Impulse Buy - Voice in my Head

[Ortho Bill]

Currently have a 90G soon to be reef (will eventually place a few softies/mushrooms)

Stock List:
(in the order they were intoduced)

2 Tank - Raised Percs
Lawnmower Blenny
Orchid Dotyback
Flame Hawkfish (semi - impulse buy)
Purple Tang
Yellow Tang

I deviated from my stocking plan and the little voice in my head told me not to do it all along. The Purple Tang was an impulse buy. Looked beautiful and was on sale. I've read numerous times on the forums how not to purchase a fish on impulse and yet I went ahead and did it. DOPE! I added the yellow tang on Sunday night and he spent the night being sheep herded around the tank by the purple tang, bumping tails and getting nipped at. I feel awful about it. I called my wife this morning and she says they're ok so far. But I'm worried that they will not co-exist in the 90. My stocking plan was/is centered aroung a Flame Angel (the last fish to be added). I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm also concerned that I may have a bioload problem. I would part with the Hawkfish or the Lawnmower Blenny and even a tang although I would hope they would stake out an area of the tank and co-exist. Whatever I do would have to take into account having the Flame Angel. I'm open to suggestions and would like to hear if anyone else has encountered a similar situation. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb..........Bill

 

[hdtran]

The yellow tang (Z. flavescens) is the smallest of the Zebrasomas when grown up; max 8". The purple (Z. xanthurum) can grow to 9" (see the www.fishbase.org database). To really see what that size is, take a 8-1/2x11 sheet of paper, and cut off 3" from the bottom to make it a square. That's the size of your tang(s) when grown up.

While it is possible that your individual fish are mellow and willing to coexist, books & anecdotal evidence suggest generally that keeping two tangs of the same genus (Zebrasoma, in your case) in the same tank (unless we're talking a huge tank) can lead to conflict...

I would think that the hawkfish, blenny, clowns, + 1 tang can all peacefully coexist. The dottyback, from the literature, can be feisty. The flame angel is a dwarf, I think. It may nip at corals (all angels can), but from what I remember reading, should also peacefully coexist.

I'm afraid that I have no firsthand experience, but my suggestion would be to see if you can trade in one of your tangs for a flame angel...

Best of luck!

 

[monkeyboy]

The identical body shapes of your two tangs poses the only problem here, and it may just work out. I don't suggest trying to mix zebrasoma's in a tank of this size, but it does occasionally work out. The 'tang hazing' you experienced is normal for the first day, and even a little into the second, but if it is prolonged or either of them show signs of being sliced and diced, you'll have to separate them.

I don't see a problem with your future bio-load or the addition of the flame angel. Should one of the tangs need to be removed, it may be wise to not try to replace it with another.

 

[GSchiemer]

It's difficult to predict whether the two tangs will co-exist. That's a tough combination, especially in a 90. I had to remove a yellow tang from my 500 gallon reef tank because of the aggression of an exisitng purple tang. It was near death when I caught it but recovered nicely in another aquarium. Personally, I'd remove either the purple or yellow tang, and I think you'll be okay with the present bio-load and future addition of a flame angel.

Greg

 

[Ortho Bill]

I work until 11p tonight (16 hrs today ugh...) When I get home I'll set up my 10 gallon. When I get home tommorow (4p) I'll attempt to place the purple in there and let him cool off for a couple of days and then attempt to re-introduce him.. If that doesn't work I guess I'll trade him in at a huge loss towards a Flame Angel.

 

[Anonymous]

Even if you have to take a loss with the flame angel trade, having a tank where the fish get along is worth it in the long run.

 

[Ortho Bill]

Set up a 10G tank last night and attempted to net the Purple Tang for a cooldown period. He's very elusive and I was late to work attempting to net him. I'll try again when I get home this afternoon.

 

[Anonymous]

It's not going to work. "cooling off" doesn't work with these fish.
Just trade him in.

Jim

 

[Johnsteph10]

I second JimM. Impulse buys are all around a bad idea (as you have already berated yourself about).

Nothing happens quickly in a reef except bad things.

Same with buying.

hth,
John