Purple Tang aggression

[Bryan68]

Good afternoon, I added a Purple Tang (about 3.5 inch) to my display several weeks ago, this was the last Tang addition. Within 30 minutes of being added, he started to show aggression towards my Kole Tang and Foxface. I see him swiping his scalpel towards both fish, but have yet to see marks on the fish. The Kole will run and hide, the Foxface will flair up, go camo, and hide. Oddly enough, if they are bickering, they are best buddies and swim together. So my question, is this normal behavior? Should I be concerned?
Current Tank stats:
180 gallon tank, plenty of caves/hiding spots, this is a fairly new tank, but is a tank transfer. Transferred live rock, water, 1 cup of sand from old sand bed.
Purple Tang, Kole Tang, Foxface, 2 x Clowns, PJ cardinal.
NO3-2ppm
PO4-0.058ppm
Ca-430
Alk 7.0 dkh
Mg- 1380 (a little high)
Tank is healthy with no issues, knock on wood.

 

[Billldg]

At this time I wouldn’t, just sounds like they are setting the pecking order. I had a purple tang and it always dominated my LT tang, then I got rid of the purple tang to make room for a gold rim tang and now the LT tang is the dominate one, like yours, when they aren’t fighting they have no problem around each other, but every once and a while the LT tang has a temper tantrum and chases the gold rim.

 

[jlts21]

I can’t say that this will be the solution, but add a mirror or two to your tank. One on each end. I did this a day before a new tang addition and then would add the new one the next day later in the evening after I fed the tank and the lights were dim. It seemed to work great for me. Got the tangs to focus their energy on their reflection for a day and after feeding they aren’t aggressive towards the new addition that they think is going to take their food. It’s been in there for some time so my method won’t work, but try the mirrors on each end and see if that helps.

 

[Bryan68]

I'll give it a try, thanks!

 

[jlts21]

I'll give it a try, thanks!

Yep no problem. They don’t have to be huge mirrors to cover the entire sides. Just big enough for the tangs to notice it (I personally use two 5”x5” mirrors on each side of the tank)

 

[Mmun]

Good afternoon, I added a Purple Tang (about 3.5 inch) to my display several weeks ago, this was the last Tang addition. Within 30 minutes of being added, he started to show aggression towards my Kole Tang and Foxface. I see him swiping his scalpel towards both fish, but have yet to see marks on the fish. The Kole will run and hide, the Foxface will flair up, go camo, and hide. Oddly enough, if they are bickering, they are best buddies and swim together. So my question, is this normal behavior? Should I be concerned?
Current Tank stats:
180 gallon tank, plenty of caves/hiding spots, this is a fairly new tank, but is a tank transfer. Transferred live rock, water, 1 cup of sand from old sand bed.
Purple Tang, Kole Tang, Foxface, 2 x Clowns, PJ cardinal.
NO3-2ppm
PO4-0.058ppm
Ca-430
Alk 7.0 dkh
Mg- 1380 (a little high)
Tank is healthy with no issues, knock on wood.

My experience with a purple tang and Kole tang didn’t end well. He killed the Kole tang. The purple tang also went after every new fish that was added after it. I had to trade it in. This was in a 125. My neighbor down the street has s 250 gallon and ended up trading the purple tang in. Just highly aggressive fish.

 

[4FordFamily]

It’s true as sole tangs purple and Kole can sometimes tangle with each other. I have them together in my 500G but with tons of other tangs and angels, and two foxface.
That said, nothing here worries me much, Ithink they’re just establishing a pecking order as previously mentioned. If it worsens you may have an issue. If not it should fizz out in a week or so.

 

[Bryan68]

It’s true as sole tangs purple and Kole can sometimes tangle with each other. I have them together in my 500G but with tons of other tangs and angels, and two foxface.
That said, nothing here worries me much, Ithink they’re just establishing a pecking order as previously mentioned. If it worsens you may have an issue. If not it should fizz out in a week or so.

That said, if it does calm down, would it be a mistake to add either a hippo or powder (only one, not both)? Would that possibly increase or decrease aggression? truly at the end of the day, I want a happy peaceful tank.

 

[4FordFamily]

That said, if it does calm down, would it be a mistake to add either a hippo or powder (only one, not both)? Would that possibly increase or decrease aggression? truly at the end of the day, I want a happy peaceful tank.

It might diffuse a bit but only if you have enough real estate to do so.

 

[Peter SVK]

I have hippo and leucostermon and very big aggresion between two guys. Try put some mirrors or best works for me put some dishes into tank. Yes i mean kitchen dishies. Goal is the change the enviroment. Both fishes think they are new in tank. After 2 days of "dish treatment" no aggresion in tank

 

[jlts21]

That said, if it does calm down, would it be a mistake to add either a hippo or powder (only one, not both)? Would that possibly increase or decrease aggression? truly at the end of the day, I want a happy peaceful tank.

IMO it all depends on the personality of each fish. With the purple being a zebrasoma and a powder being a acanthurus there should only be the initial pecking order aggression, but there are no guarantees. Tangs primary aggression is towards same species (2 purples) or body shape (a yellow and purple or a powder brown and a LT tang), not saying they aren't aggressive towards other tangs because they are, but the individual personality has a lot to do with aggression. FWIW, I have a juvenile vlamingi, yellow tang, scopas, powder brown and a purple and have no issues. While others cannot put a second tang of any kind in with their powder brown, purple, etc.. Also, I found that the "rule of 3" seems to help as well.

EDIT* also offer nori as that can reduce aggression. I feed nori 1-2 times a day

 

[jlts21]

I have hippo and leucostermon and very big aggresion between two guys. Try put some mirrors or best works for me put some dishes into tank. Yes i mean kitchen dishies. Goal is the change the enviroment. Both fishes think they are new in tank. After 2 days of "dish treatment" no aggresion in tank

powder blue's are notorious for holding grudges

 

[Bryan68]

WOW, thank you everyone for all the valuable information....I absolutely love this forum!!!!!!

 

[JumboShrimp]

I just bought a baby Purple Tang about 3 hours ago; not sure which of my tanks he’ll end up in, but if it is the one with my Yellow Eyed Kole Tang, the Purple will be about 1/4 the Kole’s size so we’ll see what happens.