Weird PBT

FishN00b83

FishN00b83

New member
I've had this PBT for a while now in a 125L. I have noticed in the past week it has really started attacking the glass a lot. it's so fixated on it it's kind of crazy. it flares up and swims back and forth really fast and tail slaps. the tail slap is pretty loud when it hits the glass too. it's really only when the light are on, once they're off it seems to calm down and relax.

has anyone else experienced this? is it just a phase that will pass?

nothing has changed in the tank in a pretty long time. everyone is eating, fat and happy. the yellow and pbt don't even get into it at all.

levels in my tank as of now are
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrates 3
po4 0 (but I do have a small amount of bubble algae maybe 10-15 bubbles)
calc 440
alk 11
mag 1400
 
FishN00b83 said:
I've had this PBT for a while now in a 125L. I have noticed in the past week it has really started attacking the glass a lot. it's so fixated on it it's kind of crazy. it flares up and swims back and forth really fast and tail slaps. the tail slap is pretty loud when it hits the glass too. it's really only when the light are on, once they're off it seems to calm down and relax.

has anyone else experienced this? is it just a phase that will pass?

nothing has changed in the tank in a pretty long time. everyone is eating, fat and happy. the yellow and pbt don't even get into it at all.

levels in my tank as of now are
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrates 3
po4 0 (but I do have a small amount of bubble algae maybe 10-15 bubbles)
calc 440
alk 11
mag 1400
Click to expand...

Its trying to attack its reflection. Put a mirror up on one end on the tank and that should cause him to worry about that more than his reflection he is seeing everywhere else in the tank
 
the weird part is it's not getting the stress lines they show when they're ****ed off. if it was really fighting it's reflection wouldn't it show those lines? I put the mirror up on the far side of the tank, hopefully it helps out. the PB is twitching, flaring, and slapping the crap out of the glass.
 
Dmorty217 said:
Eventually it will grow tired of attacking it's reflection. Some PBT are real SOB's and will take longer than others to tire of this behavior
Click to expand...
Ain't that the truth.. I have mine for over 15 years now and still does it from time to time and even at the surface because of the acrylic bracing it see its reflection. I still can't keep any other tangs with it even when I remove it and place it back in a week later.
 
MIKE NY said:
Ain't that the truth.. I have mine for over 15 years now and still does it from time to time and even at the surface because of the acrylic bracing it see its reflection. I still can't keep any other tangs with it even when I remove it and place it back in a week later.
Click to expand...


Well I guess the nice thing is he's not aggressive to anything else in the tank. I have a yellow tang in as well and they don't tail slap or anything anymore. when I first put the PB and the kole in the PB and yellow would chase a little right before lights out and sometimes before feelings. now they really leave each other alone.

the mirror is up and everyone in the tank is on that side trying to figure out who the new comer is. hopefully this goes away soon.
 
Weird PBT

I've been watching the PB on the webcam for most of the day and it has NOT stopped going after the mirror...it's insane lol
 
FishN00b83 said:
haha ok. i guess I'll leave it up until it stops?
Click to expand...

I would and you can always move it around every few days or just put it up when adding new fish. Or you could wrap the tank but the front panel with blue or black background to minimize the chance of him seeing his reflection
 
Dmorty217 said:
I would and you can always move it around every few days or just put it up when adding new fish. Or you could wrap the tank but the front panel with blue or black background to minimize the chance of him seeing his reflection
Click to expand...


sounds good to me. I'll just leave it up and see if it stops. thanks for the help!
 
Dmorty217 said:
I would and you can always move it around every few days or just put it up when adding new fish. Or you could wrap the tank but the front panel with blue or black background to minimize the chance of him seeing his reflection
Click to expand...


hey this morning I noticed that the PBs spine on its left side is sticking way out from hitting the glass. will it retract again or is it out permanently like that? I've never seen it before.
 
FishN00b83 said:
hey this morning I noticed that the PBs spine on its left side is sticking way out from hitting the glass. will it retract again or is it out permanently like that? I've never seen it before.
Click to expand...

Not sure, can you post a picture? If he is relentlessly smacking the glass you may want to turn off the lights for a day or two and let him woosahh... Do you know what may have caused this behavior to have started? You mentioned you had him for awhile before this started
 
Dmorty217 said:
Not sure, can you post a picture? If he is relentlessly smacking the glass you may want to turn off the lights for a day or two and let him woosahh... Do you know what may have caused this behavior to have started? You mentioned you had him for awhile before this started
Click to expand...


I'm not really sure what could have caused this. I did a series of blackouts to fight some cyano on the sand and now that the lights are on again it's lost its mind. it was way calmer with the lights off, but I can't keep them off forever. the weird part is its leaving everything alone in the tank. it's not aggressive towards anything at all. the only thing that has REALLY changed is my kole died of an infection that would come and go on it (someone else on these forums is posting about the same kind of thing now), but that was a few weeks ago. I've actually been keeping better care of the tank in the past few weeks too. all levels are really stable and the water is super clean. it's been RELENTLESS since I put the mirror up. here are 3 pictures...
dc722c3b8fead957e6a0872e800bae6b.jpg
5a6cf8f75d604cdeeea67a876aec84e5.jpg
925a3c885b4e90b3313eeced746e468f.jpg
 
Strange. I see the scalpel sticking out and the area looks to be swollen. Is that where the mirror is or is that just how much the tank reflects? I'm kinda at a loss to tell you what to try next but that scalpel sticking out with the area being swollen is concerning. Easy spot for other things like bacterial infections to take hold. Do you have a smaller QT type tank you can setup and leave it with ambient light until the tang heals?
 
When I first put my larger fishes in the tank, my PBT tangle with other tangs and my fox face a lot. The result of this is that one of his scalpel permanently stick out at a 90 degree angle. I have not done anything for this. I am thinking of trapping him and see if I can push it back in so it will heal correctly. This does not seem to bother him at all, so I have not try to correct it yet.
 
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