Another Tang Aggression post..

[Kodock]

My gem tang has become a straight up bully.. This is her tank, her 4 algae clips, her caves.. if you’re in her way or near her space.. you’re getting flare, then a whip around, then a tail nip..

She’s become too big for my current tank (4ft) I know, I know.. but she was barely 3” when I got her. My 6ft tank is still being setup, working the aquascape and lighting setup. I’m curious if any of you have noticed any improvement in tang aggression after moving them to a bigger tank. Mirror attempt doesn’t work. Can’t change the rockwork because everything is glued together in large pieces.

I’ve seen some anecdotal stories of it as possibility, but curious if I’m better off rehoming her while I have her in the acclimation box jail, or if she’ll change up in my 6ft tank. I have a naso and a blue hippo that are docile, at about 2” & 3”, but forced to hide.

P.s. The spots are particles floating in the box, not spots on the fish.

 

[fishywishy]

A bigger tank and new environment can definitely stop aggression. But some fish are just jerks and you cant do anything about it.

 

[AmateurAlchemist]

I’m in, quite literally, the exact same position. Got a small gem, it’s outgrown my 4ft tank, become a bully, 6ft tank is on the way (ordered on Black Friday and I’m still waiting, grrrr). I can’t answer the original question- I’m asking it myself, but the one thing that’s helped with mine is keeping it very, very well fed. I keep nori clips full all day plus at least 3 big feeds per day and that keeps aggression at just about manageable, for now. The only food competitor mine has is a fox face though.

 

[littlefoxx]

My gem tang has become a straight up bully.. This is her tank, her 4 algae clips, her caves.. if you’re in her way or near her space.. you’re getting flare, then a whip around, then a tail nip..

She’s become too big for my current tank (4ft) I know, I know.. but she was barely 3” when I got her. My 6ft tank is still being setup, working the aquascape and lighting setup. I’m curious if any of you have noticed any improvement in tang aggression after moving them to a bigger tank. Mirror attempt doesn’t work. Can’t change the rockwork because everything is glued together in large pieces.

I’ve seen some anecdotal stories of it as possibility, but curious if I’m better off rehoming her while I have her in the acclimation box jail, or if she’ll change up in my 6ft tank. I have a naso and a blue hippo that are docile, at about 2” & 3”, but forced to hide.

P.s. The spots are particles floating in the box, not spots on the fish.

Yes bigger tank has less tang aggression. Shes pretty!

 

[Kodock]

Yes bigger tank has less tang aggression. Shes pretty!

Thanks! Well fingers crossed the bigger tank will help. I did a 3 day timeout in the box and it felt terrible, she was fine for 5 minutes after I let her go, until she decided that she didn’t like the naso rubbing close to her and then she went full rage mode.. nose poking everyone to their corners..

Her barb was out and ready for business..

 

[littlefoxx]

Thanks! Well fingers crossed the bigger tank will help. I did a 3 day timeout in the box and it felt terrible, she was fine for 5 minutes after I let her go, until she decided that she didn’t like the naso rubbing close to her and then she went full rage mode.. nose poking everyone to their corners..

Her barb was out and ready for business..

Zebrasomas… mean SOBs!!

 

[UMALUM]

99% of the time once a jerk always a jerk. The only thing you'll be providing is an extra 2 feet of space for the fish to dominate. It's not the species but most likely the handling of a specimen that shapes its own particular personality. I've had some sweet zebrasomas and some terrors over the years and moving the fish into a different environment NEVER once changed a thing.

 

[Heres_doe_]

Get the new tank running asap and put the gem in last. I just had a purple go crazy on a yellow that been in the tank with him for 2 months in my 125 6ft. I put him in a box for a week and they’re good now again.

 

[Kodock]

Get the new tank running asap and put the gem in last. I just had a purple go crazy on a yellow that been in the tank with him for 2 months in my 125 6ft. I put him in a box for a week and they’re good now again.

Dang.. Did you do an acclimation box or like a QT tank?

 

[Kodock]

99% of the time once a jerk always a jerk. The only thing you'll be providing is an extra 2 feet of space for the fish to dominate. It's not the species but most likely the handling of a specimen that shapes its own particular personality. I've had some sweet zebrasomas and some terrors over the years and moving the fish into a different environment NEVER once changed a thing.

This is what I was afraid of.. She has always been territorial from the start. I guess it’s luck of the draw then.. I really hate to keep spending money testing my luck and QT’ing but I guess that’s the way it is.

