Tang will not stop bullying blenny

[DracoKat]

I have a 75g tank.
my Square-tail Bristletooth tang will not leave my Starry Blenny alone. It's the only fish the tang will pick on.. it leaves all other fish alone for the most part- bickers with the clowns here and there.

I am not worried about my blenny, he's holding his own well, knows all the hiding spots and safe perches. Comes out right away and he makes sure he gets his share of food (Even though the tang chases him away)- he's not a coward at all. He's a big beefy fellah. But I'd like the tang to stop bothering him.

Any ideas? The blenny was added after the tang- he was not the last fish added, there were others added after (Wrasse and a foxface). Looking for ideas aside from removing tang from the tank for a while - I just took down my QT tank and cleaned it with no intentions of getting more fish.

 

[Maritimer]

I've got the same problem with a kole and a starry in a 65.

Our tangs see the blennies as competition for a limited algae resource. Feeding more might help, but what gave my blenny some temporary respite was to move the tank across the room. The tang went from being a holy terror to the blenny, to being ... kind of a jerk.

Hopefully, once they're in a 220 together, they'll settle into a more peaceful arrangement.

~Bruce

 

[wkscott]

Call in the Tang Police! They'll take care of the bully tang.

 

[Breadman03]

Kole and starry blenny in my 150... The kole is always posturing and encouraging the blenny to relocate. The blenny usually just gives in.

 

[davocean]

Agree w/ Maritimer, perhaps a veggie clip will help

 

[DracoKat]

I put in a veggie clip every day- one on either side of the tank

 

[Servo]

You can do one of two things. One option is to purchase an acrylic housing box for the tang. As an established fish, I wouldn't recommend this. It could change its behavior when you release him and make it more skittish etc. I would place a piece of egg crate light diffuser from the from to the back and house the tang on the other side. Leave them seeing each other for about a month and it may solve your problem.

 

[mort]

Bristletooth and salarias blennies are both detrivores and so see each other more as competition than say a zebrasoma and algae blenny would. This means you will likely see this behaviour continue for at least a while and it has been known for tangs to kill these blennies so fingers crossed they settle down.

 

[JasonT]

I also have a kole tang and a starry blenny I put a mirror on one side of the tank for about 2 weeks and he left the blenny alone for the most part. This can't work long term as the tang and other fish will spend most of the day attacking the mirror and he looked a bit thin and had what I would consider a bruise on his lip after the 2 weeks. But it did give the blenny time to learn the tank he now has 3 spots where he can sit and the tang does not bother him. The tang does go after him when I feed but it's not bad and I always leave some nori on a rock right by one of his spots.

 

[bean2986]

Had the same issue with a Kole Tang and a Tailspot Blenny in my 65. Mirror worked temporarily for a few months on and off. Kole started getting more violent and had to be removed in the end

 

[DracoKat]

I hope i won't have to remove my tang, I like him, lol. We'll see what happens

 

[neltel_7]

I hope i won't have to remove my tang, I like him, lol. We'll see what happens

what ended up happening?

 

[Bossman]

I had to trap my Two Spot Bristletooth and trade it in at the LFS. I couldn't have a blenny in the tank and he picked on quite a few other fish as well. Every new addition he was on. Now, the tank is peaceful as I replaced him with a flame angel.

If he continues to torment the blenny, he may eventually die of starvation. We relocated the blenny in the tank until we got rid of the tang.

 

[Corey Baker]

Old thread but probably plenty of peeps with the same issue.

I have Tomini and a Starry Blenny. the Tomini is relentless.... until i introduced a flame hawk. Tomini charged the flame hawk once and only once. The FH comped down on the mouth of the Tomini and went for a ride around the tank but the Tomini has definitely calmed down since then(staying clear of the FH ever since) and the Starry blenny has learned to stick near the FH. oh and all of these are in a 100g

 

[KillaBLK]

How big was the FH compared to the tang?

 

[DracoKat]

Forgot about this thread lol

Just a small update, 3 years later the tang would still occasionally chase the blenny, but now the blenny has a perfect hiding spot it's all good now

I basically just let them do their own thing and figure it out on their own.

 

[Corey Baker]

How big was the FH compared to the tang?

Hawk is about 3/4 the size of the tang.