Aggressive Yellow Tang

[mythesis]

About 3 months ago, we got a Yellow Tang from Biota

This week we tried to add a Leopard Wrasse. After hiding for two days, the Wrasse came out today only to be chased by the Tang. The Tang kept trying to back into it, which I understand is aggression.

We were able to nab the Tang and put it into an acclimation box.

How can we tell when the bully has learned its lesson and is ready to come out and play again?

(90 gal tank, about 8 months old)

 

[Subsea]

You can’t know in advance.

How difficult was it to catch? I got tiered of trying to catch bully hippo tank, so I drained all but 2” from display and scooped the hippo up and refilled 75G tank with a Mag 12 submersible pond pump. It took 30 minutes with no stress.

PS: “We were able to nab the Tang and put it into an acclimation box.”
@Lasse had a technique I like. Introduce new fish in sump/refugium/acclimation box. Resident fish have the scent of their system and new inhabitants have a different scent. So, in addittion to removing stress of bullies, acclimation for new arrivals to the ecosystem can be done in the safety of the refugium, while they get their scent up. Just a thought.

 

[mythesis]

You can’t know in advance.

How difficult was it to catch? I got tiered of trying to catch bully hippo tank, so I drained all but 2” from display and scooped the hippo up and refilled 75G tank with a Mag 12 submersible pond pump. It too 30 minutes with no stress.

It took us about 30-45 mins , but we didnt have to tear anything apart.

Not keen to do it again but not impossible

 

[BryanM]

I had to remove almost all of my rock to be able to catch the fishes I Needed to re-home. It sucked.

 

[twentyleagues]

About 3 months ago, we got a Yellow Tang from Biota

This week we tried to add a Leopard Wrasse. After hiding for two days, the Wrasse came out today only to be chased by the Tang. The Tang kept trying to back into it, which I understand is aggression.

We were able to nab the Tang and put it into an acclimation box.

How can we tell when the bully has learned its lesson and is ready to come out and play again?

(90 gal tank, about 8 months old)

Yeah sound like he was trying to cut the wrasse with its scalpel. Thats weird the tang should not view the wrasse as a competitor for food, maybe just space. Tangs, I love the little jerks.

 

[mythesis]

About 3 months ago, we got a Yellow Tang from Biota

This week we tried to add a Leopard Wrasse. After hiding for two days, the Wrasse came out today only to be chased by the Tang. The Tang kept trying to back into it, which I understand is aggression.

We were able to nab the Tang and put it into an acclimation box.

How can we tell when the bully has learned its lesson and is ready to come out and play again?

(90 gal tank, about 8 months old)

Yeah sound like he was trying to cut the wrasse with its scalpel. Thats weird the tang should not view the wrasse as a competitor for food, maybe just space. Tangs, I love the little jerks.

I had even fed double that morning

Any ideas how long aggression will last?

 

[Subsea]

You can’t know in advance.

How difficult was it to catch? I got tiered of trying to catch bully hippo tank, so I drained all but 2” from display and scooped the hippo up and refilled 75G tank with a Mag 12 submersible pond pump. It took 30 minutes with no stress.

PS: “We were able to nab the Tang and put it into an acclimation box.”
@Lasse had a technique I like. Introduce new fish in sump/refugium/acclimation box. Resident fish have the scent of their system and new inhabitants have a different scent. So, in addittion to removing stress of bullies, acclimation for new arrivals to the ecosystem can be done in the safety of the refugium, while they get their scent up. Just a thought.

With respect to introducing another Blue Surgeon Fish in this tank, I brought in a tiny hippo tang 1 year ago and it was introduced with a large resident Sailfin Tang. Even with the extreme size difference, the hippo held its own. Now that they have lived together, the tendcy of Hippo bully is in check. Can that change? Who knows, but then that’s my job as the reefkeeper. I don’t tolerate bullies in life or in my tanks.