 

[Heres_doe_]

Dang.. Did you do an acclimation box or like a QT tank?

Acclimation box. He was mad but it was whatever.

 

[Dburr1014]

My gem tang has become a straight up bully.. This is her tank, her 4 algae clips, her caves.. if you’re in her way or near her space.. you’re getting flare, then a whip around, then a tail nip..

She’s become too big for my current tank (4ft) I know, I know.. but she was barely 3” when I got her. My 6ft tank is still being setup, working the aquascape and lighting setup. I’m curious if any of you have noticed any improvement in tang aggression after moving them to a bigger tank. Mirror attempt doesn’t work. Can’t change the rockwork because everything is glued together in large pieces.

I’ve seen some anecdotal stories of it as possibility, but curious if I’m better off rehoming her while I have her in the acclimation box jail, or if she’ll change up in my 6ft tank. I have a naso and a blue hippo that are docile, at about 2” & 3”, but forced to hide.

P.s. The spots are particles floating in the box, not spots on the fish.

My purple tang was fine too her companions in my 75 gallon but didn't like me going in to fix stuff. Always tried to slap me.

Now in the 150 gallon, she's better. Once in a while will try to slap me but not nearly as often.

 

[Tamberav]

I tried two different Kole tangs and they were awful terrors even to fish added before them. Nothing worked for them, tried to sump them for awhile, etc. They would be okay for a little while then back to stressing others out.

Now I have a Yellow Tang who's name is Mellow Yellow because he is so chill, even to fish added after. I just got lucky with him, some people have terrors for yellows.

 

[JGT]

They can really be confounding. I have 6 tangs which all get along well. Different sizes and different species. The only time there is any shenanigans is when I put a piece of romaine in there for them. That’s when the powder blue will get a bit bitchy but he does so only with the purple tang who is the biggest. Go figure. Fish are dumb. :smirking-face:

 

[BryanM]

Curious if you have lots of hiding places today for fish?

Good luck with the larger tank!

 

[JumboShrimp]

I'll join the 'once a 4' tank bully, then also a 6' tank bully' camp. Just wondering, though, will your 6' tank have a wide swim-lane behind your rock work... and maybe some structures to break the line-of-sight to other fish? I'm trying to brainstorm in case you want to keep the Gem.

 

[Kodock]

I tried two different Kole tangs and they were awful terrors even to fish added before them. Nothing worked for them, tried to sump them for awhile, etc. They would be okay for a little while then back to stressing others out.

Now I have a Yellow Tang who's name is Mellow Yellow because he is so chill, even to fish added after. I just got lucky with him, some people have terrors for yellows.

Wow! I need that luck. I had a yellow tang years ago and it was very chill even skittish at times. It’s strange because I see a lot of people say yellow tangs are agressive.

I thought my gem was just interested in me, from the beginning, when I stick my face by the glass, but now I’m realizing maybe I’ve been mean mugged this whole time and she just wants me out of her space lol

 

[Kodock]

Curious if you have lots of hiding places today for fish?

Good luck with the larger tank!

I have 3-4 caves and 2 mid level cave/crevices. There’s not much more to fit. I got her with the intentions of going to the 6’. She was 3”~ and has just grown considerably in the last 8 months. It took a long time to get the 6’ and people to move it inside. The new scape will be roughly the same but the additional 2 feet will be a bunch of branches.

 

[Kodock]

I'll join the 'once a 4' tank bully, then also a 6' tank bully' camp. Just wondering, though, will your 6' tank have a wide swim-lane behind your rock work... and maybe some structures to break the line-of-sight to other fish? I'm trying to brainstorm in case you want to keep the Gem.

Dang, that’s unfortunate. Yea, the current tank is 18” deep and the 6’ is 24” deep. I do have swim-lane space now and should be even more exaggerated in the larger tank. Only addition will be a branch section on the newefound space.

 

[Tangdora]

So currently I have 11 different species of tangs in my tank and looking to add more. There is almost no aggression among any of them except for two that some times but tails. While my tank is 350 gallons and give adequate room to swim around. The primary reason I think that I have had good success with low aggression is due to how I add them. First I never add a single tang. That is just suicide alway add in pairs. Second I think tangs need a bonding period , tank only no rocks to get territorial with. This is easy to achieve if you QT your fish before adding. This not only them to get to better known but I do notice they group more together on the initial add which then throws off the other tangs as they don’t really know who to go after.