Training Powder Blue and Powder Brown to live together

[Mark3]

@4FordFamily, @HotRocks , @saltyhog ... UPDATE:

I guess you all were right.... it's been about 8 months since I pulled the divider out... and yesterday I put it back, separating them again. The powder brown has become aggressive towards the powder blue, and in a very short time has beaten him almost to death.
Too bad, for about half a year they were getting along, but I just barely saved the PBlue. Looking much better today with just some extra food and nori clip to munch on. You can still see his ribs, but not like yesterday, he looked like a skelton fish... I didn't know if he was going to make it, looked hammered on, felt so bad that the powder brown had been bullying him so hard and getting away with it.

I am going to have to rehome one of them but I don't know which one I want to keep. Neither one of them bother any of the other fish in the tank, maybe the powder blue is a bit more mellow than the brown.... which do you all think would be a better tank mate to keep?

 

[HotRocks]

@4FordFamily, @HotRocks , @saltyhog ... UPDATE:

I guess you all were right.... it's been about 8 months since I pulled the divider out... and yesterday I put it back, separating them again. The powder brown has become aggressive towards the powder blue, and in a very short time has beaten him almost to death.
Too bad, for about half a year they were getting along, but I just barely saved the PBlue. Looking much better today with just some extra food and nori clip to munch on. You can still see his ribs, but not like yesterday, he looked like a skelton fish... I didn't know if he was going to make it, looked hammered on, felt so bad that the powder brown had been bullying him so hard and getting away with it.

I am going to have to rehome one of them but I don't know which one I want to keep. Neither one of them bother any of the other fish in the tank, maybe the powder blue is a bit more mellow than the brown.... which do you all think would be a better tank mate to keep?

If you are going to re-home one I would definitely get rid of the aggressor. Otherwise he will likely switch gears and pick a new target.

 

[NC122606]

Dang it! I was really wishing this would work out for you.

 

[Mark3]

Ya, I was hoping it would work, ...maybe if the tank was a bit larger, ....I was hoping 6 feet long would be enough.

It did work for awhile, maybe they just got to big, ... they are about 5" or 6" and they were fat and happy.

 

[4FordFamily]

If you are going to re-home one I would definitely get rid of the aggressor. Otherwise he will likely switch gears and pick a new target.

I agree entirely. It’s now accustomed to defending its territory aggressively and is likely to continue. Sorry to say

 

[OrionN]

I had a Powder Blue and Powder Brown together in the past but in a 420 gal tank.

 

[Mark3]

Sadly I think you are right .... the powder brown needs to go,....but such a good looking fellow, why so mean?
I guess I will get a photo of him this afternoon and post him for sale....hope to find him a nice home, he's not mean to any of the others in the tank, and there are 25 fish total in the tank(counting him)....so I think he can be a good tank mate.

 

[GreatWave]

@4FordFamily, @HotRocks , @saltyhog ... UPDATE:

...week four & five, waiting game, let them see each other without getting at each other.
and then finally, week six pull the divider out and watch. They do their dancing and chasing, but not in killer attack mode.
It's been 4 days since I pulled the divider, and they are coexisting without much aggression. They still are doing a little dancing and charging, but not at all in killer mode like the first introduction. Neither one seems to be Top Dog, right now, they both stand their ground and seem to be getting along pretty good. I think it worked...still have my fingers crossed, don't want to jinx

How’s it going with the powders? I’d like to try this!

 

[schuby]

I've been able to successfully keep a Yellow Tang and a Purple Tang together for many years (two different times, two different sets) by introducing them both at the same time, with both of them being about the same size: small, maybe 2-3 inches.

I don't know if this would work for different Powder Tangs.

 

[IKD]

Sadly I think you are right .... the powder brown needs to go,....but such a good looking fellow, why so mean?
I guess I will get a photo of him this afternoon and post him for sale....hope to find him a nice home, he's not mean to any of the others in the tank, and there are 25 fish total in the tank(counting him)....so I think he can be a good tank mate.

Just read this post. was wondering what you decided to do. If you really wanted a Powder Brown over the Powder Blue, one option is to get rid of both of them and get a new powder brown to add.

 

[Noob_Sam]

I am working on getting my powder brown to accept a new powder blue to his home. :
Progression so far:
...first day, added 19 new fish to tank....(bought out a very pristine tank that was being taken down)
my powder brown went killer attack mode on the new P blue, blue went into hiding. Waited a day and close observation, blue was forced into hiding. The other 18 fish went unnoticed, no aggression at all was shown to any of the other new tankmates.
...second day, put eggcrate divider in center of tank,
...blue stayed in hiding, gradually came out to investigate over about a week or so.
...week three, blue & brown start to look at each other, nose to nose at eggcrate, seem to be calming out with each other.
...It will be four weeks on Monday, they seem to be calm with each other now, but have a divider between them, waiting to see what happens when I take the divider out, wonder how long to give it? I think another week or two divided, they are looking at each other and seem to be calm, but I don't think I trust the brown yet. Good news is that all 19 new additions are doing great, eating like pigs!

Curious to see how this goes!
Edit: oops nvm

 

[IKD]

Curious to see how this goes!
Edit: oops nvm

See post #21. Didn’t go well in the end.

 

[Noob_Sam]

See post #21. Didn’t go well in the end.

yup I just read that. Rip

 

[TAP]

Thanks Mark3 for this very interesting post. Just super curious. Can you please let us know if the Blue doesn't become the worst aggressor to the other fishes once you removed the Powder Brown?

 

[TAP]

Thanks Mark3 for this very interesting post. Just super curious. Can you please let us know if the Blue doesn't become the worst aggressor to the other fishes once you removed the Powder Brown?

 

[Mbheat77]

I'm thinking about getting a blue and brown, but I'm going to get both at the same time and quarantine them together then adding them to display tank. Anyone did it this way?

 

[Ferrell]

Hade the same two fish in the 90s, did the egg crate same as you... NEVER was able to remove it without them trying to kill each other. Sorry to be a Debbie downer and hope it works out for you

 

[tehmadreefer]

Why ppl in this day and age and all the information out there, yet think they are special and will change the inevitable, is absolutely beyond me.

And we wonder why governments are restricting the aquarium hobby. Well here ya go...

 

[dcc0011]

I’m facing the same situation. All they have done is chase one another. But neither fish has received damage. We had a storm the other night and they were best friends during that side by side. So maybe there is hope. They are both in a 125. Lots of rockwork for them to swim through. I’ll try to keep this post updated with my luck. If either fish gets fin damage or lacerations I’ll quickly move one to my 75 gallon.

 

[DavidinGA]

I did this about 10 years ago and it worked ok. All you need to do is set up a medium-sized mirror on one of the ends or back of the tank and leave it that way permanently. I did that on one of my systems and life went on fine for years. It's the best solution if you really want to house those fish together. I never bothered with egg crate as they will never co-exist peacefully; never.