HELP! Old tang not friendly with new tang

[bryceschutte]

So I added a new tang today and my other tang really didn't like it. TO the point of doing the tail whip thing and cutting the new tang open. I promptly moved the new tang to the sump. I moved some rock around and tossed some pellets in the tank but that did not stop the mean tang. ANy other suggestions?

I have added other fish and even other tangs with no problems.

The only thing I can think of is the new tang is smaller than the other tang and any other tangs that I have added previously.

Also the new tang I added is fairly sickly looking. Skinny, nipped at fins, and not very yellow. I dont know if any of this applies but more info the better I figure.

ON a possitive note as I was moving my rock around I found a mushroom that I never knew i had :biggrin:

[Lance]

Can you QT him for awhile and fatten him up? When you do put him back in the DT, move the rockwork around and try the mirror trick. It does quite often keep the aggressive fish busy. Feed well for awhile after introducing him. Good luck.

[kien]

What kind of tangs are we talking about? Old and new, what tangs are they?

You can try placing a mirror in or near the tank so that the old tang is distracted by his reflection.

Ps. Why did you buy a sickly looking tang? He won't stand a chance against the resident tang. If you are set in keeping the sickly new tang I would take out and sump the old tang while the new tang acclimates to your tank.

[dsaundry]

I have a suggestion, give up the new tang. It's been my experiance that if the one tang is being bullied to the point where he is cut open and looking stressed, he probably won't make it with the other tang around. Do you have lots of live rock? He would also require a good place to hide. Tangs can be tough sometimes, hit and miss whether they get along. Also what type of tangs are they??

[bryceschutte]

Scopas tang old yellow tang new. My last yellow died from ich. Luckily he was the only casualty. The new yellow tang I purchased quickly from a Lfs because my mom was in town and she wanted to buy me a fish and it was the only tang they had. Blah blah blah.

I moved rock around. Did nothing.

Is there any reason I can't keep a tang in the sump for a few weeks?

Should I just get rid of this tang?

[bryceschutte]

Yes lots of rock.

[Mandosh]

Run before naesco finds you

[paddyob]

Sounds like an impulse buy. Just because you can get something "now" does not make it the right decision. Hopefully it lives and your mother's money is not wasted.

Scopas tang old yellow tang new. My last yellow died from ich. Luckily he was the only casualty. The new yellow tang I purchased quickly from a Lfs because my mom was in town and she wanted to buy me a fish and it was the only tang they had. Blah blah blah.

I moved rock around. Did nothing.

Is there any reason I can't keep a tang in the sump for a few weeks?

Should I just get rid of this tang?

[reefwars]

Scopas tang old yellow tang new. My last yellow died from ich. Luckily he was the only casualty. The new yellow tang I purchased quickly from a Lfs because my mom was in town and she wanted to buy me a fish and it was the only tang they had. Blah blah blah.

I moved rock around. Did nothing.

Is there any reason I can't keep a tang in the sump for a few weeks?

Should I just get rid of this tang?


i think you should set up a quarantine for your new tang to give him a chance to get fat and healthy, if hes the smaller of the two and is now wounded he wont survive many more attacks like that, i too have used a mirror when i introduced my sailfin to my large yellow tang who is quite aggressive, he went nuts for the mirror and with some pvc i added to the tank the new sailfiun had a chance to find polaces he was allowed to go.

they can survive in your sump but the new tang would probably stress pretty bad down there and its not an ideal place for a tang to live anyways, you can try swapping out the two and then introduce the scopas after some rock has been moved and the yellow finds his own territory and becomes familaiar with the tank.

i had to feed nori on each end of the tank in the dark to keep them from fighting over food even if my yellow wasnt eating just the sight of my sailfin eating his food was enough to attack:):)


when fish are fighting if one isnt as healthy as he can be there at a huge disadvantage and this is another prime example of why you need to quarantine fish not just for disease but to make sure your putting in a fish that is healthy enough to keep up with the other tank inhabbitants who know the tank inside out and all have their own territorys:)

[naesco]

You make a mistake and now want to banish the tang in a sump!!!
Immediately offer it to the nearest reefer near you so it has a chance to live and do not add any more tangs to your tank.

