Advice Needed - Tang Roulette

[ChumBucket]

Okay here's the deal - looking for advice...

Situation: I've screwed up the addition order (I think) for a Powder Brown tang, Purple tang, foxface, and Kole tang. Looking for advice on how to best remedy my current situation. I should have known better...

Fish in question:
- 1x powder brown
- 1x large purple
- 1x foxface rabbit
- 1x kole
- others: pair of clowns, bicolor blenny, royal gramma, yellow watchman, long nose hawk

Setup: Display tank is a 140g water box (5'x2'x2'), established for a few months and populated from 2x older tanks. I picked up a purple tang, foxface, and kole tang from someone breaking down their tank. I've had those 3 fish in a 65g holding tank for ~8 weeks while the large tank stabilized. They have done well together.

In the DT, i moved over the small fish from a nano I had. More recently, I moved the foxface over from the 65 gallon holding tank into the DT. This left the purple and kole in the 65g (no issues, still).

I bought a powder brown tang and moved that into the large display tank about a 12 days ago. Also in the display. Doing well, eating, getting along. This is where I made the mistake - i planned for the following: pbt -> wait 2 weeks -> add kole -> wait 1 week -> add purple last. Figured this would be sensible. I think I underestimated the aggression the pbt would have after only being in the tank a week...

SO, I added the Kole from the 65g to the DT last night, after lights out. DT has been fed heavily and everyone is eating/doing well. Foxface and pbt have gotten along great over the last 10 days. I wake up this morning to the Kole getting really harassed by the pbt, as well as the foxface. Not just posturing, but being chased all over the tank. It's pretty beat up already. I moved it quickly this morning into a small acclimation box. Frayed fins, etc. I have NOT re-arranged any rockwork thus far (another mistake). I've dropped a mirror on the corner of the tank and the pbt is spending all it's time with the mirror now, but I doubt that will fix everything long term.

I'm looking for advice on where to go from here. I see a few options:

1) Leave Kole in acc box, give it a little time, then reintro to main DT (I'm skeptical of this plan)
2) Remove pbt from DT and move into 65g holding tank. Simultaneously, move the Purple from the 65g holding tank into the DT (flip flop those two fish). Allow Purple and Kole to explore new DT together. Then move pbt BACK into the DT (from the 65g) within a week or so.
3) Bring purple over to the DT and let all three tangs duke it out
4) other...??

I'm looking to be publicly shamed first, and then hopefully provided with some insight and advice. Fwiw, I kept tanks years ago and recently got back into the game. I've had a 20g Nano for the last 18 months and made the upgrade to this large tank over the last 3 months.

Sorry for the novel... Thanks (I hope) in advance!

Params:
Temp 79F
Salin 1.025
pH 8.2
Ammonia/Nitrite 0
Nitrate 15
Phosphate .3 (high but running GFO)
Calc 370 (no corals right now)
Alk 7.5

 

[Subsea]

Option 2 seems most reasonable.

I SEE THIS IS YOUR FIRST POST. Welcome to the addiction.

Not knowing the layout of your tank and your experience level. I will stop short of other recommendations.

Would you provide a full tank shot with white light. In my 55 years experience, I try not to crowd fish. You can crowd coral and you can crowd filter feeders, BUT NOT FISH.

 

[Subsea]

@ChumBucket
You can crowd coral and you can crowd filter feeders, BUT NOT FISH.

Fish have personalities and hierarchy which includes terrritorial aggression. At the minimum, rock work and structure need provide multiple hiding places from aggression.

PS: Interesting handle. As a youth, I went deep sea fishing every weekend during the summer. When weather conditions were rough, I often got seasick which was referred to as “chumming for fish”.

 

[ChumBucket]

Thanks - you bet. Pic below. I still have ~25# of live rock in the holding tank that I plan to bring over to fill out the central and right side structures. It's a bit light right now on caves/hiding spots (and a bit ugly), but you get the gist.

 

[Subsea]

Thanks - you bet. Pic below. I still have ~25# of live rock in the holding tank that I plan to bring over to fill out the central and right side structures. It's a bit light right now on caves/hiding spots (and a bit ugly), but you get the gist.

Very nice. Nothing ugly about it. However, “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder”.

 

[CoralWealth]

If you a put a mirror on one side of the tank, the PBT will attack the mirror all day which will hopefully give the other tangs time to settle in.

