Agressive tang-want to add more inhabitants

[shooterg22]

I have a 150 gallon reef that I purchased and moved into my house about 2 1/2 months ago. This tank came with a Blue Hippo (about 5"), a yellow tang (4"), a black/white striped damsel, a percula clown and a blue eye tang (two spot) (about 4"-owner told me it was a mimic but after much research, I found the real identity). I would like to add a few more fish to my tank but have found that the two spot tang is very aggressive. Everyone in my tank gets along but I have no idea how long they have been together or what order they were introduced in. I added a Lawnmower Blenny last month and spent the entire month trying to protect him from the two-spot. I added a rubbermaid dish rack (looks like steps), then a bunch more junk to give him more room, then finally tore half of my tank apart to put up a net to cordon off 1/3 of my tank. The jerk tank always found a way to chase the blenny. He would bite him if he could reach him and harass him if he couldn't. Finally the blenny starved (he wouldn't eat anything I introduced to him and evidently he wasn't getting enough free grazing time). I tried for 4 hours to catch the stupid tang-hoping to QT him for awhile, then re-introduce him but couldn't without destroying my tank. How can I get any new fish when I never know what is going to be a problem? I don't want to buy new fish and have the two-spot kill them. He doesn't mess with anything else but he terrorized the blenny. The LFS has a Coral Beauty that I was thinking about getting but it is only about 2". Anyone have any ideas??

 

[Anonymous]

shooterg22,

:welcome:

I'd get rid of the tang . But, some people have had luck with removing the tang for a couple of days, rearranging the rock and putting them back in. Sort of break up his territory so to speak. As far as the coral beauty, they tend to nip at some types of corals so depending on what you have this may not be an ideal fish.

 

[shooterg22]

Thanks for the advice. I thought that the best way to "fix" the tang, short of the toilet, was to pull him out for awhile but I can't catch him! He is very skittish and in the 150 with all of the LR, he hides. I also discovered that he is very fast. I took down a bunch of my rock and knocked over several others trying to get him. I also tried "patience" but after 4 hours, I was ready to get the fishing pole and some bait (or the Glock) :twisted: . I like the looks of this guy, especially when the turns orange and all of his little blue spots show but I want more fish! As for corals, I have a very large green finger leather (I think) and a huge sarcophyton, many shrooms and some polyps. I am more into the fish, having had a FOWLR previously but this tank came with some corals. I have read that the Coral Beauties can nip-what type of corals do they prefer to taste? lol

 

[Anonymous]

Do a search here using the word "catch" and you'll find all kinds of threads with suggestions on how to trap fish-there are a few methods that consistently work. As far as the CB, they tend to nip at SPS and polyps in my experience.

 

[Anonymous]

Put a Sohal or Clown tang in there. The two-spot will get his ass handed to him.

Peace,

Chip

 

[fyrefysh]

You may not want to use your Glock, it may miss-fire, use a Springfield XD instead!! :lol: No but really, you could probably catch him faster at night after the lights are out for a couple hours.