Yellow Tang and Yellow Eye Kole Tang

[Bdubz]

I just wanted to share my experience I have had recently with my tangs in the hopes that this will provide insight for others.

I have had my yellow tang for six months or so, and recently upgraded to a 125 gallon tank in August (2.5 months ago). My yellow tang is roughly 3 inches. He shares the tank with a pair of oscellaris clowns, two blue green chromis, and a yellow tail damsel.

I got a good opportunity to buy a yellow eye kole tang. I read a bunch of reviews about aggression and decided it was worth it to make the purchase. The yellow eye kole tang is roughly half the size of the yellow tang. Before going out to get the kole tang, I turned the lights to moonlight and fed the tank.

I went and got the kole tang, brought it home, floated it in the tank for roughly 1.5 hrs, adding 1/4 cup of water every 15 mins. or so, and then released the kole tang.

Almost immediately my yellow tang started attacking the kole tang. Within 15 min the kole tang looked terrible. Fins were shredded, a couple of small gashes along the side of its body. I sat there for like half an hour with a net to separate the yellow tang, but couldn't do that all night. There are plenty of caves and crevices to hide in, but my yellow tang would just stalk the kole tang until he found the kole tang and attack.

After two hours of this, the kole tang found refuge at the top of my powerheads in the corner. The yellow tang was circling the rocks at the bottom, I'm not sure if he was looking for the kole tang or just keeping the kole tang at the top.

Night came, yellow tang went to his spot to sleep, and kole tang found a spot below the powerheads on the opposite side of the tank. In the morning, the yellow tang was still stalking the kole tang, but not whipping his tail or shredding the kole tang's fins. When I got home from work later that afternoon, everything was fine between the two fish.

The kole tang was swimming in the open, the yellow tang was swimming normally and not really caring about the kole tang. They were both eating fine from the same clip (just not at the same time). The kole tang would go inside the yellow tang's cave and the yellow tang would just swim over and the kole tang would leave with no problems.

The next day everything is still fine; the yellow tang is still leaving the kole tang alone. I will update if anything changes for the worse.

As a side note: I did try to put a mirror to the side of the tank to distract the yellow tang with his reflection, but that didn't do any good for me. I did not move rock around, as my corals wouldn't afford me that luxury to do so.

 

[karenvas2]

Had the same thing with my yellow eye kole tang and my blue hippo tang. The blue hippo was relentless for about six hours. I thought the kole tang was a goner. Then I think the hippo got bored. Now the swim around like best buds. The yellow tang did not bother the kole. He is perhaps the most mellow fish in the tank.

 

[scooter31707]

usually with tangs you have to get over the initial aggressiveness once a newcomer is added. I would say you might have been lucky with the yellow tang already being establish. Usually it's recommended to introduce the yellow last because of the aggression. Good Luck!!

 

[MondoBongo]

i had a yellow and a kole that coexisted happily together for about 6 months, then one day the yellow tang decided he had enough and proceeded to kill the kole tang with his scalpel over the course of a few days.

i wasn't able to get him out in time, and by the time i did capture the kole it was too late.

so keep an eye on those two. they're not a good pairing.

 

[stefdvm]

So I'm beginning to feel like maybe I should limit my 135gal to just a single tang.... reading about the aggression has me worried and tangs are so large that I'm really limited to the smaller species anyway - it breaks my heart to see one of my fish injured by another - I feel so guilty / responsible for putting them in that situation. Anyway, with my new tank just about ready to fill with water, I've been seriously contemplating what I want to add as I upgrade from 50 to 135 gallons. I like the tangs, but maybe just a single one would be best...

Thanks for sharing your experience; I'd just as soon not repeat it. Like I said, hurts my feelings. My psycho damsel killed my baby clown - I'm still upset over that

 

[pola0502ds]

Just a few hours ago I had the same thing happen to me. I had just a yellow tail and blue hippo in the tank. Driving home with my daughter we decided to pick up some fish and I specifically asked all the right questions to make sure I purchased fish that was right for my tank. I ended up getting the yellow kole and copperband. After they get in the tank my yellow tang is going nuts and won't leave the new additions alone even though he is the smallest fish in the tank. The Kole is twice the size but he won't leave him alone and I can feel the steam pouring out of my ears for letting this fish store letting me buy them. I hope everything will turn out ok.

 

[Tigerdragon]

I have found if you can add when your lights drop to moons or ramp down low this way everyone goes to bed it's how I have had the best luck this way everyone settles down

 

[ca1ore]

Biggest favor you can do for a new fish is the give it a period of QT. Not just for disease, but to get it acclimated and feeding well. Far more 'reserves' to survive the initial hazing period in the community tank.

 

[pola0502ds]

So far what I have noticed is that the yellow tang, the bully, keeps backing up to the new fish and tries to pin them up against a wall. Nothing to serious like biting or ramming into them. He is still doing it this morning.

 

[MondoBongo]

That is very serious. That's how they inflict damage with their scalpel. Tangs won't bite. They don't need to. They have a razor blade on their caudal peduncle that does the work.

 

[pola0502ds]

Please forgive me but can you put that into English for me? I am on the newer side of this hobby. I know a lot about it but not as much as you or the caudal peduncle you mentioned.

Man, this sucks. Do you think it would be wrong of me to call my LFS and try to have him buy them back? I told him EXACTLY everything I had in my tank before i made the purchase. I will never randomly go into a fish store again without doing research first.