 

[exnisstech]

I think option two would be my choice.
PS. Maybe go ahead and put the mirror back up when the PBT is reintroduced dor an extra distraction.

 

[areefer01]

Is there an option to re-home, return, and focus on one? BTW I don't think size matters here.

Whatever you end up with though, acclimation boxes are pretty vital even if adding a damsel (as an example).

 

[Subsea]

Okay here's the deal - looking for advice...

Situation: I've screwed up the addition order (I think) for a Powder Brown tang, Purple tang, foxface, and Kole tang. Looking for advice on how to best remedy my current situation. I should have known better...

Fish in question:
- 1x powder brown
- 1x large purple
- 1x foxface rabbit
- 1x kole
- others: pair of clowns, bicolor blenny, royal gramma, yellow watchman, long nose hawk

Setup: Display tank is a 140g water box (5'x2'x2'), established for a few months and populated from 2x older tanks. I picked up a purple tang, foxface, and kole tang from someone breaking down their tank. I've had those 3 fish in a 65g holding tank for ~8 weeks while the large tank stabilized. They have done well together.

In the DT, i moved over the small fish from a nano I had. More recently, I moved the foxface over from the 65 gallon holding tank into the DT. This left the purple and kole in the 65g (no issues, still).

I bought a powder brown tang and moved that into the large display tank about a 12 days ago. Also in the display. Doing well, eating, getting along. This is where I made the mistake - i planned for the following: pbt -> wait 2 weeks -> add kole -> wait 1 week -> add purple last. Figured this would be sensible. I think I underestimated the aggression the pbt would have after only being in the tank a week...

SO, I added the Kole from the 65g to the DT last night, after lights out. DT has been fed heavily and everyone is eating/doing well. Foxface and pbt have gotten along great over the last 10 days. I wake up this morning to the Kole getting really harassed by the pbt, as well as the foxface. Not just posturing, but being chased all over the tank. It's pretty beat up already. I moved it quickly this morning into a small acclimation box. Frayed fins, etc. I have NOT re-arranged any rockwork thus far (another mistake). I've dropped a mirror on the corner of the tank and the pbt is spending all it's time with the mirror now, but I doubt that will fix everything long term.

I'm looking for advice on where to go from here. I see a few options:

1) Leave Kole in acc box, give it a little time, then reintro to main DT (I'm skeptical of this plan)
2) Remove pbt from DT and move into 65g holding tank. Simultaneously, move the Purple from the 65g holding tank into the DT (flip flop those two fish). Allow Purple and Kole to explore new DT together. Then move pbt BACK into the DT (from the 65g) within a week or so.
3) Bring purple over to the DT and let all three tangs duke it out
4) other...??

I'm looking to be publicly shamed first, and then hopefully provided with some insight and advice. Fwiw, I kept tanks years ago and recently got back into the game. I've had a 20g Nano for the last 18 months and made the upgrade to this large tank over the last 3 months.

Sorry for the novel... Thanks (I hope) in advance!

Params:
Temp 79F
Salin 1.025
pH 8.2
Ammonia/Nitrite 0
Nitrate 15
Phosphate .3 (high but running GFO)
Calc 370 (no corals right now)
Alk 7.5

In the past, when establishing fish in a new tank, I added all tangs at the same time. The most aggressive fish was always added last. However, with different personalities, fish will surprise you. I recall a friends fresh water tank in which a fancy guppy was terrorizing a Siamese Fighting Fish. Go figure.

 

[areefer01]

terrorizing a Siamese Fighting Fish. Go figure.

For some reason after reading this bit I was imagining a FarSide cartoon :D

 

[ChumBucket]

Thanks for the notes, all.

Here's where i landed: decided to put together a larger acclimation box. To avoid stressing the powder brown even more by moving it to another tank, I simply placed both the Kole and the Purple into the acc box. Plan will be to leave them here for a few weeks (within the DT). I'm hopeful that i can feed everyone regularly and things will settle down in this temporary state.

Once settled, I'll re-arrange the rock work, feed extra heavy, add the mirror to distract the powder brown, and then release the Kole and Purple from the box into the DT.

Pics below for what i worked up today. I gave it an acrylic long side to help with visuals, and I added some rock into the acc box to give the two tangs a place to retreat.

Opinions encouraged. Thanks again.

 

[CoralWealth]

Looks really good, that should help a ton! Good luck!

