Baby tang with big tangs?

[LDH]

Does anyone have experience adding a tiny tang (1 inch lieutenant) to a tank with bigger tangs already established? Biggest being a 7 inch Achilles.
I have a 420 gallon tank with 6 tangs and they bicker a little, which each of them can handle but this little guy is so tiny I’m wondering if they will recognize him as a tang and go after him or if he is so small they will ignore him like the other small fish.

He still has 5 weeks of quarantine to go but I am looking for any experience adding something so small.
Thanks!!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Does anyone have experience adding a tiny tang (1 inch lieutenant) to a tank with bigger tangs already established? Biggest being a 7 inch Achilles.
I have a 420 gallon tank with 6 tangs and they bicker a little, which each of them can handle but this little guy is so tiny I’m wondering if they will recognize him as a tang and go after him or if he is so small they will ignore him like the other small fish.

He still has 5 weeks of quarantine to go but I am looking for any experience adding something so small.
Thanks!!

I've never done it. My gut feeling is the other tangs having established territory and pecking order may attack the smaller tang to death. Small or large in size, it's still a threat to them and easily killed, in this case because of size.

Very risky.

 

[najer]

As above it is risky but I think they will ignore it mostly.
I added a one inch convict a couple of months ago after fattening it up in observation for a couple of months to a scopas, yellow scopas and black naso, largest two are 3 - 4" fish, remember it will fit into lots of small gaps if chased, my cherub angel was worse than the tangs for the first hour or two.
Maybe try an acclimation box?

 

[Katrina71]

Please post baby tang pics. I'm such a sucker for them!

 

[clekchau]

My big tangs ignore most little fish including little tangs

 

[LDH]

Please post baby tang pics. I'm such a sucker for them!

It is so cute. I will when I get home.

 

[LDH]

As above it is risky but I think they will ignore it mostly.
I added a one inch convict a couple of months ago after fattening it up in observation for a couple of months to a scopas, yellow scopas and black naso, largest two are 3 - 4" fish, remember it will fit into lots of small gaps if chased, my cherub angel was worse than the tangs for the first hour or two.
Maybe try an acclimation box?

Good points and an acclimation box is a great idea. Thank you.

 

[LDH]

I've never done it. My gut feeling is the other tangs having established territory and pecking order may attack the smaller tang to death. Small or large in size, it's still a threat to them and easily killed, in this case because of size.

Very risky.

you are probably right. I will spend some extra time in qt with him letting him grow a bit. Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[LDH]

Please post baby tang pics. I'm such a sucker for them!

 

[LDH]

hard to get a good pic because it is so tiny! Those are baby spotcinctus clowns he’s with and he is the same size!

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Any update of how it went? Adding a baby tang to group several big tangs.