Should he stay or should he go...

[Headhunter]

We have a 150g reef tank with jerky ~7” purple tang…he chases the other fish, and is generally annoying to all the fish. My 12 year old son is lobbying me to trade him for a ‘nicer’ fish.

We currently have…

• Tangs: Purple, Blue and Sailfin (all 3-4”)
• Bicolor Angel, Flame Angel
• (3) Green/Blue Chromis
• Pyramid Butterfly
• Purple Dottyback
• Purple Firefish
• Royal Gramma
• (2) Ocellaris
• Green Mandarin
• Ruby Red Dragonet

Fish we like and considering…

• Longnose Hawkfish
• Yellow Tang, Achilles Tang, Clown Tang, Yellow eye Kole Tang
• Blue Gudgeon Dartfish
• Purple Tilefish
• Bellus Angel
• Magnificent Foxface
• Pacific Redstripe Hogfish
• Strawberry & Orchid Dottyback
• Carpenter, Fairy and Six Line Wrasse, Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
• Lyretail or Bartlett's Anthias
• Blackline Blenny or Tailspot Blenny or Golden Midas Blenny
• Green Clown Goby or Yellow Watchman Goby & Tiger Pistol Shrimp DUO

Welcome your feedback and suggestions…TIA

 

[wesman42]

I think if you wanted to have a tang, a kole tang would be fine. Usually a different genus from the ones currently in the tank would be okay...like a kole or bristletooth.

I'm also a huge fan of blennies...love their personalities. I've also wanted a longnose...but it should really be a last addition type guy because they're territorial of rockwork.

You can't go wrong with a foxface all the eating of a tang but with no aggression.

I'd stay away from any dottyback just because I've had them kill much larger fish.

I don't know much about wrasses.

 

[Jesterrace]

I would stay away from Zebrasoma Tangs (ie Yellow, Purple) just because they tend to be jerks by nature. A Foxface would be a smart addition. I replaced an aggressive Yellow Tang with a One Spot and don't regret it. A Kole Tang would probably work well since it's a different type of Tang and they aren't known to be as aggressive as the Purple. The 6 line wrasses and dottybacks are out (the only one I would chance is an Orchid). They are jerks and known for going on killing sprees as they get older. Flasher or Fairy Wrasses that are generally peaceful are all good choices (lots of color and activity).

 

[davocean]

I prefer a peaceful tank, less stress on all tank occupants, so I'd remove the purple, and the sailfin too as it will probably assume the same role as it will outgrow that tank if it has not already, and it's going to be territorial as well.

I like anthia, but they do best w/ multiple feedings, keep in mind, lyretails would be my choice.

You have a lot of big fish in that tank, personally I would not replace what you remove w/ other large fish

 

[408Dartfish]

I think Foxface fish are pretty fun to watch and are peaceful. I really like my midas blenny also a great and active open swimming fish for me . A Bellus angel are cool but I have no experience owning one, a pair of Bellus on my dream list. My longnose hawkfish hunted shrimp but left coral banded shrimp alone. Dustin

 

[Florida Sunshine]

You have a couple of my favorites on your list. I vote for Foxface and Midas Blenney. Both are great fish to have IMO

 

[ScooterV]

A zebrasoma is almost a requirement for me, but they can all be buttheads. How bad is the aggression though? Is it litterally beating up others, or just maintaining dominance but no actual harm done? A purple is a pretty tang to give up if it's simply chasing others now and then. If it's injuring others, or starving them out of fear it would be time to go though

If replacing it I'd go with a foxface myself. We love ours and the personality of ours once settled is entertaining. It's like a little puppy and excited to see us, will eat nori out of our fingers, and is a photo bomber "Look at me" if we try taking any picture. LOL, not that we really believe it can think that much, but is entertaining. Ours is a Foxface Lo, and we got it to satisfy my wife's insistence on a yellow tang, instead of the purple I wanted. So, I gave her some "yellow"

 

[Jesterrace]

My Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma) took a chunk out of my coral beauty dwarf angel's lower fin and would regularly back up and slap it with it's tail scalpel (causing visible damage to the coral beauty). I wish I could say this sort of behavior was uncommon for Zebrasoma, but it isn't.

 

[theKoolAidMan]

Yes, replace him. I mean, of course it's your choice and not my tank, but if you're asking...replace him. I recently had to trade in a Tomini tang who was making life hell for my Starry Blenny and a Solorensis Wrasse who was terrorizing my Naoko Wrasse and Barlett's Anthias. Major behavioral changes after removing them. Much less stress in the tank which hopefully means less chance of disease. I wanted to believe everything was really fine because no physical damage was happening, but moving them was like night and day.

 

[67chevellemalibu2]

Yellow Tangs are *****s too!
I have a Longnose Hawkish and a One Spot Foxface. Model citizens.

 

[Trev]

Show your son a pix of harlequin tuskfish. it would be a unique addition and conversation piece.

 

[Jesterrace]

Yes, replace him. I mean, of course it's your choice and not my tank, but if you're asking...replace him. I recently had to trade in a Tomini tang who was making life hell for my Starry Blenny and a Solorensis Wrasse who was terrorizing my Naoko Wrasse and Barlett's Anthias. Major behavioral changes after removing them. Much less stress in the tank which hopefully means less chance of disease. I wanted to believe everything was really fine because no physical damage was happening, but moving them was like night and day.

You know it's funny, because everyone claims that Solarensis Wrasses (aka Clown Fairy Wrasse or Red Head Salon Fairy Wrasses) are peaceful, yet every one I have seen including the one I had was a complete butthead to one or more of it's tank mates. I definitely would call them semi-aggressive.