Can a Yellow Tang actually kill a Purple Tang? I just added a Purple Tang to my 120g and after a peaceful night, now that the lights are turning on the Yellow Tang is harassing the crap out of the Purple Tang. Will they eventually settle down? I always thought the Purple was more aggressive than the yellow but the yellow is established and it is quite a bit bigger. The Hippo Tang keeps trying to intercede but can't stay between them all the time.
Yellow Tang vs Purple Tang
- Thread starter budsreef
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All tangs can be aggressive but in my experience, the yellows have been more territorial than the purples although I know of a few situations that were the other way around. This is why I always add a fish at night and I move a couple of rocks around so that they all think it's a new territory.
Bud...generally they work it out but one could kill the other.
Bud...generally they work it out but one could kill the other.
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A previous co-worker some years back told me that he placed a piece of clear plexi-glass in the middle of the tank for a few days. The two fish that were fighting just got tired of bumping into the plexi-glass in their attempts to get at each other. He waited a few days and just removed the plexi-glass and the two fish never bothered each other again.
I've also read a post here at ARC where someone used a printer to print out some prototypes of the fish that were fighting and taped them to the outside of the aquarium glass. Same concept as the plexi-glass; only that the aquarium glass is the barrier between the two parties and not the plexi-glass in the first example. I hope this is helpful. Please let us know if you use either of these two concepts and if it worked or not.
Wannabee
I've also read a post here at ARC where someone used a printer to print out some prototypes of the fish that were fighting and taped them to the outside of the aquarium glass. Same concept as the plexi-glass; only that the aquarium glass is the barrier between the two parties and not the plexi-glass in the first example. I hope this is helpful. Please let us know if you use either of these two concepts and if it worked or not.
Wannabee
It just so happens that I tried the second, the first not being an option the way my tank is layed out. I remembered reading about the picture trick as well and since I have pictures of Yellow Tang, I printed out four copies and put two in the front and one on each side. so far it is working, the Yellow Tang is staying in the back of the tank. Unfortunately, I need to leave soon to work the booth at CoralCon so I won't be able to babysit them for a few hours.
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If rock structure or something else prohibits the plexi-glass, maybe you could silhouette a piece of eggcrate to place into the tank to take the place of the plexiglass. If flow within the tank prohibits plexiglass, maybe drill some holes in the plexiglass to allow water flow throughout the tank. Just brainstorming some thoughts to try and help you with the dilemma.
Wannabee
Glad to hear it's working out for ya.
Thanks! This morning the Yellow Tang is moving about the tank almost back to normal so I moved the pictures around. It is not quite so intimidated by them but it has calmed down. It makes an occasional run at the Purple Tang but immediately breaks away from it. Hopefully they are on the way to co-existing.
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Glad to hear that things have calmed down a bit, I'll have to remeber that photo trick if/when I ever get a chance to add another fish.
How's Coral Con?
How's Coral Con?
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I don't buy.... pics or it didn't happen! ;-)
On a more serious note sounds pretty cool, were you manning a booth for a local club or for for you to do some swapping.
On a more serious note sounds pretty cool, were you manning a booth for a local club or for for you to do some swapping.
Good to hear everything is doing fine. You probably don't remember me,but a couple years ago(you were getting ready to move)while purchasing something from you, you gave me a very small frag of a bubble coral. You should see it now. It's about 6" around. Thanks again and good luck with everything.
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The pics always worked for me. Believe it or not, this is how I was able to add an Achilles to a tank with 9 other tangs already in there. You all know how quick an Achilles can get ich.
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Hey Bud,
Saw this article and thought of you ( or at least this thread)
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/the-mirror-trick-might-not-work-because-fish-arent-that-stupid">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/the-mirror-trick-might-not-work-because-fish-arent-that-stupid</a>
Fish food for thought-
maybe it works, not because the fish are intimidated, but because they are really narcissistic (or at least tangs are)
Saw this article and thought of you ( or at least this thread)
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/the-mirror-trick-might-not-work-because-fish-arent-that-stupid">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/the-mirror-trick-might-not-work-because-fish-arent-that-stupid</a>
Fish food for thought-
maybe it works, not because the fish are intimidated, but because they are really narcissistic (or at least tangs are)
Thanks, that's an interesting article. I wonder if anyone has done a similar look at using multiple pictures rather than a mirror. I know in this case the Yellow Tang didn't try to approach or attack the pictures, it stayed behind the rocks and immediately stopped paying any attention to the Purple Tang. Over the next couple of days it started ignoring the pictures but it also quit attacking the Purple Tang. Today the Purple Tang is beginning to move away from the left side of the tank and still gets charged by the Yellow Tang and the Flame Angel some but it's not a full on attack like before.