Please get some advice here before you decide to add any more fish

[bryceschutte]

Thanks for the advice.

Sounds like an impulse buy. Just because you can get something "now" does not make it the right decision. Hopefully it lives and your mother's money is not wasted.

[paddyob]

How is everything today?

And to comment on Naesco..... everyone makes a mistake in this hobby from time to time. Everyone.

[Keri]

QTing your tang in a separate tank is your best bet - if you already have ich in your display tank and he is wounded, ill and new he doesn't stand a chance, even in the sump.
How big is your display tank? Tangs need a lot of space.

[bryceschutte]

Yellow tang is doing great in the sump. Looks like he's heeling up already and he is alot yellower than he was yesterday. I have a 90 gal display with a 30 gal sump. IM going to give him a week to get nice and healthy and then try the mirror trick. How long do you leave the mirror in the tank for?

I got rid of the ick a month ago.

[bryceschutte]

Thanks for your terrible useless advice. It was no mistake. I have added tangs previously with no problems.



You make a mistake and now want to banish the tang in a sump!!!
Immediately offer it to the nearest reefer near you so it has a chance to live and do not add any more tangs to your tank.

Please get some advice here before you decide to add any more fish

[Keri]

Yellow tang is doing great in the sump. Looks like he's heeling up already and he is alot yellower than he was yesterday. I have a 90 gal display with a 30 gal sump. IM going to give him a week to get nice and healthy and then try the mirror trick. How long do you leave the mirror in the tank for?

I got rid of the ick a month ago.



Sorry, you will never be rid of the ich in a display tank (unless you have no corals or inverts and stripped it bare, treating with hyposalinity or copper) or you have taken your fish out and treated in a separate tank leaving the display tank fishless for at least 6-8 weeks. It "goes away" and doesn't rear it's ugly head until one of your fish is injured or stressed.


I'm not trying to be discouraging, I just want to to know to still watch out for it. I wish you and the new fish the best of luck, but be careful, 2 tangs in a 90g just might be 2 tangs too many.

[reefwars]

Yellow tang is doing great in the sump. Looks like he's heeling up already and he is alot yellower than he was yesterday. I have a 90 gal display with a 30 gal sump. IM going to give him a week to get nice and healthy and then try the mirror trick. How long do you leave the mirror in the tank for?

I got rid of the ick a month ago.


If you never let your tank go fishless for 8 weeks then there's still ich in your tank which is ok it's in everyones but a fish who shows signs of it and is getting picked on will spread it again very fast.

Honestly take the tang somewhere else I think your beyond the point of helping your tang in a sump.

The mirror will cause yournew yellow stress I guarantee it it's only to be used on healthy fish and only for mins at a time as they stress out and fight with the mirror , I had to remove my mirror after five mins my tang lost it only for he was healthy he would have stressed pretty bad. Your new yellow will also attack the mirror or he will be afraid of it which is both stress that it can't have if it's wounded or unhealthy.
Seriously over a $40 fish I'd give I to a friend it's not worth the risk of losing your tank and making things worse. I'd also make my next purchase a qt tank or we will be having this discussion again in no time:)

glad to hear he's looking better:)

[paddyob]

I have added tangs previously with no problems.


So just curious though.... you say you have added tangs in the past? How many do you have in your 90 now???

[paddyob]

Seriously over a $40 fish I'd give I to a friend it's not worth the risk of losing your tank and making things worse.

Hey Denny, where are you shopping that I am not aware of? I have never seen a Yellow Tang for $40 locally. Even from another reefer (Bob) I paid $50.

[daniella3d]

kids, school, parents, money and reef.....not a good mix. :neutral:


The new yellow tang I purchased quickly from a Lfs because my mom was in town and she wanted to buy me a fish and it was the only tang they had. Blah blah blah.
Should I just get rid of this tang?

[reefwars]

Hey Denny, where are you shopping that I am not aware of? I have never seen a Yellow Tang for $40 locally. Even from another reefer (Bob) I paid $50.



