordFamily]

So strange!

 

[Humblefish]

I wouldn't say it was the koralia. I have had the same experience with a pbt with my previous setup. I have had him for 3 years and was the only tank in the 220g tank. Wife wanted to add a chevron which we did but the pbt was already established for 3 years and beat up the chevron really bad. So out came the pbt on a 30g holding that has always been setup. The next day he died.
I would say maybe the stress it went through with the bullying and trying to get him out of his environment put a lot of stress on him and when he got transferred to a new environment that he is not used to he stressed out more and ended up dying the next day. He was already on the large side around 7".

You know, my wife is saying the same thing. That Mary died of a "panic" or "anxiety" attack. Like I broke the fish's heart when I removed Mary from HER tank and subsequently put her in fish jail. That doesn't really compute with me, but I suppose anything is possible. I almost wish it were true... so I could stop feeling so guilty/negligent for her death.

 

[4FordFamily]

You know, my wife is saying the same thing. That Mary died of a "panic" or "anxiety" attack. Like I broke the fish's heart when I removed Mary from HER tank and subsequently put her in fish jail. That doesn't really compute with me, but I suppose anything is possible. I almost wish it were true... so I could stop feeling so guilty/negligent for her death.

I don't know, stress definitely kills PBT. I had three and a hybrid PBT in the same tank together literally NONE made it regardless of great water parameters and frequent feedings (3/4 ate) and nori.

All other tangs thrived, meanwhile. Very odd. I think they stressed each other out or the temporary tang limit ceiling had been reached. The two I bought just after that are thriving and doing fantastic together.

I honestly find PBT to be the hardest tang to keep. My Achilles were even a bit easier. I have lots of experience with most "common" tangs, and a few "uncommon".

Powder Browns were far easier than PBT or Achilles, IME and I've had two. Own one currently, and two Achilles, and two PBT.

 

[rlman41299]

Honestly i assumed it was stress. I caught mine at night time by his den and the flowing morning I tried to feed it and won't even turn and look at me.
We always get this attachment witb our fish specially the ones that has been in our tanks the longest.
I felt really guilty that he suffered from the transfer.
Sad to say but I did contribute to his death

 

[4FordFamily]

Except Juvenile Achilles (no orange drop on tail) they are so much more fragile. Tried twice both died in under three days. Small powder blues are hardier than large, IME and IMO in contrast. The trick is finding a supplier that ships fat healthy PBT at that size. Qm is not that place IME.

I've had several small PBT that are shipped healthy and fat eating within 10 minutes of being added to a tank.