Harassing an agressive fish

[b_newman]

I'd like to add a copperband butterfly to my 120g reef tank that already houses a yellow tang that I'll probably never catch, and I assume the tang will bully the butterfly to death if added.

It sounds wrong, but has anyone ever scared and picked on a semi-agressive fish like the YT enough to make it hide and leave the new timid butterfly alone, even if only for a few days? Enough might take way too much time and commitment, but I'm still curious.

 

[pktech]

I think you're gonna need to decide whether you should keep the tang or trade it in. I doubt you'll be able to teach it a lesson about bullying + it would be kind of mean to scare him.

 

[EllieSuz]

Yes, teaching the Tang a lesson would imply an intellectual capacity that I don't think fish have. There is no such thing as a fish that can't be caught. It's only a matter of how much effort you're willing to expend to do it. For instance, digging a low spot in the sand and draining most of the water will cause the fish to head for the deepest water they can find and you can pick your Tang right out of there and pump the water back into the tank. Here are details of that method and some others for you to study:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=707656

 

[b_newman]

thanks for all the info and answers, but I probably won't even buy a butterfly. If I did, it would go into my other tank in the garage for a while anyway. I was only asking if anyone has tried the bullying part.

I know fish will never understand consiquence, but they do frighten easily; maybe enough to hide until another becomes acclimated.

 

[b_newman]

thanks for all the info and answers, but I probably won't even buy a butterfly. If I did, it would go into my other tank in the garage for a while anyway. I was only asking if anyone has tried the bullying part.

I know fish will never understand consiquence, but they do frighten easily; maybe enough to hide until another becomes acclimated.