Tang aggression

Sistawolf · Apr 12, 2017

I have a yellow tang and a tomini tang along with a Midas blenny, bar goby, watchman goby, Bangui cardinal, molly miller and a bonded pair of snowflake clowns.. about two months ago.. I separated the clowns thinking they were ready to have me babies.. they have yet to do so.. and I'm wanting to get rid of my smaller tank they are currently in.. I added the clowns back to the dt and the tomini tang immediately started picking on the clowns.. I took them back out and placed them back in the breeding tank.. how can I add the clowns into my dt again without the tomini attacking them?

wkscott · Apr 12, 2017

You may try introducing them using an acclimation box for several days until the tang starts to ignore them.

Sistawolf · Apr 12, 2017

wkscott said:
You may try introducing them using an acclimation box for several days until the tang starts to ignore them.

I would have to get one.. I don't have one big enough for both clowns or just the tang.. I'm afraid I will stress the tang out.. it sucks cause they were all in together before I had to go mess things up

eatbreakfast · Apr 13, 2017

Critter keepers are an inexpensive, fairly easier to acquire solution.

Sistawolf · Apr 13, 2017

eatbreakfast said:
Critter keepers are an inexpensive, fairly easier to acquire solution.

Awesome.. I have read that before but completely forgot.. would you add the tang to it or the clowns

eatbreakfast · Apr 13, 2017

Sistawolf said:
Awesome.. I have read that before but completely forgot.. would you add the tang to it or the clowns

Either would work. It's probably easier to add the clowns via acclimation box.

Humblefish · Apr 13, 2017

eatbreakfast said:
Either would work. It's probably easier to add the clowns via acclimation box.

+1 Clowns would be more comfortable in a Kritter Keeper anyway. Or you could put the Tomini in "sump jail" for a week so the clowns can get established.

Sistawolf · Apr 13, 2017

eatbreakfast said:
Either would work. It's probably easier to add the clowns via acclimation box.

Humblefish said:
+1 Clowns would be more comfortable in a Kritter Keeper anyway. Or you could put the Tomini in "sump jail" for a week so the clowns can get established.

Thank you both for your help or actually all three of you.. I really appreciate it

stevieduk · Apr 14, 2017

Sistawolf said:
I have a yellow tang and a tomini tang along with a Midas blenny, bar goby, watchman goby, Bangui cardinal, molly miller and a bonded pair of snowflake clowns.. about two months ago.. I separated the clowns thinking they were ready to have me babies.. they have yet to do so.. and I'm wanting to get rid of my smaller tank they are currently in.. I added the clowns back to the dt and the tomini tang immediately started picking on the clowns.. I took them back out and placed them back in the breeding tank.. how can I add the clowns into my dt again without the tomini attacking them?

keep feeding the tang well, its only defending its feeding territory. I had the same thing with a yellow tang , and was advised to more or less overfeed it for a few days which made it ignore the fish it was bullying and after a few days everything was fine

BluewaterLa · Apr 15, 2017

A couple mirrors on the glass will usually occupy a tang for several days as they tail with their reflections.
I keep four mirrors of various sizes that sit flat against the tank glass for when I add a be fish just in case one if my tangs decide to be a fool

PatW · Apr 15, 2017

I had a yellow tang in a 300 gallon. I added another yellow tang. The established yellow immediately tried to murder it and was relentless. I put mirrors at both ends of the tank. The established tang was intimidated by its own grim reflection. The new tang quickly realized that the mirror provided a safe zone. Hostilities tended to cease at feeding time. In a couple of weeks the new tang was pretty safe from attack. In about four weeks, his torn fins were back to perfection. In about six weeks, the two tangs generally ranged the tank together.

Zack K · Apr 15, 2017

@4FordFamily. AKA Tang whisper

4FordFamily · Apr 15, 2017

Actually I have nothing to add, all of the advice I would give has already been provided. The only thing I'll add is that the vast majority of bristletooth tangs will not hold permanent grudges and should get over the aggression to new tankmates that are not tangs, quickly. Even tangs will eventually be forgiven, typically.