Blueface Angel Help!!

[DidYouSayReefer]

Just got a new BF Saturday. Eating great at LFS, nice fat and healthy. Put him in the 110 with a Yellow Tang who is now very aggresive towards it. I kept the lights off Saturday and Sunday, turned them back on today. I also added new rock and rearranged what I could Sunday. Today the Angel is hiding behind some rocks but his body is mostly white. He has lost almost all of his color from his body. Is this from the aggression? The tang is still being aggressive. No visiable wounds. The YT is slightly larger, both are about 4 inches. I only have 3 other small fish. The Angel is still eating however. Should I wait it out or try something else. Please help!!!

 

[minhvu]

If u can, catch the YT and put him in another tank so that the blue face and get acclimated. Give him a week or two then move the YT back

 

[boatbuilder]

place a good size mirror against one end of your tank. I used a 12"x12" mirror tile from Lowe's. The yellow tang will wear it self out sparring with its reflection and forget all about the blueface.
This worked like magic on my yellow tang when I added my Red Sea Sailfin. After a week or so I removed the mirror and all was well. Red Sea Sailfin is now much bigger and is THE boss! I added my blueface a few weeks after the above episode and neither tang has ever bothered him. He grunts at them every now and then but have never seen any physical conflicts amongst em.
I'm sure tank size has something to with all this. Mine are in a 6' long 240gal.
What size tank are you using?
Hope this helps

 

[Iwishihadgills]

I would put an eggrate divider in for a week. Worked with my insanly mean 7" yellow tang

 

[snorvich]

Taking the yellow tang out would be best. The Blue face may already be too intimidated to survive. The above suggestions are reasonable; I suspect, however, it may be too late, but if you hurry and do not put the yellow tang back in you might be successful..

 

[DidYouSayReefer]

I did catch the YT last night and threw him in my 55 gal sump. I put him in the fuge section which is more than enough room temporaly. The good thing is even after the YT was moved, the Blueface is still eating. That should be a good sign. I will leave the YT in the sump for 2 weeks to give the Blue face a chance. Boatbuilder- How is your Blueface doing? Does he eat any of your corals, if you have any? I have read some things that they may have been difficult to keep, but that may be old info.

Thank you for your help everyone.

 

[snorvich]

I did catch the YT last night and threw him in my 55 gal sump. I put him in the fuge section which is more than enough room temporaly. The good thing is even after the YT was moved, the Blueface is still eating. That should be a good sign. I will leave the YT in the sump for 2 weeks to give the Blue face a chance. Boatbuilder- How is your Blueface doing? Does he eat any of your corals, if you have any? I have read some things that they may have been difficult to keep, but that may be old info.

Thank you for your help everyone.

A VERY good sign that he is eating! While they are not entirely reef safe, it depends on what you have in the tank. Personally, I like the Blue Face MUCH better than any yellow tang.

 

[LargeAngels]

It is not uncommon for even healthy individuals to be skiddish and often hide.

 

[DidYouSayReefer]

It is not uncommon for even healthy individuals to be skiddish and often hide.

I understand that. It was the loss of color worrying me. It was like I had a bleached fish.

I like him much better than the yellow tang, too. I was suprised of the aggression though. Even after I moved the rock, what I could, and added new rock, it was like the tang was hunting him down. He would find the BF and attack him with his tail.

 

[Toddrtrex]

.... Boatbuilder- How is your Blueface doing? Does he eat any of your corals, if you have any? I have read some things that they may have been difficult to keep, but that may be old info.

Thank you for your help everyone.

I am not "boatbuilder" but....

Back when I had mine (( Sold it, was getting too big )) it was pretty shy at first, and really came into its own once I added some Talbot's damsels, always out in the open. But, otherwise mine was pretty easy to keep. Started off with a juvi one (( about 2" big )), and it grew into its adult colors before I sold it. As for corals, it never touched any SPS or clams. But, it LOVED to eat my zoas, and would even go after my Haddoni carpet anemone if the clowns weren't in it.

 

[WestTexasReefer]

I had one for about 2 years and it did hide some and never touched any corals. Then one day it decided it liked the taste of my brain corals and wiped out 2 and damaged a couple of others in a matter of 2 days before I could get him out. I hated that it was a great looking fish.

 

[ROBONE20]

I might be in the same situation you're in Didyousayreefer...I have a Majestic Angel in QT right now, and I have a Purple Tang in my DT whose been ruling my tank for months. All those above suggestions are things I'm gonna be ready to do. And they're all great suggestions. But, I do like the egg crate idea though. Least stressful on the other established fish and less headache for the owner.

 

[boatbuilder]

been having my blueface for a lil over 2 years now....FAT and healthy. No outbreaks of any kind so far. He ate every last one of my zoas within a week. No big loss really as they were just plain ole run of the mill green-brown type. I never had any other corals in that tank but i think he would gobble up anything if i were to add any.
Mine is a bit unique as he has a bright blue spot right 'tween his eyes and no dark spot at the back ofhis dorsal fin.