Mixing zebrasoma tangs

[lolmatt]

I've got a 180 gallon that's been up for roughly 4-6 months. Bunch of wrasses, few other fish, and three tangs (yellow, desjardini, and blue hippo) that all get along and are all around medium sized maybe 4" or so.

I added a quarantined copperband and a smaller purple tang today (~3") via an eshopps medium acclimation box and the existing tangs seemed to totally ignore the box all day. So this evening I opened the box and the yellow was not happy with the purple at all, doing typical twitching jerky tang behavior and tore up the purples bottom fin pretty good within an hour or so (see photo).

Managed to catch the purple with some egg crate and get her back in the acclimation box (I put it near where the yellow hangs out this time and made sure she's seen it). Plan right now is to add a mirror, try again in a week, and feed heavy until then (2-3 nori clips refilled daily, pellets on an auto feeder, lrs herbivore once or twice at night). If it doesn't work the second try, the purple can go into my 40g frag tank for a few weeks/months until I can find it a new home or potentially catch the yellow (very difficult...maybe a fish trap...).

Any other suggestions for success? TIA!

 

[jpas]

I have has good success with putting a small mirror up against the glasss for a few days after releasing new tangs into my tank.

Once that purple gets acclimated it will become the terrorizer!

 

[lolmatt]

Decent size comparison shot. Yellow definitely sees the purple now lol, rubbing on the box trying to zone it through the acrylic. On the other side of the tank the desjardini has decided to let the copperband know who's in charge a bit, and overall the fish aren't happy with each other, but it seems like aggression that'll pass in a day or two. Lights out in an hour should help as well.

 

[lagatbezan]

Keeping the lights out for a couple of days when adding new fish helps keep the agression down usually as well.

 

[ca1ore]

Mixing zebrasoma tangs in all but the largest of tanks (180 need not apply) is fraught with peril - both for them and you! Yellow and purple (and gem, black) usually hate each other. Desjardini may get involved, but usually not. Your experience with the social acclimation box is not unusual. It’s a useful, though not always effective tool. The yellow and purple may ultimately coexist, or they may not. Probably unwise to have selected a smaller purple specimen. You have to use your judgement about what constitutes some hazing, versus significant damage. A few fin rips is de rigeur for these fish, and not a reason to immediately remove it. If you start seeing any actual wounds or the new fish is cowering in the corner that’s a bad thing. Also a good idea to quarantine new fish - not just for disease, but to allow it to acclimate and get to a healthy body weight (helps them to withstand hazing/aggression).

I’ve been able to build up a group of zebrasomas in my tank, though it’s sizably larger than a 180. I did have to physically remove my purple for a month otherwise it would have killed a new gem (aforementioned wounds). Aqua medic fish trap works quite well, particularly for dominant fish that ‘think’ all food is theirs.

 

[lolmatt]

Little update so far. Purple tang spent all of last week in the acclimation box, and came out Friday evening. Last weekend I'd call the aggression an 8 or 9/10. There was quite a bit of aggression Friday, enough that I turned off the lights, probably 6/10, purple was being zoned to the top corner. I let them come in late on Saturday and ended up turning them off early again, aggression was definitely lower though, 4/10, and the purple tang was not limited to one corner of the tank. I've decided to leave off the leds for a few more days and let the pair of blue plus bulbs new be only light. As of typing this I'd rate aggression at about 2/10 perhaps less, they both ate from the same nori clip earlier today without any attempted stabbing lol. Yellow tang has resumed picking at rocks and mostly ignores the purple tang though they have been trying to poke each other with their barbs occasionally today (low effort imo). After a few days of t5 only I think they'll be good for the long term. Thanks to all for the advice especially @lagatbezan for the lights suggestion.

 

[lagatbezan]

Little update so far. Purple tang spent all of last week in the acclimation box, and came out Friday evening. Last weekend I'd call the aggression an 8 or 9/10. There was quite a bit of aggression Friday, enough that I turned off the lights, probably 6/10, purple was being zoned to the top corner. I let them come in late on Saturday and ended up turning them off early again, aggression was definitely lower though, 4/10, and the purple tang was not limited to one corner of the tank. I've decided to leave off the leds for a few more days and let the pair of blue plus bulbs new be only light. As of typing this I'd rate aggression at about 2/10 perhaps less, they both ate from the same nori clip earlier today without any attempted stabbing lol. Yellow tang has resumed picking at rocks and mostly ignores the purple tang though they have been trying to poke each other with their barbs occasionally today (low effort imo). After a few days of t5 only I think they'll be good for the long term. Thanks to all for the advice especially @lagatbezan for the lights suggestion.

I'm glad it worked out!

 

[maroun.c]

Happy it worked out. Adding the new fish in intro box and play ij ng intro box mid level or low in the tank usually makes the fish notice the newcomer more. Still not a guarantee.

 

[lolmatt]

Yeah this was a mistake I initially made, I had the acclimation box top water and I think the yellow tang didn't really notice the purple the first time I put her in there. Will be eager to see how they look in a few when I get home.