Purple Tangs fighting!

[ROB712]

Hey guys i need some help. Recently i wanted to add a few more yellow tangs to my tank(I have 1 yellow tang and 1 purple tang established for about a year) So i went to my LFS and was about to take 3 yellow tang home as i know i cant just add one at a time. Then i saw this beautiful Purple tang and i dont come across one that nice very often. So i asked if i can get 1 purple tang and 2 yellow tang to offset the fighting. He said yes thats fine. So i add them in my display tank and my established purple tang has not left the new purple tang alone for more than 30 seconds at a time since i put him in. He doesnt care about the other yellows but seems to HATE the new purple. His fins are starting to me ripped and im getting concerned. I have a 300g reef tank. My question is what should i do? Should i leave him alone and let it calm down in the next day hopfully? Or what do you guys recommend. All the new yellows get along just fine and my sailfin tang could care less lol.

Any help is appreciated thanks!

 

[The Reef Expert]

Purple tangs need to be purchased in wild caught groups or pairs. You can't purchase an aggressive tang, then another at a different time that your established tang had not been pre-exposed to and hope they'll live happily ever after. Purple tangs are the most aggressive Zebrasomas.

 

[jnc914]

Purple tangs need to be purchased in wild caught groups or pairs. You can't purchase an aggressive tang, then another at a different time that your established tang had not been pre-exposed to and hope they'll live happily ever after. Purple tangs are the most aggressive Zebrasomas.

+1.
Purples, IME, eventually become aggressive with not just other tangs, but any other fish it perceives as competition for food. I would start to remove the tang that is getting beat up. However did you at least try to break up the tangs's territories in the tank? Shift some rock, move some things around, etc. Good luck.

 

[b2d2t]

Why would you want that many of the same tangs i understand the yellow but why 2 purples? the purple tang is by far the most aggressive tang in its family. for you too have 2 successfully would be insane , i would definitely take backthe new one before it gets ripped to shreds.

 

[TampaReefer79]

Agree with all of the above...and am guessing the new additions weren't qt'd? When and if you can catch the purple (it will be much easier to catch it once it's beaten to death) the purple will then turn it's attention to your other new additions - the yellow tangs. Good luck.

 

[reef_doug]

I had a PT and YT, my YT was more aggressive. The PT was just defensive. YT & PT eventually will never get along. I've seen Desjardini tang & PT together, actually they were buddies.

 

[Whaledriver]

Pull him out and return him or sell him.

The other trick is to pull the dominant tang and let the new guy get comfortable for a few weeks and recover. Them when you add the old tang he will be the new guy.

One other trick you could try is to re arrange the rock work so they all feel like its a new tank. I like to make sure they have there own safe hiding place.

You could add some dither fish like Anthia's to distract him but at this point it probly wont help

 

[lisafoster]

Find a new lfs

 

[prickles]

try and catch one of them. If that fails or you can't catch them, stick some 4'x1' mirrors from HD to the glass with masking tape. That will give them a breather while they beat up their reflections. Keep trying to catch one of them. If that fails, keep the mirror up for a month or 2.

 

[ROB712]

Hey guys just thought id update you and thanks for all the help.

I decided to leave him in for 1 more night as my purple started to get less aggresive and strangely enough they are the best of friends now and dont go anywhere without one of them following eachother. haha so im glad it worked out nicely. He seems to be showing the new yellows whos boss a little bit though which is fine its nothing bad. But thanks again for all the help!

-Robert

 

[OwenInAZ]

I had a similar experience with mine. Had a blue eyed tang for a year or so, added a yellow. The yellow beat the crap out of the BET, but after a couple days they got over it and now they're BFF's.

 

[Psionicdragon]

Turn off all lights and leave the room dark so the new tangs can rest and get adjusted.