I bought mine out of the box for 39.99 lol from a lfs , it was a long time ago but it was a good deal , I can get a full grown show tang for $100 from the same place:) I won't say who as I don't want to conflict with their regular pricing:):)

[reefwars]

Hey Denny, where are you shopping that I am not aware of? I have never seen a Yellow Tang for $40 locally. Even from another reefer (Bob) I paid $50.


Pat if I had known you wanted a yellow tang I would have given you mine lol he's not forcsale but with my build going so slow I'd give him to a good home:):)

[naesco]

Thanks for your terrible useless advice. It was no mistake. I have added tangs previously with no problems.

What part of the advice did you find useless.
A sick, dying or injured fish is stressed enough without adding the stress of a noisy confined sump. This is even for true for a tang which can easily develope a serious ich infection and wipe out the rest of the inhabitants in your tank.
It would be better for you to give the tang to another reefer who has a QT set up to care for the injured tang.

[dsaundry]

Ok lets try to put some perspective on this. First of all I have a Tang dominant tank that has been running successfully for over 4 yrs now. All my fish are fat and happy, now lets try to cut this member a bit of a break, the plain simple truth is when it comes to Tangs you cannot predict how they will act when a new Tang is introduced. I picked up a Purple Tang from a fellow Canreefer a few years ago that was apparently beating the crap out of his Yellow Tang, in my tank no problems. I don't think there is anybody on this board that hasn't had an impulse buy at one time or another.So let's not throw too many stones at his member. Sometimes you get lucky with them and sometimes you don't. Yes you should always research what you are planning for your tank but sometimes fish do not get along. So I stand by my original statement to this member, because these fish don't get along it would probably be in yours and the fish's best interest to either take the fish back to the lfs for credit or let another member take him off your hands. Rearranging rock doesn't always work and neither does the mirror trick. The other option is which Tang do you really want to keep? Get rid of the Scopa if you like the Yellow one better. Because they are similar in shape I find that that sometimes contributes to spats in the tank. Fish are like people in a lot of ways, sometimes they get along but every now and then you get a bully or murderer in your tank and you deal with it as quickly as possible. Anybody on this forum who really knows Tangs and their different personalities will agree with this. Good luck with whatever solution you come up with....

[Lance]

I don't think there is anybody on this board that hasn't had an impulse buy at one time or another.So let's not throw too many stones at his member.....


I agree: Throwing stones at his member is a little bit of overkill. Besides, it hurts like hell!

(I'm sorry Daryl, but it is your type-O):mrgreen:



Seriously, cut the guy a little slack. He recognized the problem and asked for help. No need to throw stones.

[paddyob]

Ok lets try to put some perspective on this. First of all I have a Tang dominant tank that has been running successfully for over 4 yrs now. All my fish are fat and happy, now lets try to cut this member a bit of a break, the plain simple truth is when it comes to Tangs you cannot predict how they will act when a new Tang is introduced. I picked up a Purple Tang from a fellow Canreefer a few years ago that was apparently beating the crap out of his Yellow Tang, in my tank no problems. I don't think there is anybody on this board that hasn't had an impulse buy at one time or another.So let's not throw too many stones at his member. Sometimes you get lucky with them and sometimes you don't. Yes you should always research what you are planning for your tank but sometimes fish do not get along. So I stand by my original statement to this member, because these fish don't get along it would probably be in yours and the fish's best interest to either take the fish back to the lfs for credit or let another member take him off your hands. Rearranging rock doesn't always work and neither does the mirror trick. The other option is which Tang do you really want to keep? Get rid of the Scopa if you like the Yellow one better. Because they are similar in shape I find that that sometimes contributes to spats in the tank. Fish are like people in a lot of ways, sometimes they get along but every now and then you get a bully or murderer in your tank and you deal with it as quickly as possible. Anybody on this forum who really knows Tangs and their different personalities will agree with this. Good luck with whatever solution you come up with....


Well said. Best thing posted in here yet!

