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#1
07/15/2006, 02:32 PM
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Koran Angel aggression towards Teardrop Butterfly
Today I picked up a teardrop butterfly from the LFS and added him to my 55 gal FOWLR tank. Almost immediately, my koran angel started chasing him around, nipping at him, etc. After a few minutes of that, I turned off the lights and the butterfly hid behind my protein skimmer's powerhead. Currently, the butterfly is sort of edging out from behind the powerhead, and the angel will swim up and try to intimidate the butterfly back behind it.
Both fish are approximitely 3" long, the Koran is still in its "juvenile" stage. The LFS had the same species butterfly and angle peacefully cooexisting in another tank so I assumed the pairing would be alright in my tank. Did I make a big mistake? Will the koran and butterfly eventually coexist peacefully? Any ideas that would help them get along would help me. I haven't rearranged the rocks in the tank, yet. Would it help? How long should I let the aggression go on before I give up on this pairing? Other inhabitants: 1 small maroon clow 1 3" mimic tang 1 small six-lined wrasse 2 cleaner shrimp (I realize the angel will outgrow my tank eventually, I'll have to upgrade or trade in at that time) 
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#2
07/15/2006, 08:53 PM
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Its hard to say if the Koran will ever tolerate that fish but there are a few things going against it. The Koran is generally pretty peaceful for a big Pomacanthus but like many other species of large angel the large sized juveniles/small subadults are at the peak of their aggression and are often very combative, especially towards closely colored, related, or fish that are food competitors. The butterfly qualifies and I have seen plenty of angels throughout the years that would not tolerate other angels or butterflys. In a smaller tank like a 50 the fish are pretty much in each others face and as the angel grows he is going to become more territorial than he is now. If the butterfly was the established fish you might get away with it for a while but those two fish in a 50 are not going to be a long term match. The nice thing about a fish like a Koran is it gives you a great reason to get that great big tank you always wanted.
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Political correctness, a term first used by Joseph Stalin, has trivialized, sanitized and homogenized America, transforming us into a nation of chain establishments and chain people. |
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#3
07/15/2006, 09:54 PM
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Thank you for the informative reply.
Some extra information: + A few weeks back I tried to add a (slightly smaller) flame angel, and that did not work. Koran became a real thug. + In the past 6 hours, the butterfly has been eating and has moved down into the rock a bit, but every now and then the angel will come and nip at him or chase him away. + I rearranged the rock, it seemed to help diffuse the situation somewhat. The butterfly is showing no signs of real damage or extreme stress (he is eating) so I am going to leave it with the lights off until tomorow. Maybe something good will happen. If I can't keep the butterfly, it is a shame- he seems very interesting and active. He swims up to my cleaner shrimp to get serviced and doesn't hide in the rocks when I approach the tank. |
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#4
07/16/2006, 01:03 PM
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usually if a fish really dislikes another, he wont chase it for a second and leave it alone. i say it sounds like a classic break in by an aggressive fish. in a few days i bet they will learn to like eachother. if the koran really didn't like the butterfly, he probably would have already killed it.
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Mark Murray yyeeeaaaaahhhh |
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#5
07/16/2006, 06:03 PM
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Well, it's a day later and they are getting along much better. The Koran still makes a little break towards the Butterfly every now and then, but isn't biting it and is allowing the butterly to swim around near the rocks. Butterfly is still eating and seems happy. So, I am optimistic.
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#6
07/17/2006, 07:32 AM
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I added a Blueface [much less aggressive than a Koran] AFTER my Raccoon Butterfly [one of the more Bold Butterflys] and the Angel still harassed my Raccoon...my tank is an 8', 240 gallon... ALWAYS add most aggressive LAST
On another note.....yes, your tank is too small for the Angel, the Tang and the Buttterfly. This only adds to the aggression. My Blueface was qt 'd in a 55, I can't imagine leaving such a fish in a tank this size for long.. You honestly should have gotten more size appropriate fish..and you should always go by their ADULT SIZE, not the size they are when you buy them. You can buy the bigger fish WHEN you upgrade...what's the rush? Now you have these fish and the bigger that Koran gets, the more aggressive he will become ...your only in for more trouble. I would find these three new homes, get a Dwarf for your tank and wait until you upgrade to add the larger fish..
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AKA Kim Hardie.. |
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#7
07/17/2006, 08:21 AM
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My thinking was that the angel would be OK for about a year (when I got him he was quite young, only about 1-1.5"), and only then will it start outgrowing the tank. At that time I could trade it or uprade the tank. No good?
Last edited by ts0hg; 07/17/2006 at 08:34 AM. |
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#8
07/17/2006, 08:01 PM
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I just think its always best to wait and get the large fish when you upgrade
 You never know what might happen in a year..But you already have them soooooo..... its your excuse to start thinking about a bigger tank sooner! Go as BIG as you can!!
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AKA Kim Hardie.. |
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