3 yellow tangs down to 2, should I replace?

[mwood]

I have a 300 gallon that had 3 yellow tangs for around 6 months. I haven't seen one of the yellows in a week and the other two are fighting. I have no idea what happened to the one, but all other fish and corals seam fine. Should I replace the yellow so I have an odd number again?

Marcus

 

[MarkSayers]

We had 3 one died, and the other two got along fine, but then they fought all the time. We picked up a third and it got picked on horribly the night we acclimated it, but the next day all three were a happy group...

 

[stykthyn]

I wouldnt, 300 galons should be plenty of space, but if they are still fighting I wouldnt try and risk another animal. I would remove one of the current ones and get a regal tang. just my .02

 

[mwood]

How about adding a larger purple. Would he diffuse the current aggression?

 

[stykthyn]

How about adding a larger purple. Would he diffuse the current aggression?

quite the opposite, all tangs of the genus Zebrasoma are highly aggresive, especially towards their own kind.

 

[M. Python]

Add two more and the aggresion will stop. You don't need an odd number. I have 1 yellow and three purples. The yellow was in the tank more then a year before I added the purples. Now they have been in the tank over seven years now no problems.

 

[mwood]

Well, from what I have read here and other threads, it sounds like I made a common mistake. Whenever 3 yellows are kept, 2 will kill one, and one will the other till one remains.

It sounds like I have two safer options. Add three yellows for a total of five, or remove one and add a tang of different shape. If I leave them as is one will likely kill the other.

An option that sounds less reliable would be to add two purples or two yellows. Some have said that odd numbers is just bunk and that adding multiples back in will diffuse the aggression. I've also heard that color means nothing and that there isn't a difference between a purple and a yellow.

I'm still not sure what I will do, but three yellows seams like the easiest and cheapest. Catching a yellow wouldn't be fun and adding multiple purples would be expensive.

Marcus

 

[mwood]

Update!

I bought 3 yellow tangs to reestablish the group, place them in the tank, and turned off all lights for the day to put the tank in complete darkness to allow the new fish to adjust.

The next morning I went down to start turning lights back on and observe the behavior of the yellows. To my amazement I saw in sump, the original yellow I thought had died. I'm not sure if he spent 2-3 weeks in the sump or in the drain line, but he was pail white and thin. He did not look good.

I returned him to the tank and made sure he could eat. He is staying away from the group for now and the others are ignoring him for now as they are more interested in the new group.

So now I have 2 large yellows that were original, 3 healthy medium yellows that are hanging in there pretty well, and one sick pale yellow that is happy to be left alone.

Marcus

 

[stykthyn]

I would QT your prodigal tang. he is very weak and prone to disease and bacteria. could possibly contaminate the rest of your tank. at the very least he would be an easy target for the healthy fish. take him out ASAP