Purple Tang bullying Flame Angel

[Nixmo]

I have the following fish:

Powder blue tang
Purple tang
Squaretail bristletooth
Banana wrasse
Flame angel
Pair of Davinci clowns.

Started the tank late October 2023. All the fish were added by December 2023 and have been together since.

All the tangs were purchased as small/juvenile. The purple tang was the last to go in. Purple was smaller than the flame but has grown pretty quick and is double the size of the flame.

Okay, so the purple has a bad attitude. Initially he didn't but it's getting worse. He leaves the clowns and wrasse alone. He tries to challenge the powder blue all the time but powder puts him in his place. His worst enemy is my flame. Especially in the mornings and evenings, less throughout the day but still bullies him. Noticed the flame is glass surfing more. I've changed the aquascape, added more hidey holes but whenever flame finds or is made a new cave/ledge to claim, purple takes over it.

Will my flame eventually die from stress? Do I need to re-home purple? Is there anything I can do? Will purple outgrow this behaviour?

BTW this is my second baby purple tang. The first one was much much worse so i sold it. Also interesting that the 2nd baby purple has chosen to claim the same area as the first one did.

Also, I was thinking of maybe swapping out purple for a gem tang? Is their temperament the same? Is there a chance a small gem will do the same?

 

[eliaslikesfish]

I would try to trade him for a smaller one, no sort of time out will usually help a bully once they develop that mindset. Especially a purple, complete ***holes.

Gem tang would be chilling I think (and prettier imo)

 

[Nixmo]

I would try to trade him for a smaller one, no sort of time out will usually help a bully once they develop that mindset. Especially a purple, complete ***holes.

Gem tang would be chilling I think (and prettier imo)

I did that once already and the second purple is doing the same. Not as bad as the first purple but enough to be an ***hole.

I'm afraid if I swap it out with another baby purple, it'll end up doing the same eventually. 2 purples, 2 problems. I don't think I want to attempt a third time lol.

 

[crazyfishmom]

My gem is super chill. My purple tries to annoy others in the tank but I have so many tangs together that they keep each other in check. Would definitely look into a gem.

 

[Nixmo]

Thanks for the helpful advice. Purple is going. Buying a 2" gem

 

[i cant think]

I have the following fish:

Powder blue tang
Purple tang
Squaretail bristletooth
Banana wrasse
Flame angel
Pair of Davinci clowns.

Started the tank late October 2023. All the fish were added by December 2023 and have been together since.

All the tangs were purchased as small/juvenile. The purple tang was the last to go in. Purple was smaller than the flame but has grown pretty quick and is double the size of the flame.

Okay, so the purple has a bad attitude. Initially he didn't but it's getting worse. He leaves the clowns and wrasse alone. He tries to challenge the powder blue all the time but powder puts him in his place. His worst enemy is my flame. Especially in the mornings and evenings, less throughout the day but still bullies him. Noticed the flame is glass surfing more. I've changed the aquascape, added more hidey holes but whenever flame finds or is made a new cave/ledge to claim, purple takes over it.

Will my flame eventually die from stress? Do I need to re-home purple? Is there anything I can do? Will purple outgrow this behaviour?

BTW this is my second baby purple tang. The first one was much much worse so i sold it. Also interesting that the 2nd baby purple has chosen to claim the same area as the first one did.

Also, I was thinking of maybe swapping out purple for a gem tang? Is their temperament the same? Is there a chance a small gem will do the same?

I’ve honestly yet to find a Zebrasoma that doesn’t become an absolute ****.

Scopas are apparently the calmest species and yet the ones I’ve had and looked after all slaughtered any new fish after it.
Same with gems, I’ve had them be a pain to add any new fish into.

 

[crazyfishmom]

I’ve honestly yet to find a Zebrasoma that doesn’t become an absolute ****.

Scopas are apparently the calmest species and yet the ones I’ve had and looked after all slaughtered any new fish after it.
Same with gems, I’ve had them be a pain to add any new fish into.

It’s always so wild to me when people say things like this because I’ve had such a different experience. I keep two yellows, a gem, a purple, and a Desjardini together (plus a hippo, blue eyed Kole, and PBT and a fox face to boot) and other than in the first 24 hrs post introduction I haven’t had any issues with aggression. My chromis are considerably more vicious than my tangs. The yellows chase each other every few weeks for 2 minutes and then get tired. Even my PBT is super mellow now that he’s in the big tank with all the other tangs. I also have a white tail and a chocolate in a separate tank. No aggression there. I feed a lot and there’s lots of rock work etc. Probably just dumb luck but these fish are so beautiful that I would risk the aggression but that’s just me.

