Sailfin & Powder blue Tangs not getting along

sdavi66572 · Mar 26, 2015

Just picked up a sailfin tang about 4" long. My powder blue tang 3 1/2" long is kicking the sailfins butt. I put the sailfin tang in my refugium for now. Any ideas what to do

BryanB · Mar 26, 2015

Powder blues don't get along with themselves

Quinn123 · Mar 26, 2015

powder blue tang are extremely aggresive, what i usually do when i buy and new tangs or angel, i would catch the old fish out from my main tank and QT it with the new fish. this has worked for me every time.

sdavi66572 · Mar 26, 2015

So you put the two tangs together in a different tank.

saltyphish · Mar 26, 2015

I would take the aggressor out and place him in the sump allowing the one being picked on to settle into the tank for a couple of days then add the other one back later.

SeahorseKeeper · Mar 26, 2015

saltyphish said:
I would take the aggressor out and place him in the sump allowing the one being picked on to settle into the tank for a couple of days then add the other one back later.

+1. I would also change up the rock work, if possible, and add the two together when the lights are off.

sdavi66572 · Mar 27, 2015

Any ideas on how to catch my powder blue? Been trying but having a heck of a time.
Thanks

Z06-Hec · Mar 27, 2015

Wait for night time when lights are off or just make it dark in the room. Shine a light away from tank, like your cell phone flash light enough so you can see in and you can corner him. Be gentle and slow and try not to get him caught in a net.
BTW i had to get rid of my PBT... he would not stop fighting with everyone and picking at corals and my clams.

Trex · Mar 27, 2015

What size tank?

sdavi66572 · Mar 27, 2015

240 gallon

sdavi66572 · Mar 30, 2015

Still trying to catch my powder blue tang.

4FordFamily · Mar 30, 2015

Surprising them at night is key. If you know where they sleep it is especially helpful. And yes, shine a light somewhere else so you can see them but not alarm them. Slow movements until they're in the net and then lift them out.

Powder blues tend to sleep somewhere pretty hidden, so pay attention.

I also see that tangs do better in groups (spread aggression) and the fighting tends to dissipate quickly.

But yes some PBT are demons.

mrjlopez731 · Mar 30, 2015

Take the first one out the tank and then let the newly fish settle in the tank. A few days later wait till night fall and re-add the other one back. You may get some aggression but it's more to a limit. They need to be watched from time to time at first but all should be ok. I feel the newly added fish is still not so settled in and the re-added fish is somewhat still a bit shaken up from being taken out before and that's time they start to settle they will see each other and stay away at first. As they settle they have already gotten use to each other and they just get along.

91OSUALUM · Mar 30, 2015

That is funny as I have never had any success with PBTs because they were wusses. The DesJardini Tangs kicked his butt. You can also move around your rocks for a few days. This breaks up established territories.

sdavi66572 · Mar 31, 2015

Will the aggression get better with time? Right know I have both tangs in my display tank. I don't think I am going to catch the powder blue. I have been moving 350 pounds of live rock trying to catch the powder blue.
Thank you everybody for all your help.
Steve

4FordFamily · Mar 31, 2015

sdavi66572 said:
Will the aggression get better with time? Right know I have both tangs in my display tank. I don't think I am going to catch the powder blue. I have been moving 350 pounds of live rock trying to catch the powder blue.
Thank you everybody for all your help.
Steve

I've never seen tang aggression last longer than a couple weeks. Sailfins are pretty tough but the stress could spur ich. My purple bullied my desjardini sailfin for a couple weeks. The first few days were brutal and he kept him at the top left for er of the tank but after a couple weeks he is part of the clan and they swim together all day with a yellow tang also.

Not ideal but worked

91OSUALUM · Mar 31, 2015

If you have moved around a lot of your live rock, I would add the sailfin back into the tank. The PB should relax and spend more time reestablishing his home. I have 3 Regals, a Desjardini Sailfin, Yellow and Purple Tang in the tank without issues. The yellow was actually being bullied by my Desjardini for a while but then they started playing nice.

luamada · Mar 31, 2015

i added a powder blue and the achilles went crazy plus my sail fin too. i removed the new fish powder blue and put him in a 55G my first achilles died so i got a new one and put it in quarentine together with the powder. one week before moving the PB and achilles to DT i put a picture of the fishes on the glass the sailfin fought the pictures for 3 days then left it alone. the day i put the powder blue and achiles in the DT they sailfin would just raise its fin but he would not pick on the new comes. they are in for about two weeks now.
I would try the picture on the glass
Or the quarentine and the best way to catch both fishes is with the trap and it will be the best investment you will do. i caught my powder blue in about three hours of the trap in the tank. Good luck

luamada · Mar 31, 2015

oh also put a picture of all my tangs in the quarentine glass too so it would work both ways...it worked

)

ArtbyWilliamE · Mar 31, 2015

Hi about your powder blue.i had the same aggression thing only with yellow tang and wrasse and others. What worked for me was to hang a square 6 inch mirror at one end of the tank.my tank is a 72 bowfront.it made the tang go bananas for a while.so do that 1 half hour at a time. Try this for a day or so and see if it works for you. Hope it does it did for me.