 

[pola0502ds]

That is very serious. That's how they inflict damage with their scalpel. Tangs won't bite. They don't need to. They have a razor blade on their caudal peduncle that does the work.

I see you are from pittsburgh, I'm from youngstown. I purchased these fish from The reef gallery just north of where you are from. Great place, great selection of fish and coral..

 

[MondoBongo]

Please forgive me but can you put that into English for me? I am on the newer side of this hobby. I know a lot about it but not as much as you or the caudal peduncle you mentioned.

Man, this sucks. Do you think it would be wrong of me to call my LFS and try to have him buy them back? I told him EXACTLY everything I had in my tank before i made the purchase. I will never randomly go into a fish store again without doing research first.

tangs are part of a group commonly referred to as surgeonfish.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthuridae

The distinctive characteristic of the family is the scalpel-like spines, one or more on either side of the tail ("thorn tails"), which are dangerously sharp.

the particular area of the fish they are found on are known as the caudal peduncle:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_fin#AnchCaudal

in my experience even well meaning fish stores tend to go with an optimistic view when it comes to stocking/compatibility. this is primarily because they have a vested interest in selling you that fish. that's not to say they're trying to be explicitly disingenuous, but take their advice with a grain of salt.

the other side of that coin is that it can be very difficult to predict how fish will get along. there are considerations related to tank size, layout, and even the individual personalities of the fish involved that can also have a significant impact on whether or not said fish play nice together.

there are some steps you can take to help new introductions adapt better, and try to diffuse aggression. in my mind the first one is a good QT process where you can get new fish healthy, eating, and acclimated to you. next is the use of a acclimation box. when the new fish is through QT and has had time to rest and relax from the stress of transportation, placing them in to the "big pool" in an acclimation box for a time can help to give them a safe way to meet your current crew, without actually being able to touch eat other.

looking back at some of your other posts, it seems like you have a 72 gallon bowfront tank? if so, this isn't really an ideal size for any tang, but especially anything from the genus Zebrasoma, the yellow tang being a Zebrasoma flavescens. i had my yellow tang in a strandard 75 for a few years, since i had purchased him as a baby. it was an ill advised purchase, but he's part of the family now. recently i was able to upgrade from the 4' long 75 gallon to a 6' long 150 gallon, and there has been a remarkable change in his behavior with the larger tank. he's much more relaxed in the larger tank, and with that comes lower aggression towards tank mates. make no mistake he is still a feisty fish, and in a perfect world i would have him in an even larger system.

I see you are from pittsburgh, I'm from youngstown. I purchased these fish from The reef gallery just north of where you are from. Great place, great selection of fish and coral..

i was there for the first time a few months ago. unfortunately it's a bit over an hours drive from where i live in the city, but i did very much like the store. the gentlemen working there (i believe the owner?) seemed very knowledgeable and friendly, and they had a good selection of fish and corals. i came home with some acro frags and a copperband butterfly.

unfortunately the copperband never started eating for me, and died in QT. the secret to those guys, and actually most fish, is that they are eating in the store, and sadly this one was not. i figured i had a small chance of success bringing him home, but wanted to try anyways. i thought that i had better odds than most of trying to get him eating.

when i'm back out that way though i'll absolutely be swinging by again.

 

[scooter31707]

Your LFS may not buy him back, but ask if they will take him for some store credit or you may have too suck it up and give him away for free.

 

[pola0502ds]

My LFS is giving me a credit for the copperband and he is given me a trade on the yellow tang. If the yellow tang is this aggressive then I don't want him in my tank for future fish purchases.

 

[pola0502ds]

Mondo,

Thanks for the response! Regarding my tank size and tangs, I was fully aware that the tank is too small for tangs. However, I have been told and agree that you can buy any fish you want and before it out grows the tank I can sell it back to my LFS which is what I intend to do.

Are there any fish clubs out your way?

 

[scooter31707]

Your tank is not too small for the smaller size tangs like a Yellow Tang or something like a Kole or Tomini Tang, if you have the standard 6ft 125. I would only recommend 1 Tang. Honestly, Tangs should be the very last fish you add to your tank.

 

[triggreef]

Tangs should be last, and multiples should always be introduced at the same time unless the tank is very big. Like 200 plus and even then together is best.

No suggestions of acclimation boxes? A simple egg create box zip tied together works fantastically.

I had 4 tangs in a 125 for a couple years no problem. In fact still have the yt and yekt in there. Had to get rid of hippo and mata due to size. Mata got to about 13 inches really fast. I think the guy that bought him put him in a 340.

I also have 4 tangs in a 200g all is well. Convict, pbt, chevron, and purple. Those came at different times but acclimation box was used.

 

[pola0502ds]

Thanks for the help guys

 

[MondoBongo]

Mondo,

Thanks for the response! Regarding my tank size and tangs, I was fully aware that the tank is too small for tangs. However, I have been told and agree that you can buy any fish you want and before it out grows the tank I can sell it back to my LFS which is what I intend to do.

Are there any fish clubs out your way?

i would strongly disagree with this strategy. there are some good threads on the board about the myth of rehoming and associated issues. worth a read.

in this case though, it's not the tank size alone. either of those fish would be just fine in your tank by themselves. it is the pairing in conjunction with the tank size that will cause issues here.

there is a local marine aquarium society. i choose not to participate with them for various reasons.