Tang & Butterfly not getting along... help!

SaltyDawgie · Dec 6, 2018

I added a Long Nose Butterflyfish to my 90 gallon tank this evening. I have 2 Clownfish, 1 Coral Beauty Angelfish, and 1 Blue-Lipped Bristletooth Tang.

The Tang started acting spooked immediately and took several swipes at the Butterfly. It started small but then began to escalate. After about an hour, I removed the Tang and put it in the refugium tank... that is where it will have to spend the night while I figure out what to do.

How long should I keep them separated before trying again? I have only had the Tang for a week. Not sure if that matters, but it was only in the tank making it home for a week.

Advice appreciated. Thanks.

JasonK84 · Dec 6, 2018

SaltyDawgie said:
I added a Long Nose Butterflyfish to my 90 gallon tank this evening. I have 2 Clownfish, 1 Coral Beauty Angelfish, and 1 Blue-Lipped Bristletooth Tang.

The Tang started acting spooked immediately and took several swipes at the Butterfly. It started small but then began to escalate. After about an hour, I removed the Tang and put it in the refugium tank... that is where it will have to spend the night while I figure out what to do.

How long should I keep them separated before trying again? I have only had the Tang for a week. Not sure if that matters, but it was only in the tank making it home for a week.

Advice appreciated. Thanks.

@cromag27 makes some great acclimation boxes for this. Allows you to introduce new fish without established fish being able to get to them. Release once aggression has subsided. I just got my SHU in the mail today!!
Octo Aquatics is a sponsor here at R2R and active in the forums. You should check him out.
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/octo-aquatics.933/

JumboShrimp · Dec 6, 2018

I agree that the 90 gallon should be big enough for that Tang and that Butterfly to co-exist, once you get past the ‘getting aquainted’ stage. The acclamation box should work, if just the mere fact of placing the Tang in ‘time out’ for a few days and reintroducing him doesn’t.

cracker · Dec 6, 2018

Any way to section off a 1/3 of the tank with egg crate? The acclimation boxes are too small in my opinion. This way one can separate the new or bully fish for weeks.
This has worked for me several times in the past .

SaltyDawgie · Dec 7, 2018

JumboShrimp said:
I agree that the 90 gallon should be big enough for that Tang and that Butterfly to co-exist, once you get past the ‘getting aquainted’ stage. The acclamation box should work, if just the mere fact of placing the Tang in ‘time out’ for a few days and reintroducing him doesn’t.

How long should I keep the Tang in "time out"? Is one day long enough, or do I need to give it more time? I feel pretty bad for the stress I know it went through when I chased it around the tank and caught it.

SaltyDawgie · Dec 7, 2018

cracker said:
Any way to section off a 1/3 of the tank with egg crate? The acclimation boxes are too small in my opinion. This way one can separate the new or bully fish for weeks.
This has worked for me several times in the past .

It will be difficult to section off a portion of the tank, but I might put some effort into it if things to go smoothly when I reintroduce the Tang. This is my first "dispute".

SaltyDawgie · Dec 7, 2018

JasonK84 said:
@cromag27 makes some great acclimation boxes for this. Allows you to introduce new fish without established fish being able to get to them. Release once aggression has subsided. I just got my SHU in the mail today!!
Octo Aquatics is a sponsor here at R2R and active in the forums. You should check him out.
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/octo-aquatics.933/

Thanks... I am looking at them now.

JasonK84 · Dec 7, 2018

Here is the unboxing review I made for the one I ordered. He will even make one with custom dimensions or added features if you ask him.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/custom-shu-unboxing-review.519588/

JumboShrimp · Dec 7, 2018

My ‘theory’— and it’s only a theory (lol), was that the Tang probably established a territory. If not so impractical, you could have tried rearranging the rock work before introducing the second fish. Since you are past that (which few people enjoy doing anyway), I figured maybe hold the Tang out of your display tank long enough for him to ‘forget’ (wink) what his favorite spot was; he should be good for a few days to a week in your temporary holding area, no? Look how small many LFS tanks are, waiting for someone to buy the fish. Just some thoughts. Best wishes!

PatW · Dec 7, 2018

Tangs confuse butterfly fish with competitors. Once they figure it out, the aggression stops. It takes less than a week. I put mirrors up on the glass to confuse the tangs. Acclimation or egg crate is another option.

