bully yellow tang vs. foxface

[toaster77]

i recently added a magnificent foxface (4") to my 90 gallon tank. perhaps i should've known better, but the yellow tang that's been resident there (it's smaller than the foxface!) for two years has been a mean bully, if the foxface gets too close the yellow tang will whip it's tail spine to try and scare the foxface away. so the poor foxface is forced to hide a lot, and this has been going on and off for about 4 days now. I thought that the spines on the foxface would scare the tang and any potential bullies away, but maybe not so... There are a few other fish in there and the tank is full of SPS and live rock

Does anyone with experience with these two fish think the yellow tang will eventually accept the foxface? Or is it best to take out the foxface (I'd prefer not to do this as the main tank has more algae and LR for it to graze on)

Thanks!

 

[flameangel88]

When I'd the YT & PBT they would be pretty aggressive toward new additions but gradually subside after 3 days but I guess your YT realize the foxface is a food competitor. I don't know if your foxface will survive after 10 days of stress.

Next time I would use a container to acclimate the new addition to observe and allow them to get used to each other. I usually keep the new fish in the container for 3 days before releasing.

GL!

 

[odiest]

Usually a yellow tang was going to accept a new addition, it would stop harassing it after 3-4 days. I would give it another day or two as long as the foxface doesn't look beat up.

Dave

 

[WuHT]

as long as the foxface can get access to food you're in good shape. Foxface's are tough as nails, and grow really fast too. Just feed from 2 ends of the aquarium (multiple nori sources), and very soon your YT will have to learn to just cope with sharing space with a much larger foxface.

 

[gildorph]

I have a foxface and yellow tang along with a PBT and others. I agree that this fish should be fine, assuming no open wounds, etc. I would try to rearrange aquascaping (so that they re-establish territories) and make sure the foxface has good hiding spots to retreat. As has been reported elsewhere, these fish tend to be timid and skiddish by nature but once settled can handle themselves surprisingly well.

I would also suggest not to add any more large herbivores to a 90G than those 2.

 

[toaster77]

thanks all for your input - i am happy to report that the aggression seems to a have subsided starting at day 6, i think the yellow tang decided it's a lost battle, as I see the foxface swimming around more openly now!