black tang addition...???

[mrp2g]

Please, some advice would be very much welcomed.

In my 150, I have a blue hippo and a purple tang. No other big fish in the tank other tan anthias and 2 wrasses. My LFS, after waiting more than 1 year has gotten a healthy black tang. He is about 4in. and is picking at the rocks and eating nori.

I just upgraded to a Octo. 200 skimmer which eliminates my concern of bio-load increase. I have a few options to consider:

1. Adding the black tang and dividing my tank with eggcrate for a few days to limit aggression and rearange rockwork.

2. Adding the black tang, along with a yellow tang, temporarily to limit aggression ona single tang. The yellow will be removed at a later date and rearange rockwork.

3. Not adding this beautiful specimen that is my fav. fish due to space, aggression, etc.

Thanks guys... always know I can get get solid advice here.

 

[illal]

i would be concered about the shape being the same as the purple tang

 

[gasman059]

another solution is to ship him to me LOL.

The purple may be problematic- why not take the purple out put him in your sump for a couple of weeks unitl the black gets used to your environment and then have them together.
I have a yellow/purple/black/PB/hippo/small tomini all together.

They should do fine if the black is healthy.
At first there's def fighting but after a while it will subside IME.

 

[reefsahoy]

how about adding him inside a clear plastic case with holes so fresh water can circulate around him and where no fish can actually get to him but they will see him in the aquarium. the plastic will keep him isolated until the other tangs and fish give up trying to attack him because of pavlov's theory. then after a few days release him and keep fingers crossed.

 

[mrp2g]

lol..the store has another one if your interested!!?? 500 papeles!!
Do you think that the eggcrate wouldnt be a good solution??
My sump is full of cheato and powerheads and really is not the place I wanna go...

 

[Rogger Castells]

just put him in, feed heavy before adding him. they will fight, but after a day or two it will stop.

 

[mrp2g]

Im gambling 500 bucks here!! No full proof way to do this...lol. I really wanna go the best possible route here..
Side note... gasman and Rogger... I have seen pics of your tanks and read your posts all the time here and just wanna say I really appreciate the knowledge you guys provide here and compliment how incredible your tanks are...

 

[carlosngloria]

Well I think it all depends on how your purple tang is. I have one and i added a larger PB and it would not leave it alone so i got ****ed and netted the purple out and stuck him in a another tank for jail sentence. There deff will be some aggression but you gotta see how long. Also add the black with the lights off.

 

[Ding2daDong]

I would add it when the lights are on in the morning, feed heavily, put maybe 3 different algae clips with nori at all times to keep the other tangs slightly busy.

They will fight but hopefully not to much. hth

-Matthew

 

[Rogger Castells]

The fight is going to be inevitable, wether the purple or the hippo or even both will take on the task is almost impossible to predict, Like Matt said you can only minimize, sometimes I leave fishes and some coral in my tank to acclimate for a few days in my sump, this should give them a point advantage when you bring them in the display, I agree with bringing it up a couple of hours after the lights are out.
I should also tell you that Blk tangs are pretty smart and can very well defend them self, I have one.

 

[mrp2g]

thank you everyone, once again for the advice. I appreciate all the ideas and exp.

 

[illal]

i wish i could afford one! GL

 

[ZURCSREEF]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12206846#post12206846 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mrp2g
Im gambling 500 bucks here!! No full proof way to do this...lol. I really wanna go the best possible route here..
Side note... gasman and Rogger... I have seen pics of your tanks and read your posts all the time here and just wanna say I really appreciate the knowledge you guys provide here and compliment how incredible your tanks are...

500$? I have seen them sell down here for 300$

 

[mrp2g]

only place I ever saw them for about 300 was Deep Reef and that is no longer an option!!

 

[TorryRx]

I agree, there is going to be some fighting, but usually once the settled tang establishes himself as "the boss" it stops. I'd still be a bit worried about the purple tang and keep an eye on him.

I'd be more worried about an ich outbreak developing due to the stress than anything else. We are talking about some notorious ich-magnets here!

When I add a new fish that I'm worried about getting beat up, I do 3 things:
1. Add when the blue lights are on and will go off soon.
2. Add a good amount of food immediately prior or right when I release the newcomer into the tank. That way, everybody's too busy eating when the fish goes in, and it gives him a chance to find a place to hide. Also, a hungry fish is a more aggressive fish!
3. If I'm really concerned (and I would try this in this case), I'll rearrange the rock work. Not a complete teardown or anything...just enough to mess up everyone's territories.

There is still some chasing when I do this, but it definitely seems to diffuse a significant amount of aggression. Purple tangs are notoriously aggressive, especially to other zebrasoma tangs, so I'd keep an eye on him. Did you add him to your tank before the hippo? Might be a clue as to how he'll react.

Of course, nothing is certain in reef tanks. So much is up to the individual fish.

Hope this helps, and good luck!!!

Torry

 

[mrp2g]

The hippo and purple have been in the same tanks all their lives. I have had both fish 5+years in 3 diff. tanks. The hippo actualy is the most aggressive of the two, but the purple has never had another zebrasoma in a tank with him!
I def. leaning towards adding him at night and setting up the eggcrate divider in the tank to give him a good shot of adjusting without the aggression.

 

[TorryRx]

If you have that option, I think that is a great idea. Most tanks wouldn't have the open space for that, but if yours does, I say go for it!

Keep us posted...I'd really like to see how this goes for you!

Torry

 

[pedromatic]

I know this sound dumb, but it really works and may help in this situation. Hang a small mirror (or tape it) in front or on the side (outside) of the tank, wherever is convenient. The more aggressive fish will confront the mirror image and display in front of it. This may help in keeping the bullies busy so they give the black a break. IME it works on tangs, triggers, wrasses, antheas, hawkfish...

 

[illal]

did u ever end up getting it?

 

[mrp2g]

Wed. I will be picking it up. Really busy and at the same time giving him so time to start eating mysis. He is already eating nori, not vorasiously, but eating.
Def. a YES on I will have him Wed!!!
Mirror idea I can def. try. The way I set up my rocks allows for the eggcrate to seperate my tank for as long as it takes. That will prob. be my big approach.
I ll keep you posted with info and hopefully some pics to back up this post!!!
Thanks again for all the info and advice.