Tomini tang aggressive towards new fish

[Fish Ed]

Ever since my bicolor dottyback jumped into the 60 gallon tank, my stocking has been hectic.

The dottyback killed my firefish, and recently my red fin fairy wrasse and green chromis. It prevented me from further stocking any other fish I planned to do. Also I can't remove it. So I might decide to live with it. Current tankmates are 2 clowns, 1 tomini tang and the dreaded bicolor dottyback. So I tried to find a suitable tankmate for the dottyback and came across the Apogon chrysopomus cardinalfish. It's about 3.5" as big as my tomini tang. But when I added it, the tomini tang suddenly became aggressive towards the newcomer whereas the dottyback is surprisingly afraid and hiding, atleast for now probably once it's used to it, it would either attack it or not. It's a gamble. But I wouldn't even think the tang would attack it. Should I remove the cardinalfish and forced to be stuck with the current tankmates or will the aggression subside? I'm afraid it might constantly get picked on until it is stressed out which will cause it to become sick and infect the others. Mind you, I did not quarantine this fish. Honestly, I never do.

 

[Dmorty217]

Tomini tangs are surprisingly aggressive little tangs. I would suggest rearranging rock work and while your at it grab the dottyback

 

[Fish Ed]

That's a viable reasoning, thanks. But I don't think I'm willing to move around my rock work a lot.

I did however off my lights, everything seems to calm down. And the cardinal rule the night, it's nocturnal. I wonder what to expect tomorrow. I'll update if something happens. As of now, any solutions is humbly accepted.

 

[Mxreef887]

What I have done in the past and worked well, especially with tangs, was mount a mirror on one of the sides of your tank and they would be preoccupied with that, and after a day or two wouldn't bother with the other fish after the mirror was removed. Not sure on the dottyback. When I had problem wrasses and didn't want to tear apart the rock, I would watch where they would bury themselves in the sand or hole in the rock when the lights went out and after a couple hours when they were out of it I would pull the rock or use clear tube to trap the wrasse in the sand and put him in the net.

 

[Fish Ed]

It's been a day, the tang did attacked it a few for times before the aggression subsided to a point where no biting is needed, just death stares. The cardinalfish know who's boss. It mostly just hangs out at the back corner of my tank above the powerhead. It's eating frozens fine, just not accepting pellets atm, it was at the store though. Fins are shredded, hopefully it'll heal.

 

[DieselJunkie]

I had a tomini tang and bristletooth tang that were both huge jerks. (had them at different times).

I tried almost everything, mirrors, blacking out the tank, etc.

Now with all new additions to my tank, they spend two days in an acclimation container in the tank. I think it stresses me more than anyone. It is just a speciman container that I drilled a bunch of holes into. I put it inside the tank, hooked on the top ledge and put my cover on top of it. That way, all of the fish see the new one at the top, (they typically hide then investigate him later) With the fish not darting all over and swimming around there home while they are trying to figure the new guy out it really seems to help. I have not had one fish get bullied since I started this. Just an idea.

Now there is a a blue hippo and purple tang that are perfect gentlemen with new comers.