The terror AKA a Yellow tang

Mrspit66 · #1 10/13/2002, 06:22 PM

Hi, guys. I'm about to do something drastic, unless somebody else has any suggestions. I've got at 75 gallon tank and currently the only fish I have are a yellow tang and a Royal Gramma in this tank. This tang has terrorized anything I put in there except the gramma. I've lost two clowns, 2 PJ cardinals, 2 green chromises, and a lawnmower blenny to this terror. I realize he's a terror because he was the first fish in the tank after my damsels. I am really thinking I'm going to have to get rid of him. I have a 10-gallon isolation tank I could maybe put him in, but I know I'd have to do MAJOR water changes like every other day because it's such a small tank. I do have a beautiful lawnmower blenny that I got to replace the one he killed and I have him in the 10-gallon right now. I'm thinking of switching the two; putting the blenny in the main tank and isolating the tang. Honestly, truthfully, do you think a couple of days of isolation might straighten him (the tang) out so he won't terrorize this new blenny?? Or should I just get rid of him and get another yellow tang later, after I've got all the other fish I want? I realize if I keep him, I'll probably have to remove him any time I add something. I'm thinking that's just too much trouble.

Thanks!!
Cathy

rbaker · #2 10/13/2002, 06:33 PM

Some yellow tangs can get very aggressive, especially when they're first in a smaller tank. You'll probably need to remove him. However, I don't think you should put him in a 10 gallon tank... You should sell him back to your LFS. Or you could feed him to your Pit Bull...

JMO,

Ryan

acropora · #3 10/13/2002, 06:37 PM

I had the same problem with a yellow tang from hell.It killed a purple tang and a sohol tang. It now lives in my sump,which happens to be about 200gals.All fish are different,and some people have no problem with yellow tangs;but as you know.Some are.... ,well you know. Anthony

rbaker · #4 10/13/2002, 07:18 PM

It's funny, I asked (in another thread) if people had problems with yellow tangs dominating their tanks. The majority of people that responded said their yellow tangs were model citizens... Every yellow tang I've ever seen has been aggressive... ????

Ryan

Flame*Angel · #5 10/13/2002, 08:34 PM

I made the same mistake putting my yellow tang in before I was finished stocking. She wasn't the first in and I have managed to add other fish but she was aggressive to each one. I'm finished stocking now and she seems to have really calmed down. She is almost tame, begging for me to stroke her at feeding times. There was a time when I wondered if I'd be able to keep her though.

Someone wrote me with a great idea that might work for you. Divide your tank with a piece of eggcrate so that the new fish is issolated. It will give the tang a chance to see that the new fish isn't a threat and give the new fish a chance to settle without the aggression. It wouldn't need to be for very long, maybe a week.

jsp357 · #6 10/13/2002, 11:00 PM

You know it's weird but the first fish I put in my 55 was a yellow and 2 years later It is still the most docile fish I have?Any new addition or loss of a fish and It just doesn't care.It must have been a hippie in a former life.
JSP
_______________________
"My right hand is always salty"

rpisces · #7 10/13/2002, 11:27 PM

It is typical of all fishes to be aggresive towards newcomers. I removed my yellow tang because it started to peel and eats the new layer of growth of my tridacnas shells so much so that the clams is growing but the shell is not!

Fishes will also show aggressiveness towards new corals by pushing them down if they stand in its ways.

You can put your yellow tang away and introduce other fishes. After about a month you can put back the yellow tang and hopefully it would starts to bully again.