Tomini tang terrorizing my tank!

[Reef_HI]

I added a juvenile tomini tang to my 75gal reef tank, which is currently stocked with a golden tiger blenny, a purple firefish, and a pair of clowns. The tang has only been in the main system for about a month and it's aggression has been steadily getting worse. It even charges and flares at me if I get too close to the glass while looking into the tank. After rescaping my tank, it has torn the firefish's fins and bullied the golden tiger blenny to the brink of death. The tang is very healthy and has a voracious appetite, so I'd rather not get rid of him. Is there anything I can do to reduce the aggressive behavior?

 

[flashsmith]

How much are you feeding? The only thing I know that would cause a solo tang to act that way is food aggression. A fat tang is a happy tang. You have nothing in there that it would normally terrorize.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

This is the best I can offer:

Tang Aggression - Understanding and Combating

Tangs tang aggression mean nasty evil injured stab surgeonfish killing killed kill beat hide hiding why help remove sump new addition

www.reef2reef.com

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[Reef_HI]

How much are you feeding? The only thing I know that would cause a solo tang to act that way is food aggression. A fat tang is a happy tang. You have nothing in there that it would normally terrorize.

Once a day, I alternate between pellets and frozen foods but the tang only eats the pellets and grazes on algae all day. I could definitely afford to make sure it's getting pellets every day, any other feeding suggestions would be appreciated as well. Thanks for the reply

 

[Reef_HI]

This is the best I can offer:

Tang Aggression - Understanding and Combating

Tangs tang aggression mean nasty evil injured stab surgeonfish killing killed kill beat hide hiding why help remove sump new addition

www.reef2reef.com

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

That is super helpful. Thank you!

 

[The WaterSide Fishing]

Tomini tangs are a pain in the butt like powder brown tangs, a Tomini tang killl my 10 inch sailfin tang so I immediately put him in his tank by himself, do not recommend these fish

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

What are you feeding frozen? Most tangs ( even bristletooths) are little piggys to some flavor of frozen. As said above feed, heavy once you know what it likes. Usually mysis is a good starter.

Weird with the tomini acting out. Only ones I've seen go captain insano on a personal level is PBT's, shoal and clown tangs when housed with no other tangs. The PBT was the worse in my experience as it fought with a blotched rabbitfish I had in a fowlr. Even took a few hits from the spines and didnt let up. It was rehomed unfortunately.

Edit: also try a mirror, see if that tires it out a bit.

 

[Reef_HI]

What are you feeding frozen? Most tangs ( even bristletooths) are little piggys to some flavor of frozen. As said above feed, heavy once you know what it likes. Usually mysis is a good starter.

Weird with the tomini acting out. Only ones I've seen go captain insano on a personal level is PBT's, shoal and clown tangs when housed with no other tangs. The PBT was the worse in my experience as it fought with a blotched rabbitfish I had in a fowlr. Even took a few hits from the spines and didnt let up. It was rehomed unfortunately.

Edit: also try a mirror, see if that tires it out a bit.

Mostly mysis and brine, but occasionally a mix of plankton, krill, and spirulina. It won't eat green nori, haven't tried red yet, but it definitely puts a dent in my tank's algae.

After reading these replies I'm realizing that I probably have not been feeding nearly enough. Will start with that and move on to the mirror if it still insists on being a jerk. Thanks!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I added a juvenile tomini tang to my 75gal reef tank, which is currently stocked with a golden tiger blenny, a purple firefish, and a pair of clowns. The tang has only been in the main system for about a month and it's aggression has been steadily getting worse. It even charges and flares at me if I get too close to the glass while looking into the tank. After rescaping my tank, it has torn the firefish's fins and bullied the golden tiger blenny to the brink of death. The tang is very healthy and has a voracious appetite, so I'd rather not get rid of him. Is there anything I can do to reduce the aggressive behavior?

This is bizarre. Ive had mine 3+ years and is by far the most docile in my tang and in with 23 other tangs.
Your best chance will be isolation for 2-3 weeks in an acclimation box or separate tank.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Once a day, I alternate between pellets and frozen foods but the tang only eats the pellets and grazes on algae all day. I could definitely afford to make sure it's getting pellets every day, any other feeding suggestions would be appreciated as well. Thanks for the reply

Biggest one is that id feed frozen a minimum of daily (when possible). I also feed dry (pellets or flake) through an auto feeder twice a day also.

 

[littlefoxx]

I feed Hikiri spirulina mysis shrimp twice a day. A full block twice a day. My blue hippo had fattened up nice and good. He is also 2 inches. But I also put a lot of Nori on a clip all day to snack on cause all the fish love it.

 

[pleiku reefer]

What i do when when tang dont eat nori is rubber band nori to rock. Sometimes i crush nori up and throw it in front of wave maker and they would eat this way when it floating around