Yellow Tang Aggression

[Jill & Brian]

We added a Coral Beauty Angelfish that has been in QT for a couple of weeks to our main display last night. It would appear that our yellow tang does not like the coral beauty. There has been a lot of cat and mouse type chasing, and the tang is backing into the coral beauty trying to cut at her.

It seems that things have calmed down a bit by this evening, but there is some serious staring coming from the tang, and he continues to chase the coral beauty a lot.

The coral brauty has a few cuts in her top and tail fins. I am concerned that this is going to keep up until the tang does some irreperable damage to the coral beauty.

Has anyone had problems like this. Do they usually settle down, or should I take measures to seperate the two fish. I don't think I can get either of the fish out of the tank easily.

The tang was our third fish (after two clown fish) and is well established in the tank.

Thanks,
Brian

 

[NateHanson]

You could try rearranging the rockwork a bit. That might even the playing field and disrupt the tang's territoriality.

 

[Jill & Brian]

Thanks for the quick relpy Nate, I may try this tomorrow if things don't settle down.

-Brian

 

[nunofs]

Yellow tangs are pretty agressive, especially when there are no other larger/aggressive fish to challenge their territories and keep them in check... my yellow tang did the same thing when I introduced a copperband butterfly to the tank... the tang never actually hurt/cut the CBB but spent a few days chasing him around the tank and making him go into hiding behind the rocks... after a few days they started coexisting more peacefully and after a week or so they were fine together. Hopefully it'll work out for you coral beauty too.

Nuno

 

[One Eye]

I've had to catch the bad guy and the new guy before. I put them both into a 5 gal bucket for a couple hours then added them both to the tank again at the same time. Believe it or not it worked!

 

[denvig]

Try taping a mirror to the side of the tank facing in. That may occupy the tang for a while.

 

[Jill & Brian]

Thanks for all of the suggestions guys. I think that the tang is mainly chasing and making the coral beauty hide at this point. When i put her in last night, the tang was really going at her, and I think most of the fin cutting happened then.

I am going to try the mirror trick tomorrow, and if things dont settle, I will try moving some of the rock.

Thanks again!!
-Brian

 

[dz6t]

My yellow tang never let go of my Coral Beauty. There was no solution to that.

 

[ReeferMedic]

I had a PBT in my tank for about 1 1/2 yrs before I added my Sohol. The PBT beat the hell out of it within 10 minutes. I managed to grab him and put him in the fuge for a couple of days. I put him back into the tank 3 days later and they've been fine since. That was about a month ago........

 

[dz6t]

I still have your beated up yellow tang

His fins have come back a bit and he is still very shy but eat like a pig. May be he still remembers how he got beated up in your tank

 

[dz6t]

My yellow tang killed one big white strip marron clown before. I used to have a very red 4 inch big Maroon. May be the clown's color was too bright, the tang did not like it. The tang swam close to the Maroon then flip the tail. The sharp knife on the base of the yellow tang's tail cut open the flesh of the Maroon, scales were flying everywhere. The Maroon died of infection later.

That is the same tang that beat the crap out of a coral beauty.

 

[Jill & Brian]

We put up a mirror this morning, and it's hilarious! The tang hid from it for a while (while the beauty got to swim & play). Now the tang is totally going after the mirror, and swiping his tail at it...too funny. And all the while, the coral beauty is just swimming right next to him, like "don't you know it's just a mirror?" LOL

They're doing much better...

We're going to keep an eye on them and see how things go, but we're feeling much better. And the CB looks much better today, as well.

Thanks!

Jill