Tang aggression & adding new fish suggestion

[CincyReefer07]

So to start, I read the stickied thread on tang aggression. I do plan on adding mirrors to the side of the tank for sure. Now for my situation and what I’m trying to figure out which I’m open to suggestions on…

I have a 310 gallon tank, mixed reef, which that alone I thought would be plenty large to not deal with much aggression issues. I have a pair of two banded clowns, 5 bangaii, a black cap basslet, and a gem tang and 2 yellow tangs in the tank. The tangs have been in the tank for probably close to 4 months now. Haven’t added any new fish since other than a couple bangaii, and the basslet(originally had 3, added a couple more).

I have a quarantined magnificent foxface roughly 5-6 inches in length. Attempted to add him the other night when the lights were almost out on the tank. Right off the bat, the Gem and both yellows relentlessly were going after the foxface, every hiding spot, corner the foxface went to the tangs were tail whipping him, even with the foxface flaring up, couple times him flaring up made the tangs leave…temporarily. Gave it 15 minutes hoping they’d chill and they weren’t so I got the foxface back out and put him back into my quarantine tank before things got worse and stressed him more.

I’ve decided I think I need to introduce a larger number of fish into the tank with the foxface at the same time. Hoping that will help the situation. Rearranging the rockscape isn’t going to happen, I suck at creating good rockscapes and after such a long amount of time I had finally gotten mine to where I really loved it, and the fish love it too with how many spots it has for fish to swim through.

So I’m looking for suggestions basically on what some of you may think would be good next additions to my mixed reef tank based on the remaining fish on my fish stocking list or if some of you have some other ideas of other good potential fish for my tank. I have a 60 breeder I can quarantine fish in.

My remaining list:
1 - White Tail Bristletooth Tang

1 - Whitecheek Tang

1 - Blue Hippo Tang

1 - Naso Tang

1 - Blenny (Midas, Starry, or Tail Spot)

1 - Copperband Butterflyfish

1 - Bella Goby

2 - Blue Throat Triggers (male/female)

8 to 10 - Dispar or princess or bartletts Anthias (1 male)

1 - Rhomboid Wrasse

1 - Another Wrasse of some type not sure


Of these fish and/or any other fish maybe I haven’t thought of that you’d recommend for my setup… what would you recommend I buy to add in with my magnificent foxface so he isn’t beaten up and bullied to death…??

 

[davidcalgary29]

If this reef tank is largely LPS and softies, or, my personal favourite, a "FOWLR with softies", I'd...

1. Rehome the foxface. It's just not going to be pretty unless you're willing to rearrange your aquascape. And I agree that it's lovely, and wouldn't want to do it, either. Some fish just don't like fish that have the same colouring that will compete with their grazing territory.

2. Rethink the copperband and got for a spotband butterflyfish. They're so much nicer and hardier and more personable. I have both a copperband (which does nothing for my aiptasia, by the way) and a spotband, and the spotband is just an overall better aquarium fish. I should note that my yellow tang hates the copperband; it's too similar in shape.

3. Rethink all the tangs and go for some genicanthus angels and dwarf angels. I prefer dogs to cats.

4. Start using acclimation boxes. In fact, I'd put the foxface in one if you're not going to rehome it.

 

[CincyReefer07]

If this reef tank is largely LPS and softies, or, my personal favourite, a "FOWLR with softies", I'd...

1. Rehome the foxface. It's just not going to be pretty unless you're willing to rearrange your aquascape. And I agree that it's lovely, and wouldn't want to do it, either. Some fish just don't like fish that have the same colouring that will compete with their grazing territory.

2. Rethink the copperband and got for a spotband butterflyfish. They're so much nicer and hardier and more personable. I have both a copperband (which does nothing for my aiptasia, by the way) and a spotband, and the spotband is just an overall better aquarium fish. I should note that my yellow tang hates the copperband; it's too similar in shape.

3. Rethink all the tangs and go for some genicanthus angels and dwarf angels. I prefer dogs to cats.

4. Start using acclimation boxes. In fact, I'd put the foxface in one if you're not going to rehome it.

The tank will largely be a lot of sps, sticks and monti all throughout the upper portion and upper-mid section. Plan is 50% sps, then in the lower/mid range portions fill it with half and half softies/lps.

With the foxface, it’s a magnificent, so I definitely didn’t expect an issue as coloring is completely different from the gem and yellows.

The copperband was my first choice because I love their coloring, but with talks with my buddy at the LFS I’m willing to potentially swap the copperband out for something else. He’s warned me that they can be very sensitive especially if their is aggression in the tank and as they are difficult to get eating in the first place, if they get too stressed out they’ll potentially quit eating. So I’m willing to consider swapping something else in the copperbands place as much as I really

After the failed attempt at introducing the foxface the first time, I began thinking about acclimation boxes which I agree are a good thing to have and do, my issue is that almost all of them seem SO SMALL, that if anything it adds another level of stress onto the new fish being enclosed with nowhere to go or hide in such a small box for such a long period of time… that’s my only concern with them.