Tangs fighting. need advise.

fish clown

New member
I am new a saltwater aquariums and have recently bought 2 yellow tangs. When i bought them the guy i bought them from said they would be fine and they have been for about a month. just today i noticed them going after each other. Do i need to sell one or is it somthing that will settle with time? I have a 75 gal. reef tank.
 
That is a small space to put two yellow tangs in. Each one needs about 100 gallons to itself.

As for the fighting they may or may not do much harm to each other it is hard to tell but they will always be fighting IME. My dads were at least, for about 6 months till he sold them to someone with a bigger tank.
 
tangs..........

tangs..........

you may have to remove one or add another,but a 75g tank is to small for 3 tangs,i would always add tangs of differant species or have a much larger tank......
 
Id hate to get rid of them because its one of my favorite fish. Could I get away with just getting rid of one or would the space still be an issue?
 
One thing for sure; you need to research new fish before you buy and find a new source----that guy knows nothing. A 75 isn't ideal for a YT, impossible for two. A YT in a 75 will live, they are very hardy. Its up to you; not the best, but I've seen a lot worse. BTW, the real issue is tank length, not "space'. Tangs need a lot of swimming room to thrive and, IMO, 4' just isn't enough. If you try to keep both; you'll end up with just one anyhow. If you decide to keep one, take one back and tell the guy who sold them to you that he should compensate you for the trouble.
 
I had a friend who tried this trick and actually ended up working.... He placed a mirror in front of the tank for a couple days I think or a week and after the fish finished fighting with its reflection it didn't notice te other tangs.


Sent from Qbabys Tapatalk.
 
Hard to say. How much rocks and hiding space do you have? I have two yellows in a 90 and they are fine. Really depends on the setup.
 
If I decide to keep one YT could I get other types of tangs that are happier in smaller tanks with the YT ?

No tang should be added to a 75 with a YT. Just the YT is pushing it. YTs don't like other tangs in general and cramped quarters just make the aggression worse.You have a fairly small SW tank and will enjoy the hobby much more, long-term, if you do some research and stick to fish that do well in a tank that size.
 
a 75 will be fine for one yellow, but the other will probably need to be found a new home. There isn't much space their from them to have their own territory
 
I agree with those saying keep one yellow tang and return the second. While two may coexist for a while, it is likely that at some point they will fight with the intent of killing the other, and you will be left with one or none.

You shouldn't add another tang after the yellow as they can be very territorial and are likely to kill any other tang that is added later. For that matter, the yellow tang you keep may harass or kill many other fish you add to the tank, so you will have to be careful in selecting fish.

What other fish are in the tank now and what else do you plan on adding?

You should be quarantining your fish before putting them in your display tank. Many use a simple 20 gallon long tank (you can buy it for $20 during Petco's $1 per gallon sales), plus a hang-on (HOB) filter like an Aquaclear, a small heater, and a small powerhead. The fish should be quarantined for at least 4-6 weeks. I and many others treat fish during quarantine with PraziPro and Cupramine whether or not we see signs of disease. Read the threads in the fish disease forum to learn. Too many people don't quarantine, have things go fine for a while, and then a fish brings a disease in and wipes the entire tank out.

I would take one yellow tang back (or sell it to a fish store for future credit) and then not add any more fish for at least 4 weeks. In the meantime, I would set up a QT, soak the HOB filter sponge in your sump or DT to seed it with bacteria, and put your next fish in quarantine. Ask here first for suggestions on fish that your yellow tang and any other fish in the tank might not harass.
 
I am interested in getting other tangs that can be happier in that small of a tank(i will look on sites like Live Aquaria for refrances), possibly a flame angel, a dragonet, and possibly others but those would be the ones i would get first probaly.
 
^^^^Good advice!^^^^
If you keep one YT; you can also use the QT to give the YT a "timeout" after a new fish has been quarantined and put in the DY. YTs, especially in smaller tanks, won't tolerate any newcomers. Giving them a timeout will make them the new fish and they'll no longer have a territory to defend.
 
I will just sell both YT to be safe for future fish. I am in contact with the store I bought the YTs from and I am expecting an email about refund information. If they can not do a resonable refund I will sell them on craigslist.
 
This is probably your safest choice. Put your other fish in after quarantining each and every one of them, and then add your tang last. A kole tang is an excellent choice.

Flame angels can be nippy, so I would add your flame towards the end of your list and make it the only angel.

Good luck, and ask plenty of questions.
 
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