starry Blenny and two spot bristletooth tang

[Underthereef101]

I’m having an issue with my two spot bristletooth tang and my starry benny. I have a 90gal tank. The tang just keeps stalking all of my blennys hiding spots and once she sniffs him out, she starts pecking at him. They all get fed twice a day and they have an algae clip. Should I remove the tang? I feel bad for my Blenny. He just can’t catch a break since the tang knows all of his hiding spaces.

 

[mta_morrow]

This may be a tough one as they both compete for the same algae on the rocks, although, this is the first time I have heard of a conflict between these 2.

I would recommend putting a mirror on one end of the tank as this should keep the tang occupied for a while, unleashing his aggressions on "another tang" vs the blenny.

leave it there for a day or 2 and then remove and see if that helps.

I'm also tagging #eatbreakfast for any advice........be sure to follow it if he has some to offer on this case!

good luck......they are both great fish.

 

[Underthereef101]

This may be a tough one as they both compete for the same algae on the rocks, although, this is the first time I have heard of a conflict between these 2.

I would recommend putting a mirror on one end of the tank as this should keep the tang occupied for a while, unleashing his aggressions on "another tang" vs the blenny.

leave it there for a day or 2 and then remove and see if that helps.

I'm also tagging @eatbreakfast for any advice........be sure to follow it if he has some to offer on this case!

good luck......they are both great fish.

Thank you. I will try that method out and see how it goes.

 

[ReefHog]

How long have they been together. I have a kole tang and starry blennie in my 220. For the first week or so the tang was relentless chasing the blennie. The blennie has since picked a “better” place to hang out. The tang still harasses the blennie but not near as much. The blennie doesn’t really clean the rocks of algae too much because of the tang but gets plenty of food at feedings.

 

[Underthereef101]

How long have they been together. I have a kole tang and starry blennie in my 220. For the first week or so the tang was relentless chasing the blennie. The blennie has since picked a “better” place to hang out. The tang still harasses the blennie but not near as much. The blennie doesn’t really clean the rocks of algae too much because of the tang but gets plenty of food at feedings.

They have been together for almost 2 months now and it hasn’t been until recently that the Tang quite literally stalks the Blenny. Even when he swims away to find another hiding place. I’ve made up my mind to just sell the tang. The Blenny is stirring up sand now to try and get the tang to leave him alone.

 

[Underthereef101]

Temp holding cell until we sell it unfortunately.

 

[ReefHog]

Thats too bad. The bristle-tooth tangs are some of the most active and interesting of the tangs and do a great job on algae. Colors leave a little to be desired but they make up for it with their activity. I have "bite marks" all over the back glass and I hardly ever even see him picking back there. He spends all day picking at the rocks. Might be too late now but did you try rearranging the rock work? That can help as territories kind of go back up for grabs.

 

[Underthereef101]

Thats too bad. The bristle-tooth tangs are some of the most active and interesting of the tangs and do a great job on algae. Colors leave a little to be desired but they make up for it with their activity. I have "bite marks" all over the back glass and I hardly ever even see him picking back there. He spends all day picking at the rocks. Might be too late now but did you try rearranging the rock work? That can help as territories kind of go back up for grabs.

It really is unfortunate because like you said, she was very great and I agree she made up for it by the way that she cleaned and such. And unfortunately we have rearranged the rocks already and there’s too much coral in our tank to move around.

 

[Breadman03]

My starry blenny and Kole tang were always bickering until I added in a few more fish. It is like the extra activity keeps them from honing in on each other.

 

[Underthereef101]

My starry blenny and Kole tang were always bickering until I added in a few more fish. It is like the extra activity keeps them from honing in on each other.

Fish are so problematic so my fiancé and I are done with adding fish lol

 

[Xanthurum]

I have found that Ctenochaetus tangs do not like blennies in general but they hate Starries and Lawn Mower Blennies. I know they both eat algae and therefore they will inevitably bicker but it seems to go way beyond bickering.

 

[FiSHAWN]

I had the exact some problem with my Tang and Lawn mower Blenny. 2 months with no altercations, then my two spot bristletooth tang made the LM Blenny Public Enemy #1. Pursued him relentlessly until eventually my Blenny stopped eating and died. Would't recommend the 2 in the same tank. Anyone have any issues with a BTTang and a wrasse in the same tank?

 

[mort]

I had the exact some problem with my Tang and Lawn mower Blenny. 2 months with no altercations, then my two spot bristletooth tang made the LM Blenny Public Enemy #1. Pursued him relentlessly until eventually my Blenny stopped eating and died. Would't recommend the 2 in the same tank. Anyone have any issues with a BTTang and a wrasse in the same tank?

Bristletooth tangs and salarias blennies share the same diet. They are both detritivores, eating the slime algae and detritus covering on rocks and sandbed. Due to this they see each other as competition for food and can't just chase each other off in the confines of a tank.
Wrasse should be easier to mix but it comes down to the tang as some can be real jerks and try to dominate everything in a tank, although some play nice with pretty much anything.