What to do with a bully fish?

[Motobuddy]

I'm having problems with a fish that established dominance in the tank early, will removing it and holding it the quarantine tank and reintroducing it a few weeks later help, make things worse or do nothing? It just harasses all new inhabitants and Im no where near done stocking.

 

[pyithar]

move it to the sump? or return to lfs? what kind of fish that is?

 

[Motobuddy]

Sailfin tang, It was about the third fish that went in the system. Then I dropped in some Anthia and chromes and a foursome of fire fish about a week a part and it just started harassing them, and anything else that moved in its general direction.

 

[pyithar]

your tank must be pretty large considering a sailfin tang, chromes, and 4 firefish.

 

[Motobuddy]

Its good sized, a 220 probably on the verge of being over stocked but all my levels look good. Little spikes for a day or two when I added each school but went back to holding steady. Everyone has been happy & healthy and was getting along great until the sailfin just flipped out. As of now he has been moved to the temporary housing unit, till morning when I will decide to banish him to the sump, leave him in there for a week or set up a larger quarantine and sentience him to a month of solitary. Then give him one last change before trying to find him a new family.

 

[Titans_Reef]

I would try to feed it more nori so it gets used to the new tank mates. I have a 6" naso thats been in my 125 for over a year which then I got a new hippo that was 3". The naso went after it but I placed 2 nori clips on the opposite ends of the tank and now they eat from the same clip. My hippo just gets harrassed by my bicolored blenny but I think they are just playing since the blenny jumps off the hippo and hides as the hippo goes after it lol

 

[Rob6311]

Just separate for a little bit to allow the bullied fish to establish a territory then reintroduce it after idk maybe 3 days if possible

 

[Yodeling]

Could just be temporary situation. If you don't see injuries, I would just wait it out and see if things improve.

 

[Crooked Reef]

If you do seperate it for a few days also move a but of the rock work if possible. It may feel like it is in a new territory completely.

 

[Rob6311]

If you do seperate it for a few days also move a but of the rock work if possible. It may feel like it is in a new territory completely.

Also a very good idea to do as well as separation, I'm sure there are many ways to do this and easier ways because I'm pretty sure we all know how hard it is to catch a fish with a net with rocks everywhere, but I have found that separation is the best for me atleast, and also moving the rocks around would help too

 

[shesacharmer]

Even if your parameters stay stable your Tang might feel your tank is overstocked. Be prepared to catch it again if need be.

 

[Sk8r]

Try a barrier of eggcrate lighting grid as a divider---creates territory without as much claustrophobia as a solid barrier.

 

[cloak]

Could just be temporary situation. If you don't see injuries, I would just wait it out and see if things improve.

+1

I would get one of those feeding cones and put some spirulina flake food in it every now & then. Once the tang is used to the cone, it could become preoccupied and the aggression might subside.
Catching it, storing it in a much smaller QT tank or sump, and then re-releasing it just sounds like too much trouble IMO. GL.

 

[billdogg]

I just move them to a more aggressive tank. For many years, that meant living with Hannibal, my 4' Undulated Moray. Sometimes they'd last a long time.....

 

[Betta132]

Your firefish will kill each other off, most likely.

 

[reepher315]

my fire fish was not a fighter at all. actually got killed by a tang

 

[chamjack]

I have a sailfin that beat up on a new cream angel I introduced. He wouldn't leave him alone. The tang kept him pinned in the corner tucked in the rock work. After about a week, I caught the tang and he went to my sump for two weeks. When I re-introduced him back to the tank, he completely ignored the angel. Now they swim side by side without issue. My tang has been in the tank for four years now and I thought I was gonna have to get rid of the cream angel, but all worked out well.

 

[Crooked Reef]

Firefish kill their own unless they are a bonded pair. In a tank that size it is possible that two pairs will form and take to opposite ends of the tank but I wouldn't plan on it.