Schooling Tangs?

[Salt Addiction]

So wondering if anyone has ran into this. In my 125 I have a smaller hippo and recently added a powder brown that's about twice her size. Both have ample room to swim and the hippo of course was weary but that was about it. Plenty of grazing spots, rock spaces, etc so I figured they would leave each other alone right? This morning I come down to them within inches of each other so the first thing I do is sigh and prepare to isolate one to the sump to take back to the store in case they simply wont get along...until the brown swims off and the hippo follows...So now I am thinking the hippo is being aggressive right? No, they start grazing together and since then are inseparable, I have watched them for almost an hour with absolutely NONE of the tail swiping or aggressive movement, instead they are swimming and acting like chromis or something. I have literally never heard of this happening before and to be honest it is freaking me out a little given I expected a bit of territorial disputes till they settled, or to simply ignore the other, but no, they are behaving like wild schoolmates or something.

Update: So, the powder brown seems to not care, darting among rocks and grazing doing its tang thing, but the hippo is the one schooling or attempting to school rather. Still though, maybe because it is smaller? The hippo is about 2.5" total. And yes, I have had a mean scopas years back so I know how their fighting looks, this is literal schooling with the brown being the leader so to speak in that the hippo seems to follow its lead with neither ever coming into physical contact, even grazing when it does.

 

[tehmadreefer]

fish don’t school, rather shoal, and only 2 firsh certainly isn’t a school of fish. Smh

Typical tang behavior of following each other around and looking for food, etc.

 

[Luis1992]

I have the same thing with my blonde naso constantly following my koi. Strange but not unheard of

 

[Dragon52]

2 different body types so wouldn't be a problem. My Hippo has more issues with the Blue Throat Trigger then my Chevron.

 

[Salt Addiction]

fish don’t school, rather shoal, and only 2 firsh certainly isn’t a school of fish. Smh

Typical tang behavior of following each other around and looking for food, etc.

I think you should get some more sleep, you obviously need it with that attitude.

Schooling vs Shoaling in Fish

Last I checked most freshwater species will, along with chromis, etc.

 

[Salt Addiction]

I have the same thing with my blonde naso constantly following my koi. Strange but not unheard of

2 different body types so wouldn't be a problem. My Hippo has more issues with the Blue Throat Trigger then my Chevron.

Years ago my old Hippo and Sailfin would do similar, Id just not seen it to such an extent. This is like the "Be my friend..." creep level almost lol.

 

[LIreefguy]

I have a small 3 inch hippo abs a bigger 7 inch one. I swear the smaller one follows the bigger one around. Until the bigger turns then the smaller one hides

 

[trevor's reef]

fish don’t school, rather shoal, and only 2 firsh certainly isn’t a school of fish. Smh

Typical tang behavior of following each other around and looking for food, etc.

love when people act like they're smart and are arrogant about it just to find out how simple minded they really are XD

 

[Flame2hawk]

When tangs are smaller they are usually nicer to each other. While I sincerely hope it lasts forever, they might very well spar a bit as they get larger. The powder brown in particular can get a bit honore. But lets hope not since every fish develops its own personality and maybe since they’re growing up together all will alwys be well! Good luck. PS- post a pic of them together...,thx

 

[Luis1992]

I typically feed heavily and add multiple clips of nori at a time. Have a gem tang in the acclimation box at the moment. Wish me luck!

 

[X-37B]

My convict tang swims with the 6 blue green chromis in my 120.
If the chromis start going after each other the convict swoops in and breaks it up lol.

 

[Flame2hawk]

fish don’t school, rather shoal, and only 2 firsh certainly isn’t a school of fish. Smh

Typical tang behavior of following each other around and looking for food, etc.

Tone of your response is not what our fellow hobby enthusiast needs....tone down a bit....

 

[tehmadreefer]

I think you should get some more sleep, you obviously need it with that attitude.

Schooling vs Shoaling in Fish

Last I checked most freshwater species will, along with chromis, etc.

This is a marine aquarium and your talking about marine fish. Apples to oranges.

Again marine fish especially in small aquariums don’t school up or shoal. There.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Tone of your response is not what our fellow hobby enthusiast needs....tone down a bit....

Lol, nope

 

[tehmadreefer]

love when people act like they're smart and are arrogant about it just to find out how simple minded they really are XD

 

[Luis1992]

I typically feed heavily and add multiple clips of nori at a time. Have a gem tang in the acclimation box at the moment. Wish me luck!

Here’s a pic

 

[Flame2hawk]

Lol, nope

LOL...yes...

 

[CoralReefer2110]

First off, I do not claim to be any sort of tang expert, nor tang police. So before anyone attacks me a few points of note:
1) This is a 1000g system, 10 feet long. Yes, there are a lot of tangs. 13 to be exact.
2) I am not looking for any type of fight. Schooling, shoaling, whatever.
3) Every fish is different, every tank is different, every hobbyists definition of behavior varies wildly.
4) Yes, these fish assume I mean food so they naturally act different around me.

That said, I have a group (call it whatever you want) of 5 yellow tangs that stay near each other at almost all times. This is very short video clip and at the end you can see. They pretty much do hang together (within reason) a lot. So yes, whether trained or innate it is not uncommon to have captive fish stay in close proximity of each other.

Luck, nature, or training I don't know. But it is fun to watch.

Let's be kind to each other. The world is full enough of crappy people, we are supposed to be the chilled out ones.. Cheers all.

 

[Salt Addiction]

First off, I do not claim to be any sort of tang expert, nor tang police. So before anyone attacks me a few points of note:
1) This is a 1000g system, 10 feet long. Yes, there are a lot of tangs. 13 to be exact.
2) I am not looking for any type of fight. Schooling, shoaling, whatever.
3) Every fish is different, every tank is different, every hobbyists definition of behavior varies wildly.
4) Yes, these fish assume I mean food so they naturally act different around me.

That said, I have a group (call it whatever you want) of 5 yellow tangs that stay near each other at almost all times. This is very short video clip and at the end you can see. They pretty much do hang together (within reason) a lot. So yes, whether trained or innate it is not uncommon to have captive fish stay in close proximity of each other.

Luck, nature, or training I don't know. But it is fun to watch.

Let's be kind to each other. The world is full enough of crappy people, we are supposed to be the chilled out ones.. Cheers all.

Oh I totally agree, just trying to educate someone lol. That and I am former military so I tend to give back what I receive, that said new hobbyist would definitely be discouraged by such an attitude. To put it simply shoaling is a social type behavior such as grouping or communal grazing, whereas schooling is still social but is primarily directional in nature to avoid or intimidate a perceived predator, ocean species do both...At least if we want to get technical, and again as everyone in this thread has already shown them, see chromis for a practical example of this behavior in marine fish in captivity.

I also would avoid "Lol Nope" type replies, given you never know when an admin may be lurking as its fairly rude and discourages the exchange of knowledge in general...which is why we are here. At least that is why I am here.

 

[CoralReefer2110]

Salt Addiction,
Totally agree with you on all points. I've been at this long enough to know just how much I don't know. Always grateful for those who can teach/enlighten me in a pleasant way. It's your thread, you do you....
Cheers.