[dsaundry]

Type o Lance???:lol::mrgreen:

[Zoaelite]

I agree: Throwing stones at his member is a little bit of overkill. Besides, it hurts like hell!

(I'm sorry Daryl, but it is your type-O):mrgreen:



Seriously, cut the guy a little slack. He recognized the problem and asked for help. No need to throw stones.

Hahaha!

Originally Posted by dsaundry View Post
Ok lets try to put some perspective on this. First of all I have a Tang dominant tank that has been running successfully for over 4 yrs now. All my fish are fat and happy, now lets try to cut this member a bit of a break, the plain simple truth is when it comes to Tangs you cannot predict how they will act when a new Tang is introduced. I picked up a Purple Tang from a fellow Canreefer a few years ago that was apparently beating the crap out of his Yellow Tang, in my tank no problems. I don't think there is anybody on this board that hasn't had an impulse buy at one time or another.So let's not throw too many stones at his member. Sometimes you get lucky with them and sometimes you don't. Yes you should always research what you are planning for your tank but sometimes fish do not get along. So I stand by my original statement to this member, because these fish don't get along it would probably be in yours and the fish's best interest to either take the fish back to the lfs for credit or let another member take him off your hands. Rearranging rock doesn't always work and neither does the mirror trick. The other option is which Tang do you really want to keep? Get rid of the Scopa if you like the Yellow one better. Because they are similar in shape I find that that sometimes contributes to spats in the tank. Fish are like people in a lot of ways, sometimes they get along but every now and then you get a bully or murderer in your tank and you deal with it as quickly as possible. Anybody on this forum who really knows Tangs and their different personalities will agree with this. Good luck with whatever solution you come up with....

Very well stated, If you do decide to keep him feeding extra (soaked in vitamins) and shortening your light cycle to just a few hours a day to start will help curb the aggression. Just another reason for an upgrade later down the road:biggrin:, 2 tangs in a 90 might be a little small when they are full size.
Why not pick up a 180g

[paddyob]

Why not pick up a 180g



Gee... who might have a 180 for sale? Haha!

[Zoaelite]

Gee... who might have a 180 for sale? Haha!

Na I decided to keep it, now its a zoa only tank.

[bryceschutte]

Thank you every one for the good informative replies. I am going to be bringing him back to the LFS today.

[paddyob]

Good call.

Were they understanding about the situation?

[naesco]

Thank you every one for the good informative replies. I am going to be bringing him back to the LFS today.

Your welcome. Good decision. Thanks.

[ickmagnet]

Ok lets try to put some perspective on this. First of all I have a Tang dominant tank that has been running successfully for over 4 yrs now. All my fish are fat and happy, now lets try to cut this member a bit of a break, the plain simple truth is when it comes to Tangs you cannot predict how they will act when a new Tang is introduced. I picked up a Purple Tang from a fellow Canreefer a few years ago that was apparently beating the crap out of his Yellow Tang, in my tank no problems. I don't think there is anybody on this board that hasn't had an impulse buy at one time or another.So let's not throw too many stones at his member. Sometimes you get lucky with them and sometimes you don't. Yes you should always research what you are planning for your tank but sometimes fish do not get along. So I stand by my original statement to this member, because these fish don't get along it would probably be in yours and the fish's best interest to either take the fish back to the lfs for credit or let another member take him off your hands. Rearranging rock doesn't always work and neither does the mirror trick. The other option is which Tang do you really want to keep? Get rid of the Scopa if you like the Yellow one better. Because they are similar in shape I find that that sometimes contributes to spats in the tank. Fish are like people in a lot of ways, sometimes they get along but every now and then you get a bully or murderer in your tank and you deal with it as quickly as possible. Anybody on this forum who really knows Tangs and their different personalities will agree with this. Good luck with whatever solution you come up with....

Good advice. Cut the kid some slack. I have added other tangs and kept my fingers crossed. Sometimes you never know until you try. Currently I have 4 tangs in my 180 and they all seem to be doing fine. In theory, this seems like a recipe for disaster but in reality, it is just one big happy family.