JasonK84 · Dec 7, 2018

SaltyDawgie said:
Thanks... I am looking at them now.

Did you order one or go a different route?

SaltyDawgie · Dec 7, 2018

JasonK84 said:
Did you order one or go a different route?

I have not ordered one yet but am thinking about it. For now, I am going to keep the Tang in “time out” for a few days. I wish I had thought to have something in place ahead of this happening.

JasonK84 · Dec 7, 2018

SaltyDawgie said:
I have not ordered one yet but am thinking about it. For now, I am going to keep the Tang in “time out” for a few days. I wish I had thought to have something in place ahead of this happening.

With that combo it would be difficult to predict the outcome. Let the butterfly get established and try again. If I ever add another tang I am sure there will be "time out" involved. Not sure how thick your glass is but this is the box I was going to buy before going with Octo Aquatics.
It is about half the price of what I paid but I don't know if the magnets would be good if I ever went to 3/4" glass.
For 1/2" or less I'm sure this would be great. It's where I got the idea to add the dividers.
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/t...MIisGJn42P3wIVz8DICh0k5A9WEAQYASABEgIkSPD_BwE

SaltyDawgie · Dec 7, 2018

JasonK84 said:
With that combo it would be difficult to predict the outcome. Let the butterfly get established and try again. If I ever add another tang I am sure there will be "time out" involved. Not sure how thick your glass is but this is the box I was going to buy before going with Octo Aquatics.
It is about half the price of what I paid but I don't know if the magnets would be good if I ever went to 3/4" glass.
For 1/2" or less I'm sure this would be great. It's where I got the idea to add the dividers.
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/t...MIisGJn42P3wIVz8DICh0k5A9WEAQYASABEgIkSPD_BwE

Thanks

Angels best · Dec 9, 2018

SaltyDawgie said:
I added a Long Nose Butterflyfish to my 90 gallon tank this evening. I have 2 Clownfish, 1 Coral Beauty Angelfish, and 1 Blue-Lipped Bristletooth Tang.

The Tang started acting spooked immediately and took several swipes at the Butterfly. It started small but then began to escalate. After about an hour, I removed the Tang and put it in the refugium tank... that is where it will have to spend the night while I figure out what to do.

How long should I keep them separated before trying again? I have only had the Tang for a week. Not sure if that matters, but it was only in the tank making it home for a week.

Advice appreciated. Thanks.

I tried putting mirror on the aquarium to divert tangs aggression after releasing the new fish from the box inside tank.

SaltyDawgie · Dec 9, 2018

I had them separated for 2 1/2 days with the Tang “timed out” in the refugium tank. I reintroduced the Tang this morning, and it is behaving beautifully. Thank you all for the advice. Next fish for the tank will be 2 Fairy Wrasse... hoping that goes a lot smoother.

4FordFamily · Dec 9, 2018

PatW said:
Tangs confuse butterfly fish with competitors. Once they figure it out, the aggression stops. It takes less than a week. I put mirrors up on the glass to confuse the tangs. Acclimation or egg crate is another option.

I agree. Tangs will “dance” and act aggressive but it often doesn’t result in any damage. On the other hand, sometimes by the time it progresses to that point it can be bad.

Longnose aren’t very aggressive. Acclimation boxes would help as mentioned.

JasonK84 · Dec 9, 2018

Glad they are playing nice after timeout.

SaltyDawgie · Dec 9, 2018

4FordFamily said:
I agree. Tangs will “dance” and act aggressive but it often doesn’t result in any damage. On the other hand, sometimes by the time it progresses to that point it can be bad.

Longnose aren’t very aggressive. Acclimation boxes would help as mentioned.

For the next addition of new fish, I ended up finding a trap that is supposed to work as an acclimation box and/or a trap to lure/trap a fish. I had a really hard time catching the Tang. Since mine is a new tank that I am slowly adding to until stocked, I am concerned about the ability to catch an aggressive fish that needs to be caught when I add more fish... which I am doing on a weekly basis right now. I think I got lucky with catching the Tang; it gave me a lot of trouble. So now I have a trap/acclimation box. I will be using that as a matter of practice going forward.