Scopas and Desjardini fighting

bensoo00 · Nov 13, 2023

My tangs (desjardini and scopas) have been fighting nonstop since I introduced the desjardini, which is bigger than it. It’s a 60 gallon and they are only about 2 inches big, with the bigger one being 3 inches. The scopas was insanely peaceful but now he just chases down the desjardini whenever he sees him. I’ve used the mirror trick and the scopas is dumb enough to attack himself, but I don’t know how to use the mirror trick in order to try and stop this for good. Do I just leave the mirror up until he stops being aggressive? My scopas has 2 tiny scratches and his lip is a bit busted, and my desjardini has one little cut on his fin but he’s a tank. Any help would be appreciated.

Waters · Nov 13, 2023

Unfortunately the tank is WAY too small for those two tangs together. There most likely isn't going to be much you can do....I would remove the Desjardini...they get very large requiring a lot of space.

bensoo00 · Nov 13, 2023

Waters said:
Unfortunately the tank is WAY too small for those two tangs together. There most likely isn't going to be much you can do....I would remove the Desjardini...they get very large requiring a lot of space.

Gotcha. I have a 150 I’m cycling so they’ll be dropped in there eventually. I wonder why the bigger tang isn’t aggressive but the scopas turned into a bully?

i cant think · Nov 14, 2023

bensoo00 said:
Gotcha. I have a 150 I’m cycling so they’ll be dropped in there eventually. I wonder why the bigger tang isn’t aggressive but the scopas turned into a bully?

The scopas had been in there longer so he’s claimed all the remaining territory, adding that second tang caused him to become highly defensive.

Lbrdsoxfan · Nov 14, 2023

i cant think said:
The scopas had been in there longer so he’s claimed all the remaining territory, adding that second tang caused him to become highly defensive.

This and it ain't gonna get better. Sometimes tangs just snap. I've rehomed a few due to ultra aggro.

bensoo00 · Nov 14, 2023

Lbrdsoxfan said:
This and it ain't gonna get better. Sometimes tangs just snap. I've rehomed a few due to ultra aggro.

Makes sense. It is a small tank I intended to keep them in for a month or two as QT until they can get into the 150. They stopped fighting but I’m just gonna keep an eye on it. I don’t have many other tanks for QT but they are from the same store so I decided to drop them both in the same tank.

blecki · Nov 14, 2023

I have a sailfin and scopas in a 230 and they still joust. It calmed down a lot after the first time the scopas got a good piece out of the sailfin - but they still occasionally joust and may never stop.

Dbichler · Nov 14, 2023

This still may continue in a 150 desjardini tangs get pretty big pretty fast.

Lbrdsoxfan · Nov 14, 2023

Dbichler said:
This still may continue in a 150 desjardini tangs get pretty big pretty fast.

Yup. Had to rehomed mine after a year or so. It tripled in size and got food aggro.

blecki · Nov 15, 2023

I wouldn't blame the desjardi. IME scopas are the meaner fish. I think they all have a chip on their shoulder because they know they're almost a yellow tang but not quite.

They can definitely do more damage with their larger scalpels. A lot of people seem to keep Zebrasomas in trios which might help one fish from becoming too dominant.

bensoo00 · Nov 15, 2023

blecki said:
I wouldn't blame the desjardi. IME scopas are the meaner fish. I think they all have a chip on their shoulder because they know they're almost a yellow tang but not quite.

They can definitely do more damage with their larger scalpels. A lot of people seem to keep Zebrasomas in trios which might help one fish from becoming too dominant.

Yeah I don’t think this tiny tank can handle that short term haha, as much as I want to keep them in there until they’re ready I might just have to either try and put more rockwork since the aggression subsided or just take the desjardini out early, even though he is the peaceful one.