 

[eliaslikesfish]

I did that once already and the second purple is doing the same. Not as bad as the first purple but enough to be an ***hole.

I'm afraid if I swap it out with another baby purple, it'll end up doing the same eventually. 2 purples, 2 problems. I don't think I want to attempt a third time lol.

yeah i completely understand if you can trade it in for a smaller one you could just keep doing that lol

 

[OrionN]

The Flame angel will be fine. He is smaller and will have to give when there is in conflict with larger fishes. Flame angles are fast and not at all timid. As long as he eats well and have no injury, there will not be any problem.

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

I have the following fish:

Powder blue tang
Purple tang
Squaretail bristletooth
Banana wrasse
Flame angel
Pair of Davinci clowns.

Started the tank late October 2023. All the fish were added by December 2023 and have been together since.

All the tangs were purchased as small/juvenile. The purple tang was the last to go in. Purple was smaller than the flame but has grown pretty quick and is double the size of the flame.

Okay, so the purple has a bad attitude. Initially he didn't but it's getting worse. He leaves the clowns and wrasse alone. He tries to challenge the powder blue all the time but powder puts him in his place. His worst enemy is my flame. Especially in the mornings and evenings, less throughout the day but still bullies him. Noticed the flame is glass surfing more. I've changed the aquascape, added more hidey holes but whenever flame finds or is made a new cave/ledge to claim, purple takes over it.

Will my flame eventually die from stress? Do I need to re-home purple? Is there anything I can do? Will purple outgrow this behaviour?

BTW this is my second baby purple tang. The first one was much much worse so i sold it. Also interesting that the 2nd baby purple has chosen to claim the same area as the first one did.

Also, I was thinking of maybe swapping out purple for a gem tang? Is their temperament the same? Is there a chance a small gem will do the same?

it sounds really dumb to put a mirror, but "reefing girlfriend" on Instagram added an angel to their tank earlier in the week, and the blue tang chased it. If you put a mirror up the tang will just chase itself with it seeing itself in the mirror and it will waste all of its energy and the angel will be fine after that

 

[Nixmo]

It works when introducing a new tang but doesn't work once they've established. Once the mirror goes down, bullying goes back to normal.

Already ordered a gem. Purple is on his way out unfortunately

 

[ejsanchez92399]

It works when introducing a new tang but doesn't work once they've established. Once the mirror goes down, bullying goes back to normal.

Already ordered a gem. Purple is on his way out unfortunately

Just curious, but how often do you feed your tangs, and how often do you feed Nori?
I have noticed with various tangs that I have had, that their temperament really varies, BUT when they miss a feeding they get aggressive with each other - and even some other fish. I have had two Gems with two opposite temperaments, etc. BUT, when they get hungry they both got aggressive and so do my other tangs. They also do behave the same way over certain spots in my tank that they get territorial over.
My tangs are relatively model citizens as long as they're fat and happy; otherwise, when they're hungry they can get mean.

 

[littlefoxx]

I would try to trade him for a smaller one, no sort of time out will usually help a bully once they develop that mindset. Especially a purple, complete ***holes.

Gem tang would be chilling I think (and prettier imo)

Tank size?

 

[Nixmo]

Just curious, but how often do you feed your tangs, and how often do you feed Nori?
I have noticed with various tangs that I have had, that their temperament really varies, BUT when they miss a feeding they get aggressive with each other - and even some other fish. I have had two Gems with two opposite temperaments, etc. BUT, when they get hungry they both got aggressive and so do my other tangs. They also do behave the same way over certain spots in my tank that they get territorial over.
My tangs are relatively model citizens as long as they're fat and happy; otherwise, when they're hungry they can get mean.

Twice a day and nori in-between (nori when we're home, sometimes get stuck at work). They're well fed. Purple is just extremely territorial. If he could, he would claim all the aquascape in the tank. The other tanks fight back when he tries. Flame is small/scared to fight back

 

[BiggestE22]

My gem is super chill. My purple tries to annoy others in the tank but I have so many tangs together that they keep each other in check. Would definitely look into a gem.

Awesome fish but 1k plus.

 

[crazyfishmom]

Awesome fish but 1k plus.

I got very lucky. Mine had been surrendered at my LFS and the LFS owner put him in with a trigger so he was super stressed out and looked awful. No one wanted him. I bought two yellows and asked what the bottom price on the gem would be and he said “I’ll do all 3 for $700”… still a lot of money but a no brainer deal. He is no longer stressed and his coloring is back to perfect. One of the sweetest guys in my tank.