Truly bizarre tang aggression

gillskills

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 22, 2019
Messages
13
Reaction score
20
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Tonight I ran into, without question, one of the strangest things I ever have in all my days keeping fish.
I recently finished adding my fish back to the DT after a long fallow period for ich. They’ve been back about two weeks, and tonight I cut the lights off a little early to acclimate a new arrival. No sooner did the lights cut out, than my two spot bristletooth tang started savagely chasing, biting, and swiping his scalpel at my melanarus wrasse of all things!

the tank is a 90 long, And other tank mates include a maroon clown, potters angel, and black cap jawfish (there is a 5” sand bed). The tang was the last fish to be added back to the DT, and I tweaked my rock work while it was fallow.

the wrasse finally dive for the sand bed to escape the tangs fury, although he’s still only half buried in the corner of the tank where tang had him trapped. I put my flashlight on the tang for now to keep him hidden in his cave... what now?
I’m very confused at the situation given the tang was peaceful with lights on, is in a tank that can accommodate its full grown size (is only 4” now), and isn’t competing with any other tangs. If anything, I’d have thought he’d target the angel. Any thoughts?
 

SeaDweller

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 11, 2016
Messages
3,369
Reaction score
4,776
Location
.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It just doesn't like it.

My small 3" tomini tang and my potter's angel hate my sand sifting goby (so do I), so they'll chase him around when they want to. Sometimes you just can't explain it.
 

daryl213

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
43
Reaction score
20
Location
San Antonio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My bristletooth tang started doing this to my tricolor fairy wrasse also but only at night when the lights are off what is the meaning of this?!?!
 

Creating a strong bulwark: Did you consider floor support for your reef tank?

  • I put a major focus on floor support.

    Votes: 57 40.7%
  • I put minimal focus on floor support.

    Votes: 29 20.7%
  • I put no focus on floor support.

    Votes: 49 35.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 5 3.6%
Back
Top