Tang Aggression - Understanding and Combating

[Mike1995]

I had a scopas tang who now unfortunately died, he went after everything. My angel. Wrasse. Even my snails and hermit crabs. My maroon clowns were the only thing he didn't terrorize.

 

[HotRocks]

I had a scopas tang who now unfortunately died, he went after everything. My angel. Wrasse. Even my snails and hermit crabs. My maroon clowns were the only thing he didn't terrorize.

I had a scopas once that was terrorizing a QT, I had to donate it to the LFS. It attacked EVERYTHING.

 

[mjreefs]

Actually no, the Achilles and powder brown were introduced at the same time as the sailfin and kole. Then I added the yellow tang, purple tang, and PBT second round, lastly my yellow belly blue hippo.

Well that is interesting, good thing the achilles and powder brown didn't gang up on the powder blue, or am I missing something here?

 

[HotRocks]

Well that is interesting, good thing the achilles and powder brown didn't gang up on the powder blue, or am I missing something here?

Risky move, facilitated by @4FordFamily. He was much smaller than them. So he kind of flew under the radar, he has now caught up to their sizes. I don't know that It could be repeated. There was plenty of other tang distraction as well with all of the others.

 

[mjreefs]

Risky move, facilitated by @4FordFamily. He was much smaller than them. So he kind of flew under the radar, he has now caught up to their sizes. I don't know that It could be repeated. There was plenty of other tang distraction as well with all of the others.

Interesting.

Hope that we could really have a compilation of accounts on introducing tangs. It's interesting that a play on two factors (great size difference and introduction of multiple tangs at the same time; and maybe a little luck) would probably account for the success of the situation.

One thing I also noticed whether it be angels or tangs, they grow quite fast when they're "catching up" to the size of other fish, but relatively slow when they're just growing for the sake of growing in size (I believe there are exceptions to this like the French angel and the like). My PBT has also caught up in size with my Mustard Tang in just a span of 2-3 months, after that, I see no growth in my Annularis angel, mustard tang, purple tang, or even my PBT.

 

[4FordFamily]

Interesting.

Hope that we could really have a compilation of accounts on introducing tangs. It's interesting that a play on two factors (great size difference and introduction of multiple tangs at the same time; and maybe a little luck) would probably account for the success of the situation.

One thing I also noticed whether it be angels or tangs, they grow quite fast when they're "catching up" to the size of other fish, but relatively slow when they're just growing for the sake of growing in size (I believe there are exceptions to this like the French angel and the like). My PBT has also caught up in size with my Mustard Tang in just a span of 2-3 months, after that, I see no growth in my Annularis angel, mustard tang, purple tang, or even my PBT.

Large angels grow rather quickly to 4-5 inches and then tend to slow. For tangs it’s 3-4 depending on species. Purple tangs are relatively slow growers in general.

 

[4FordFamily]

I had a scopas tang who now unfortunately died, he went after everything. My angel. Wrasse. Even my snails and hermit crabs. My maroon clowns were the only thing he didn't terrorize.

Guessing he was an only tang or it was a large tank with few tangs?

 

[Mike1995]

Guessing he was an only tang or it was a large tank with few tangs?

He was the only tang. He for sure would've been trouble for any other tangs. I was trying to rehome him but he got some illness and he died pretty fast :(

 

[4FordFamily]

He was the only tang. He for sure would've been trouble for any other tangs. I was trying to rehome him but he got some illness and he died pretty fast :(

That’s why it behaved that way. An only tang can be far more aggressive. They get accustomed to keeping their territory free of herbivores and other tangs. This is also true of lightly stocked tanks.

While lightly stocked and only tangs are good things this is the flip side.

 

[OrionN]

Large angels grow rather quickly to 4-5 inches and then tend to slow. For tangs it’s 3-4 depending on species. Purple tangs are relatively slow growers in general.

My Purple grew fairly quickly. I got mine the size of a quarter not counting the tail. He is about 5 inches after 18 months.

 

[mjreefs]

Large angels grow rather quickly to 4-5 inches and then tend to slow. For tangs it’s 3-4 depending on species. Purple tangs are relatively slow growers in general.

Yes, I've noticed this as well with angels. My annularis "stopped growing" for the past 4-5 months. Never noticed that big of a size difference.

My Purple grew fairly quickly. I got mine the size of a quarter not counting the tail. He is about 5 inches after 18 months.

I also have a purple as well that grew to 3.5-4" from 2-2.5" in less than a year, now it "stopped growing" for the past 3-4 months as well.

 

[4FordFamily]

My Purple grew fairly quickly. I got mine the size of a quarter not counting the tail. He is about 5 inches after 18 months.

That's generally when they slow their growth, but that's some strong growth, you feed well!

Yes, I've noticed this as well with angels. My annularis "stopped growing" for the past 4-5 months. Never noticed that big of a size difference.



I also have a purple as well that grew to 3.5-4" from 2-2.5" in less than a year, now it "stopped growing" for the past 3-4 months as well.

Yeah that's pretty typical. Around 4-4.5 inches they seem to slow.

 

[Mike1995]

That’s why it behaved that way. An only tang can be far more aggressive. They get accustomed to keeping their territory free of herbivores and other tangs. This is also true of lightly stocked tanks.

While lightly stocked and only tangs are good things this is the flip side.

What smaller tangs might I have success with? I plan to get a bristletooth (tomini) tang.

 

[4FordFamily]

What smaller tangs might I have success with? I plan to get a bristletooth (tomini) tang.

Well, nothing is a guarantee but I'd say a Tomini is a good choice. What was the tank size?

 

[svogun]

@4FordFamily I have a 200 gallon with a small hippo and medium sized scopas in their together for about 8 months without issue, love the desjardini would this be an ok addition with the scopas?

 

[4FordFamily]

@4FordFamily I have a 200 gallon with a small hippo and medium sized scopas in their together for about 8 months without issue, love the desjardini would this be an ok addition with the scopas?

Scopas may reject a single tang that is also of zebrasoma genus. Their temperaments differ a lot, but Id say adding two zebrasoma would be a safer bet. For aggression, the more added concurrently, the better.

 

[Mike1995]

Well, nothing is a guarantee but I'd say a Tomini is a good choice. What was the tank size?

75g. Would just one tomini be okay?

 

[jsvand5]

You don't have the mimic tang listed. Any experience with that one?

I have a mimic now just starting to transition to adult colors. It’s meaner than my big achillies and big powder blue. If I had it to do over I wouldn’t have bought it. It’s my only experience with a mimic so I may have just got an extra agressive one but he’s my only tang that harasses every new addition. He doesn’t kill anything so far but he definitely stresses them out.

 

[mjreefs]

I have a mimic now just starting to transition to adult colors. It’s meaner than my big achillies and big powder blue. If I had it to do over I wouldn’t have bought it. It’s my only experience with a mimic so I may have just got an extra agressive one but he’s my only tang that harasses every new addition. He doesn’t kill anything so far but he definitely stresses them out.

I do apologize for butting in, but this is the first time I've heard a mimic tang being extra aggressive (although wouldn't be surprised, they're still tangs). Just to clarify things, when you say aggressive, apart from the fact that it harasses newcomers, does it also chase down the bigger achilles and PBT? What's the size of the Achilles, PBT and the mimic?

 

[4FordFamily]

75g. Would just one tomini be okay?

Theoretically yes