Tomini tang aggression

[MikeReefs]

Added a baby tomini tang in my 80g display about a month ago. last week he decided he doesn’t like my Bella goby, especially when he spits sand. Once I saw my goby’s tail frayed I put up a mirror and the tang has been fighting his reflection for 3 days now. Removed the mirror today to see if he still bully’s him and after 20min he started bullying again, mirror is back up now. My tank has a good amount of rock work and I have rearranged it. goby completely piled sand on the next structure to keep the tomini from his borrow. Has anyone experienced this with their tomini?? I thought they were pretty chill compared to most tangs. Would hate to have to rehome him. My next attempt would be to catch him and banish him to acclimation box for 2-3 weeks. Anything else can be done to tame him?

 

[lapin]

Rehome it. Every fish has a different personality. In your tank it thinks it’s the boss.

 

[MikeReefs]

Rehome it. Every fish has a different personality. In your tank it thinks it’s the boss.

Going to have buy a trap in that case any recommendations?

 

[lapin]

One with a mirror.
Maybe something like this when it is fighting itself in the mirror

FishScooper Multipurpose Transfer Tool

Ditch the Net. Scoop Smarter with the FishScooper Minimizes Stress on Fish and Invertebrates No Snags on Fish Fins, Gills, or Scales Easy to Clean and Built to Last Made from Aquarium-Safe Materials The FishScooper is a smart, net-free alternative for catching and transferring aquarium fish...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[MikeReefs]

Shame he gets along with everyone but the goby. But I need my sand clean . Once I catch him he’s going to my LFS

 

[vlangel]

Is the goby an herbivore? I had a tomini tang that always got along with every fish except an orange spot blenny. The odd thing is the blenny was in the 56g tank before the tang. Anyway the tomini harassed the blenny to death, literally. It never bothered any other fish for the next 5 years that I had it, which was weird. It just had it out for that blenny. I finally decided that the 56g tank was too small for the tang and gave it to a friend.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

That's really not very much rock. If the fish aren't pretty much actively hiding, they're in each other's field of view.

 

[MikeReefs]

That's really not very much rock. If the fish aren't pretty much actively hiding, they're in each other's field of view.

He’s got multiple borrows in every structure. Regardless it’s a sand sifting goby it’s going to be in the open sifting sand. He doesn’t hide much he’s a much very active fish. The tang just doesn’t like him sifting sand for whatever reason. Think imma just trade him in and do without a tang. Weirdly enough I’ve learned after the fact that tangs just don’t like sand sifting gobys

 

[Marco_99]

He’s got multiple borrows in every structure. Regardless it’s a sand sifting goby it’s going to be in the open sifting sand. He doesn’t hide much he’s a much very active fish. The tang just doesn’t like him sifting sand for whatever reason. Think imma just trade him in and do without a tang. Weirdly enough I’ve learned after the fact that tangs just don’t like sand sifting gobys

I don’t think that’s the case. My whitetail could care less about my pink spotted goby. I’d sump the tang for a week or two and try again. What behavior does the tang show? Is he cornering the goby? Tail whipping him? Just chasing? If your goby is intruding in the tangs cave/burrow of course he’s gonna teach the goby a lesson until he learns to stay away. Tangs can be very territorial. Your rock work does lack actual decent hiding spots. If my goby piled sand like that he’d be the one going, not the tang. I think your goby might be the instigator with the looks of it

 

[ReefED!]

Bristletooths are just as aggressive as zebrasomas in my experience

Some even as much as powder blues

 

[MikeReefs]

I don’t think that’s the case. My whitetail could care less about my pink spotted goby. I’d sump the tang for a week or two and try again. What behavior does the tang show? Is he cornering the goby? Tail whipping him? Just chasing? If your goby is intruding in the tangs cave/burrow of course he’s gonna teach the goby a lesson until he learns to stay away. Tangs can be very territorial. Your rock work does lack actual decent hiding spots. If my goby piled sand like that he’d be the one going, not the tang. I think your goby might be the instigator with the looks of it

Yea that pile is crazy. Never seen him go that crazy blocking his burrow until this tang came around. The tang is nipping and tail whipping. He attacks and swims off it’s not relentless corning. If it was just chasing I wouldn’t pay it no mind. It would make sense if it was territory but he doesn’t attack him unless he’s spitting sand. They swim together no problem, eat together no issue. Once sand spits out of his mouth it’s on sight. I’m going to catch the tang, but I don’t think he’s going to change. He simply just doesn’t like him and what he does with sand

 

[Marco_99]

Did the tang sleep in those rocks the goby has piled all the sand on?

 

[MikeReefs]

Did the tang sleep in those rocks the goby has piled all the sand on?

Nope he originally slept in the rock on the right. Now he sleeps in the middle rock. Goby sleeps in the left rock. I know it’s probably a very weird aggression specifically to the goby. He’s not territorial to any fish. Besides them there’s currently a one spot Foxface, Flame Hawk, pintail wrasse, PJ cardinal