Safe to re-introduce a Purple Tang?

[TexanCanuck]

I've got a 140 gal custom tank that is still maturing (been running since Jan 1 so no corals yet).

I've had a number of tangs in the tank since it finished cycling (yellow tang, purple tang, sail fin tang, blue hippo tang, blonde naso tang). They are all about the same size (4 to 5") except for the yellow tang (larger at around 6").

For 3 months they all got along great, but then one day my yellow tang beat up the purple tang quite badly - I believe it was precipitated by under-feeding Nori, but I'm not sure.

I've had the purple tang in a hospital tank for a month now, and he's almost fully healed and (I think) ready to go back into the main tank.

Am I crazy thinking I can re-introduce this fish to the tank?

Even if I ...
- re-scape the live rock
- over-feed Nori for a few weeks
- use an acclimation tank to re-introduce the purple tang over the course of 24 hours

Or should I just accept that it is going to end the same way and find a new home for him?

 

[albano]

Most likely to end the same way

 

[TexanCanuck]

That's what I was afraid of.

When you say "most likely", does that mean the risk isn't worth trying?

 

[Thaxxx]

What I would do is catch the yellow and put him in the separate tank for awhile. See if making him the new guy in the tank straightens him out.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Isolate the yellow for about 2 weeks and see from that point how they fare. You may have to consider changing the scape slightly where the yellow tang generally hangs out. Also placing a mirror in the yellow's hangout spot will trick the tang to focus on the other (imaginary) tang than the purple

 

[dvgyfresh]

Have you tried the mirror trick to curve the aggression ? Also changing the scape slightly might help as it creates a new place so to speak that no one has claim over and resets the territorial aggression