 

[mythesis]

Preach @Subsea this tang better learn to play nice or else will be looking for a new home

 

[BZOFIQ]

Throw a mirror in the tank, it will keep the yellow occupied until he has "enough"

 

[LPS Bum]

Not unusual, especially when the Tang has already established its territory. You can’t know in advance how things will proceed, but I’d keep the Tang in the acclimation box for at least 2 weeks. When you release it, do so at night, after the lights are out. You can also put a mirror on the side of the tank for a few days to curb aggression.

 

[Tcook]

Add a mirror to front glass to distract tang for a few days.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

It might just be posturing. They do that all the time. Doesn’t mean it’s going to actually hurt the wrasse. Plus I would think the wrasse is a lot faster and can outrun the tang if need be.

 

[buruskeee]

Put it in the sump for a couple weeks. Let the other fish establish their territory and the Yellow Tang will be the one looking for a new territory.

 

[Largeangels]

It sometimes just depends on the tang. The second clown tang I got started going after all types of fish, wrasses, clowns, etc. Tried acclimation box, sump timeout, never worked. So back to LFS it when. The third clown tang now doesn't really care what fish I add, although I do always use an acclimation box. He does flare up with Sohol and once in a while with the clown trigger but nothing serious. Just to try and show dominance, but alwasy looses to Sohol.

 

[Subsea]

Preach @Subsea this tang better learn to play nice or else will be looking for a new home

I brought to LFS and a week later, got $100. I paid $50 for tiny blue tang that has grown in this 75G tank set up for 25yrs. The tank is a mess now as I had to set up a fish room to remove overgrown live rocks with GSP. I have almost completely removed GSP from back glass to be replaced with silver pulsing Xenia from the Red Sea.

 

[mythesis]

It might just be posturing. They do that all the time. Doesn’t mean it’s going to actually hurt the wrasse. Plus I would think the wrasse is a lot faster and can outrun the tang if need be.

I was surprised how much the wrasse just chilled and "took it"

Like we have tons of rock to hide in and it didnt even try

 

[littlefoxx]

About 3 months ago, we got a Yellow Tang from Biota

This week we tried to add a Leopard Wrasse. After hiding for two days, the Wrasse came out today only to be chased by the Tang. The Tang kept trying to back into it, which I understand is aggression.

We were able to nab the Tang and put it into an acclimation box.

How can we tell when the bully has learned its lesson and is ready to come out and play again?

(90 gal tank, about 8 months old)

Is it freakin out in the box whenever it sees the wrasse? Thats how I dealt with my purple tang. When he stopped flippin the F out I let him go. Took like 2 weeks almost

 

[mythesis]

About 3 months ago, we got a Yellow Tang from Biota

This week we tried to add a Leopard Wrasse. After hiding for two days, the Wrasse came out today only to be chased by the Tang. The Tang kept trying to back into it, which I understand is aggression.

We were able to nab the Tang and put it into an acclimation box.

How can we tell when the bully has learned its lesson and is ready to come out and play again?

(90 gal tank, about 8 months old)

Is it freakin out in the box whenever it sees the wrasse? Thats how I dealt with my purple tang. When he stopped flippin the F out I let him go. Took like 2 weeks almost

I will keep an eye on that

 

[TheSaltLife]

About 3 months ago, we got a Yellow Tang from Biota

This week we tried to add a Leopard Wrasse. After hiding for two days, the Wrasse came out today only to be chased by the Tang. The Tang kept trying to back into it, which I understand is aggression.

We were able to nab the Tang and put it into an acclimation box.

How can we tell when the bully has learned its lesson and is ready to come out and play again?

(90 gal tank, about 8 months old)

I had the same issue with a yellow tang and blue hippo. I've had the yellow tang for years and got a baby blue hippo. What worked for me was putting a good sized mirror on the side of the tank for two weeks, it caused the yellow tang to "buck" up to it instead of the blue hippo which gave the blue hippo time to get comfortable in the tank.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

I was surprised how much the wrasse just chilled and "took it"

Like we have tons of rock to hide in and it didnt even try

Maybe the wrasse is a bit shell shocked at the moment. He has been through a lot.