BULLY FISH! What fish should you stay away from?
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Mr_Knightley
2500 Club Member
At one point in time in the 210, I had an 8-line wrasse (like a sixline on steroids) that was peaceful at first. But then I added a group of pink skunk clowns and that wrasse started going after everybody.
ctopherl
Active Member
How many of those tanks had corals? Any issues there?
ReefGrammie
Must...stay...away...from...live...sales...
Oh yes, the dreaded six-line wrasse. I actually captured mine in my 90-gallon tank full of live rock. I used an acrylic acclimation box as a fish trap with a mirror tile taped to the inside. It took several days with ALL of my other fish swimming in and out of the trap at will. Of course, the wrasse wouldn't go near it, but it finally couldn't resist the wrasse in the mirror and I sprung the trap! That fish was a holy terror!!
Next would be the dreaded purple pseudochromis or dottyback or whatever it's called. Gorgeous fish, but what a monster!!
I have model citizens now, including two damsels.
Next would be the dreaded purple pseudochromis or dottyback or whatever it's called. Gorgeous fish, but what a monster!!
I have model citizens now, including two damsels.
Thunderrap
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Everyone is listing off fish I have in my tank as bullies but I haven't seen any of mine bully each other. I have a 3 striped damsel, blood orange clown, royal gramma, 6-line wrasse, and a purple firefish all coexisting peacefully in my tank. I guess as everyone says, every fish is different and they all have their own personalities. I did transfer them over to a different tank at the same time so they didn't have their own territories set up already so maybe that helped.
sfin52
So many pedestrians so little time
Is it possible we make the bullies. We don't take in account territory issues. When in a bigger tank no issues. Just because a minimum size tank is good, it doesn't take in acount with more fish issues arrise. The six line. The smaller the tank the more nastier it becomes.
My maroon has turned into a biter. My fingers get close to the nem, game on. She is just protecting the nem from what she thinks is an attacker. She started this after a rock collapse and I had to remove the nem to fix the scape.
Just my 2 cents
My maroon has turned into a biter. My fingers get close to the nem, game on. She is just protecting the nem from what she thinks is an attacker. She started this after a rock collapse and I had to remove the nem to fix the scape.
Just my 2 cents
mdbueno1977
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6 line wrasse was a big bully to my dottyback until I got my yellow tang, who acts kind of like the sheriff of the tank (doesn't go after anyone but seems to keep an eye on the wrasse).
bigjgmac
Active Member
We've all had those fish that are just mean! I call them BULLY FISH! I understand it's in the nature of fish to protect territory and stuff like that but sometimes a fish is just a big bully! Sometimes they not only bully other fish but they bully YOU! HA! Today let's talk about the fish that have been a menace to your other tank inhabitants and which ones you would stay clear of!
What fish have you had bad luck with when it comes to being a bully in the tank?
What fish would you caution people to stay away from?
The worst fish I have had (so far) was a bicolor dottyback. He bullied, killed, and was completely obnoxious. I ended up having to drain the tank about 1/2 way, and remove all the rock and corals to get him out of there. Never another dottyback, not even an orchid.
image via @Waynerock
ichthyoid
Active Member
Let’s see...
-gold striped maroon clown
-sunrise dottyback
-most damsels
& especially these two-
Jewel Damsel
Undulate Trigger, which is evil incarnate!
-gold striped maroon clown
-sunrise dottyback
-most damsels
& especially these two-
Jewel Damsel
Undulate Trigger, which is evil incarnate!
Scott's reef
Community Member
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My sailfin tang is an absolute jerk towards some of my existing tangs as well as any fish I try to introduce into the tank.
I do my research and really vet the fish so I have a nice peaceful tank.
That being said I had a carpenters flasher wrasse in observation with a yellowfin flasher. Both should be peaceful. I made the mistake of adding both of them together and they started to fight. I immediately caught one (the yellowfin) and put him in an acclimation box. I have several wrasses in DT and add any new additions to the main tank with the acclimation box, so It wasn't too surprising. The wrasses all will go by the box a few times, usually flashing, and after a day would leave it alone. After 3 days the fish gets out of the box.
Well the carpenters wrasse wouldn't leave it alone. It CONSTANTLY harassed the other fish for over a WEEK. Flaring, biting at the box, etc. I didn't want the little terror and he had to go back to the store. The yellowfin is wonderful addition with my other two flashers and they all get along.
That being said I had a carpenters flasher wrasse in observation with a yellowfin flasher. Both should be peaceful. I made the mistake of adding both of them together and they started to fight. I immediately caught one (the yellowfin) and put him in an acclimation box. I have several wrasses in DT and add any new additions to the main tank with the acclimation box, so It wasn't too surprising. The wrasses all will go by the box a few times, usually flashing, and after a day would leave it alone. After 3 days the fish gets out of the box.
Well the carpenters wrasse wouldn't leave it alone. It CONSTANTLY harassed the other fish for over a WEEK. Flaring, biting at the box, etc. I didn't want the little terror and he had to go back to the store. The yellowfin is wonderful addition with my other two flashers and they all get along.
Well, at the moment, we have a scopas tang that bullies everything in the pond it is in...and to drive how evil this fish is home...the pond consists of a 5" Clown Trigger, 5-6 inch Louti and Saddleback Groupers and a 7" Emperor Snapper...the Scopas was in our big reef tank but decided to try and kill the other two tangs (a Gem and Purple) that it was introduced with...while also bullying our Anthias AND Quoyi Parrotfish... Evil Crazy Fish...
Otherwise Dottybacks, Most Damsels, Maroon Clowns, Queen and Undulate Triggers get my vote for the biggest bullies
Cheers!
Otherwise Dottybacks, Most Damsels, Maroon Clowns, Queen and Undulate Triggers get my vote for the biggest bullies
Cheers!
I have a large Cinnamon Clown that was pushing my Dogface Puffer around like a beach ball and biting at him.We've all had those fish that are just mean! I call them BULLY FISH! I understand it's in the nature of fish to protect territory and stuff like that but sometimes a fish is just a big bully! Sometimes they not only bully other fish but they bully YOU! HA! Today let's talk about the fish that have been a menace to your other tank inhabitants and which ones you would stay clear of!
What fish have you had bad luck with when it comes to being a bully in the tank?
What fish would you caution people to stay away from?
image via @Waynerock
I also have 2 Ocellaris Clowns that constantly chase and intimidate an Electric Blue Damsel.
My Dogface Puffer attacked and partially consumed a beautiful Long Tentacle Anemone while we were away from home yesterday. They had been living together just fine for months. The Anemone is dying. Sad day.
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