How to tame aggression from Yellow Tang

[DanangMonkey]

Try garlic guard. My BHT was a pain and it really seemed to calm its aggression toward my Naso. It also worked for my Naso who was a picky eater. Go figure.

Thanks Chris, absolutely on my list to try next. I just noticed your tank size and inhabitants. Sounds like you speak from experience with this combo and have found success.

 

[DanangMonkey]

Just that if all participants had enough feeling of safe territory (and that's kind of hard-wired into them, regardless of the size they are yet) they'd be easier with each other. There's just one trick I can think of, which is to try to barrier-off a third of the tank for the clown (assuming he's at a far end) and put up a vertical barrier, a spire of rock, something that forms a 'border' that separates the clown and the tang in terms of territory...if that doesn't work, the clown, as the fiercest damsel you've got, and that tang, are going to continue until somebody gets seriously hurt, and it's likely to be the clown, once the tang gets his measure. If you can give 2/3 of the tank to the tang by that method (clowns are generally content with a little less territory, unless they've got the notion they own it all...) You could also try withdrawing the clown AND the tang for a cooldown period, and starting them both again---but that's likely more hassle than you want to get into. Try to 'fold space' by rock arrangement and see if that works.

Thanks Sk8r! Already accomplished in the past hour. I created a safe zone using eggrate in the far 30% where the Clown normally resides. Everything is calm right now (both parties seem more secure) and will leave in place for the next 5 days.

Ironically the tiny damsels have no problem with the tang. The damsels fiercely staked thier territory when the tang was introduced and the tang leaves them alone. Unfortunetly the saddleback is complete wimp and wont defend his nest, and the Tang KNOWS it. Typical "give me your milk money" routine.

 

[drej424]

Do you have anything for the clownfish to host in? It doesn't have to be an anenome, I have 2 false Perc's living in a torch coral now!

 

[mclevenger10]

I have had great luck with introducing 2 damsels well after my six line wrasse. MY six line would kill anything I put into the tank. But somehow the wrasse did not like the 2-1 method. If you could QT your tang and get another clown and got them to pair up that might help...odds would be in there favor...just an idea/theory really lol

 

[NeilFox]

I don't mean to derail the thread DanangMonkey. Where in VN are you getting your stuff? I have only seen one Yellow Tang around here and he wasn't for sale?

Put a real Bad A@# Nem in there. Not a wimpy RBTA but something with serious stingling power. That will keep the Tang away from him!

 

[kurfer]

The general Reef Central opinion is that a 75g is too small for a yellow tang. So with the aggression and tank size you have two reasons to remove the tang and try another fish.

Not to beat a dead horse but...

I have yet to see a scientific response to this debate. I have a yellow tang in my 75G and he is as tame as can be, dude just doesn't give a **** and just swims around not bothering jack ****.

Fish are not dogs- they lack the mental capacity to be "trained". The only course of action that I've found to work consistently long-term is to remove the bully.

Not totally true, just the other day I found out that my fish were all atheists which makes them smarter than 90% of all Americans.

 

[bsmurray]

I walk the walk.

My yellow is in a 55 gallon reef with a pair of perculas and a royal gramma. I noticed he leaves the clowns alone but sometime will chase the gramma to his hiding spot. I moved the rocks around last night and so far the behavior has stopped. I also attach a clip with seaweed and that tends to distract him for the day.

Que the next poster to comment on my tank size with the tang. I don't care though! I take care of the tank, I'm the one that enjoys it, I get to stock it.

 

[sde1500]

I walk the walk.



My yellow is in a 55 gallon reef with a pair of perculas and a royal gramma. I noticed he leaves the clowns alone but sometime will chase the gramma to his hiding spot. I moved the rocks around last night and so far the behavior has stopped. I also attach a clip with seaweed and that tends to distract him for the day.



Que the next poster to comment on my tank size with the tang. I don't care though! I take care of the tank, I'm the one that enjoys it, I get to stock it.

I'll call your bluff. I'll only make the observation that you necroed a 5 year old post for the sole purpose of trying to stir something up. Let's stick to trolling current threads maybe?

 

[bsmurray]

I'll call your bluff. I'll only make the observation that you necroed a 5 year old post for the sole purpose of trying to stir something up. Let's stick to trolling current threads maybe?

Sir yes sir.


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[shaginwagon13]

So the advice in here I agree with, however some fish are just more aggressive than others. They each come with their own personalities and some are just plain bullies.

If you going to keep the tang, I noticed that when I increased feedings or provide a constant supply of food (nori sheets) in addition to feeding pellets/flakes/frozen foods, the aggression tends to settle and almost goes away completely. Your clownfish won't touch the nori anyways so there will be no competition for that food source and the tang can eat throughout the day as they like.

I have also noticed that if I feed my tangs FIRST, they settle down and share the other foods instead of trying to kill everything that tries to eat. Every morning I place 1 sheet of Nori and 1 leaf of Bok Choi in the tank FIRST and let the tangs hammer away at that. About 10 minutes later I feed a mixture of flakes, pellets and frozen foods for the rest of the tank where all the foods is shared in a nice manner.

Feeding the tangs first made a massive difference.