 

[petcellar]

For some reason after reading this bit I was imagining a FarSide cartoon :D

 

[exnisstech]

I like to place the aggressor in the box.

 

[ChumBucket]

I like to place the aggressor in the box.

Good call. Would it be sensible for me to try my current approach, and then if the powder brown is still a menace upon intro of the purple and Kole, to then move the powder into the chamber?

 

[exnisstech]

Since you already have the two in maybe keep them in for a bit then swap them out with the PB for a week or so. I'm afraid the PB may just go after one or both as soon as they're released otherwise.

 

[allof fish]

Okay here's the deal - looking for advice...

Situation: I've screwed up the addition order (I think) for a Powder Brown tang, Purple tang, foxface, and Kole tang. Looking for advice on how to best remedy my current situation. I should have known better...

Fish in question:
- 1x powder brown
- 1x large purple
- 1x foxface rabbit
- 1x kole
- others: pair of clowns, bicolor blenny, royal gramma, yellow watchman, long nose hawk

Setup: Display tank is a 140g water box (5'x2'x2'), established for a few months and populated from 2x older tanks. I picked up a purple tang, foxface, and kole tang from someone breaking down their tank. I've had those 3 fish in a 65g holding tank for ~8 weeks while the large tank stabilized. They have done well together.

In the DT, i moved over the small fish from a nano I had. More recently, I moved the foxface over from the 65 gallon holding tank into the DT. This left the purple and kole in the 65g (no issues, still).

I bought a powder brown tang and moved that into the large display tank about a 12 days ago. Also in the display. Doing well, eating, getting along. This is where I made the mistake - i planned for the following: pbt -> wait 2 weeks -> add kole -> wait 1 week -> add purple last. Figured this would be sensible. I think I underestimated the aggression the pbt would have after only being in the tank a week...

SO, I added the Kole from the 65g to the DT last night, after lights out. DT has been fed heavily and everyone is eating/doing well. Foxface and pbt have gotten along great over the last 10 days. I wake up this morning to the Kole getting really harassed by the pbt, as well as the foxface. Not just posturing, but being chased all over the tank. It's pretty beat up already. I moved it quickly this morning into a small acclimation box. Frayed fins, etc. I have NOT re-arranged any rockwork thus far (another mistake). I've dropped a mirror on the corner of the tank and the pbt is spending all it's time with the mirror now, but I doubt that will fix everything long term.

I'm looking for advice on where to go from here. I see a few options:

1) Leave Kole in acc box, give it a little time, then reintro to main DT (I'm skeptical of this plan)
2) Remove pbt from DT and move into 65g holding tank. Simultaneously, move the Purple from the 65g holding tank into the DT (flip flop those two fish). Allow Purple and Kole to explore new DT together. Then move pbt BACK into the DT (from the 65g) within a week or so.
3) Bring purple over to the DT and let all three tangs duke it out
4) other...??

I'm looking to be publicly shamed first, and then hopefully provided with some insight and advice. Fwiw, I kept tanks years ago and recently got back into the game. I've had a 20g Nano for the last 18 months and made the upgrade to this large tank over the last 3 months.

Sorry for the novel... Thanks (I hope) in advance!

Params:
Temp 79F
Salin 1.025
pH 8.2
Ammonia/Nitrite 0
Nitrate 15
Phosphate .3 (high but running GFO)
Calc 370 (no corals right now)
Alk 7.5

If it were me switching the pbt and purple will do nothing. I have a purple and he at times is a Bully. I would remove them all back into 65g except fox face they can be more shy. Redo the rock work a little bit wait a few days or week and introduce all at same time. New rock structure no previous territories

 

[Marco_99]

I like to place the aggressor in the box.

This. You need to take the Powder Brown out ( put in another holding tank) and let the other fish get acclimated and find their place in the tank. Wherever the Powder Brown laid claim (his cave or spot) put a rock or two to break up his claim or make it inaccessible to him. After a couple weeks put him back in,the other fish should be comfortable and settled now and it should be enough to take him down a notch (throw him off his routine and safe spot). He will probably still be the boss but he probably won’t be as aggressive monitoring his old space. Fish find power in safety, you take that away they are a bit more timid. If he gets rowdy again, wash rinse and repeat.

 

[Tangdora]

Option 4 - just add the purple and Kole at the same time with the brown in already. Will throw it off a bit. Move a few rock around right after if they fight. Can restore the rock back to it current state after a week.