Tang aggression after adding frags?

[Nerdist Aquarist]

So my 6 foot Waterbox tank that's been running only fish and live rock close to 1 year now. I had 5 tangs (Purple, Clown, Achilles, Whitetail bristletooth and Powder Blue). They've been together about 6 months, with no serious aggression towards eachother, other than chasing during the first month. All we're added within a few weeks apart.

After adding my first batch of corals a couple weeks ago, 3 of the 5 tangs ganged up on the perfectly healthy Clown tang, which was the largest of all. Tried to save it, but damage was done and it died a few hours after I moved him into the sump.

Then I added more SPS frags a week later, and the Purple tang demolished my Royal gramma, leaving just bones!

Has anyone seen this kind of behavior after adding corals? Maybe there's no correlation, but adding corals has been the only thing new. Very strange that fish being together for so long suddenly become killers?

 

[crazyfishmom]

This is largely conjecture but fish can become stressed for any number of reasons and behavior can change to the detriment of the tank. Your hands in the tank is one of the main stressors. Fish just don’t like it. Is it the reason this happened? Really hard to know but do I think k it may have contributed? Likely yes.

 

[Nerdist Aquarist]

That's a possibility, but I kind doubt it in my case. I also feed my fish by hand almost daily for one of their feedings. I intentionally touch them while feeding to the point where now they swim between my fingers and I can rub up against most of them with them running off. Very strange indeed

 

[littlefoxx]

That's a possibility, but I kind doubt it in my case. I also feed my fish by hand almost daily for one of their feedings. I intentionally touch them while feeding to the point where now they swim between my fingers and I can rub up against most of them with them running off. Very strange indeed

I do that with my fish as well. Mg eels swim around my hands all the time. Were they smaller when you added them? That group of tangs can be nasty as they get older and more territorial. Maybe they re establish territory when adding corals cause it changes their environment? Might be dumb but thats my guess.

@vetteguy53081 has like 27 tangs or something in his huge reef, he might have more insight

 

[vetteguy53081]

So my 6 foot Waterbox tank that's been running only fish and live rock close to 1 year now. I had 5 tangs (Purple, Clown, Achilles, Whitetail bristletooth and Powder Blue). They've been together about 6 months, with no serious aggression towards eachother, other than chasing during the first month. All we're added within a few weeks apart.

After adding my first batch of corals a couple weeks ago, 3 of the 5 tangs ganged up on the perfectly healthy Clown tang, which was the largest of all. Tried to save it, but damage was done and it died a few hours after I moved him into the sump.

Then I added more SPS frags a week later, and the Purple tang demolished my Royal gramma, leaving just bones!

Has anyone seen this kind of behavior after adding corals? Maybe there's no correlation, but adding corals has been the only thing new. Very strange that fish being together for so long suddenly become killers?

This is just the beginning. The powder blue (my suspect) will get nasty/nastier as time moves forward. The clown tang as it matures would also get nasty. Mine is 10" and recently has had its moments but it particularly does not like my achilles tang for some reason

 

[littlefoxx]

This is just the beginning. The powder blue (my suspect) will get nasty/nastier as time moves forward. The clown tang as it matures would also get nasty. Mine is 10" and recently has had its moments but it particularly does not like my achilles tang for some reason

Wow he is stunning!

 

[Nerdist Aquarist]

This is just the beginning. The powder blue (my suspect) will get nasty/nastier as time moves forward. The clown tang as it matures would also get nasty. Mine is 10" and recently has had its moments but it particularly does not like my achilles tang for some reason

Beautiful specimen!

 

[littlefoxx]

Beautiful specimen!

Lol vetteguy has the best looking tangs Ive ever seen to be honest! All of them are super fat and healthy and colorful!