BULLY FISH! What fish should you stay away from?

[jasonrusso]

I had a bicolor angel that turned into a real jerk. He nearly chewed off my dwarf lions caudal fin and picked on my angler giving him an infection that eventually killed him. I gave him away to a local reefer with full disclosure.

 

[Nhjmc]

So I did have but donated the two bully fish to lfs they were very aggressive fish....a purple dottyback and a clarkie (clownfish). Something killed and I believe ate 7 sexy shrimp

 

[peffy03]

How timely. I had a really interesting weekend related to a misunderstood fish.
my display has had a powder blue and a sailfin for over a month.Powder blue was last and only messed with the sailfin a little before they became the best of friends.
3 weeks ago I picked up a fire fin tomini and he was done with quarantine on Saturday morning. I added him to my display and my powder blue immediately started beating on him.

I pulled the powder blue out and quarantined him for 8 hours. Put him back and he immediately went for the tomini again.
Frustrated I again removed the powder blue. I rearranged some rock work.. maybe 50% and did my regular maintenance.

The next day I added the powder blue again (24 hours) and they get along great now.
It’s interesting how the order and territories are so important when adding fish

 

[bnord]

That is too cool. Purple Royalty not to be messed with lol

Heard complaints about 6 lines and Orchids -
I have a perfect balance where the two of them threat, bluster and stand each other off and leave everyone else alone

 

[TvanB1]

Powder blue tangs are mean. Maroon clowns can bite people!!!! ;Nailbiting

There are many more terrors. Let’s hear them.

My percula clowns, starry blenny, and talbots damsels all bite me when I get too close to their nest.
Good thing is that it keeps my hands out of the tank.

 

[Bfragale]

Every Damsel fish I have ever had except one had been a jerk lol.

my Pink Smith Damsel is a great fish. Only damsel I have ever had with a “nice and chill” personality.

 

[bnord]

How timely. I had a really interesting weekend related to a misunderstood fish.
my display has had a powder blue and a sailfin for over a month.Powder blue was last and only messed with the sailfin a little before they became the best of friends.
3 weeks ago I picked up a fire fin tomini and he was done with quarantine on Saturday morning. I added him to my display and my powder blue immediately started beating on him.

I pulled the powder blue out and quarantined him for 8 hours. Put him back and he immediately went for the tomini again.
Frustrated I again removed the powder blue. I rearranged some rock work.. maybe 50% and did my regular maintenance.

The next day I added the powder blue again (24 hours) and they get along great now.
It’s interesting how the order and territories are so important when adding fish

great tip/reminder and will give it a try next time

 

[BackToTheReef]

Those demon Green Chromis, which we were able to catch after multiple night time attempts! Not a fish, but the coral banded shrimp. He was snipping at my BTA and chasing all my fish! All went back to the LFS.

I had a CB that was ok size but not huge drag a fish around the tank by it's lip. Funny and horrifying all at the same time!

 

[peffy03]

great tip/reminder and will give it a try next time

I’ll be honest.. if it happened one more time I was going to take the tomini back. I was pretty bummed and still can’t believe it worked out.

 

[tpeck723]

Had 2 blue damsels when I first started into the hobby named Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. They beat the crap outta the blue hippo we got as a baby. Fortunately, blue hippo survived with scars and is 7 years old now. Damsels were re-homed long, long ago.

 

[Angelgirl]

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

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

My neon dotty back is a terror and when I go into the tank to perform maintenance my clownfish bites me.

 

[Billy Dunn]

My Achilles tang is an A hole. He reminds all the other fish that he runs that joint! My favorite fish so I'm good with it lol

 

[NCMamacita]

I had a CB that was ok size but not huge drag a fish around the tank by it's lip. Funny and horrifying all at the same time!

Mine would wait in a cave and then jump & snip the fish! He grew fast and thought he was the boss! His final straw was when I caught him snipping at my very expensive BTA. Told my husband a $250 BTA is winning this battle against a $20 CB. He was a pain in the butt to catch too. Never again.

 

[Mical]

I have 2 Maroon Clowns who can be terrors but they're protecting 11 nems they live in. Not exactly mean, just protective of their territory.

 

[Matt B.]

Niger trigger. I should have known when the lfs bagged him up and he bit through the bag twice!

 

[Sherrya62]

My clown female! She terrorizes my blue reef chromis. She’s a jerk

 

[Lostreefin]

Powder brown has lost his mind, this thing has disrupted a peaceful tank full of chill inhabitants. He terrorized my starry blenny and is just a jerk. He is being a real problem to catch and I haven't been lucky with my fish trap yet. I wish I had never let him out of the acclimation box in the picture.

 

[aquaregia]

Ever since I added the Great White I seem to be having trouble keeping other fish?????????????

 

[Suesea]

I have two purple tang. A perfect gentleman in one tank for over 5 years now and a pure devil in the second. Every individual specimen are so different.



Sam

Yes I can sympathize. I too have a model citizen purple who is now in a 5 gallon bucket with heater and air stone. He was great for about 3 or 4 years, and in with 2 other tangs, never a problem. I got a female swallow tail angel and he turned in Satan for some reason. It could be that she is almost as big as him, 4 1/2 to 5 inches.

 

[Debramb]

To our horror, our LFS owner and friend we got the “Berlin” AIO tank from 20 yrs ago gave us a huge Domino. As soon as acclimated, no QT back then our med sized yellow tang slashed and killed him before he even got to check out his new home. We had to net his remains while the tang kept at him. Tang lived till we rehomed him back to LFS and never fought or killed all other tangs or bully wanna be cinnamon clownfish. He lived a good 15 years and didn’t have the heart to rehome him