Whacko Tang

Tomocean · Oct 26, 2017

I have a Powder Blue Tang who is thriving, but has a weird behavior and I wondered if anyone else has observed this. Whenever I come over close to the tank, the tang loves to come over close to me, but then it starts biting everything around it. It bites my fighting conchs on the shell, it bites off small bits of anthelia, it bites at hermit crabs. It doesn't act afraid at all. Maybe it is aggression towards me being to close to it's turf and since it can't bite me, it bites everything else?

Dsnakes · Oct 26, 2017

How big is the tank? Any other fish?

HB AL · Oct 26, 2017

Does it bite your hand? Freaky tang

TangingOut · Oct 26, 2017

Sounds like it's just excited to eat.

reefwiser · Oct 26, 2017

No unusual tangs ARE crazy. Power blue tangs are known for their to be aggressive tangs. In nature Power Blue tangs live in large groups and graze the reef in a pack. This pack behavior is not possible in the size tanks we keep. So the stress comes out in aggression.

Tomocean · Oct 26, 2017

Dsnakes said:
How big is the tank? Any other fish?

Yeah. I've got a few damsels, clowns, and a rabbit fish. He never fights with any of them. In fact, the Rabbit fish loves to follow the tang around and he's started mimicking the biting now!

Tomocean · Oct 26, 2017

Dsnakes said:
How big is the tank? Any other fish?

150 gallon half circle tank.

Tomocean · Oct 26, 2017

HB AL said:
Does it bite your hand? Freaky tang

Nope. Never bites me. He hides in the rock whenever my hand goes in the tank.

Tomocean · Oct 26, 2017

TangingOut said:
Sounds like it's just excited to eat.

Yeah. I thought that. He definitely sees me as the food dispenser. But it's just weird to watch him go Pac-Man on everything.

Tomocean · Oct 26, 2017

reefwiser said:
No unusual tangs ARE crazy. Power blue tangs are known for their to be aggressive tangs. In nature Power Blue tangs live in large groups and graze the reef in a pack. This pack behavior is not possible in the size tanks we keep. So the stress comes out in aggression.

Maybe so. He doesn't act stressed (i.e. not hiding, swimming all over, and eats like a pig) and he never fights with any of the other fish. Maybe he doesn't like my face. :-D