yellow tang vs purple tang question.

babareef · #1 07/21/2007, 09:55 AM

Hi All, I need some advice. I used to have a pair of yellow and purple tang. Three months ago the yellow tang died and since then my purple tang was removed to the refugium. Now I have rearranged my entire live rocks and corals and the whole tang look almost entirely different. And now after about a month, I've got a new yellow tang. The big question is can I release my purple tang back into the display tank?
By the way my tank is 4ft x 2ft x 2ft and other fishes include one blue tang, three fairy wrasses, two clown fishes and a flame angel.
Any comment or help is welcome. Thanks.

E-A-G-L-E-S · #2 07/21/2007, 09:56 AM

50/50 chance the purple will attack the yellow.
What are there respective sizes?

supervdl · #3 07/21/2007, 10:49 AM

I agree there is a good chance you get into a war between those two. I have several tangs in my 210, but the are of different genus, shape and color to avoid any conflicts. Also not a purple which is more on the aggressive side for tangs IMO.

hgbarwick · #4 07/21/2007, 11:01 AM

Purples tend to be aggressive toward other tangs. I would not risk it, but their is a chance they would get along fine.

babareef · #5 07/21/2007, 11:43 AM

Thanks for all the replies. My purple tang is be small to medium while the yellow is medium to large. Anyway I've read an article in this forum (if I can recall!) that if we rearrange our landscapes the purple tang might think it is a new place entirely and hence it will not be that aggressive to its "supposedly new mates". Is this true?

mr_o98 · #6 07/21/2007, 12:04 PM

Why was the purple tang removed to the refuge?

mr_o98 · #7 07/21/2007, 12:06 PM

According to the RC tank volume calculator, your display tank is 120 gallons.
Also, do you know why the yellow tang past on?

bureau13 · #8 07/21/2007, 08:37 PM

My yellow and purple don't fight at all, but I added them at the same time.

In a previous tank, I added a yellow after the purple, and they fought like mad dogs for about 2 days, after which point they were fine. The yellow looked pretty ratty for a while, but pulled through OK. That was probably a close call however.

jds

Onesaltydawg · #9 07/21/2007, 08:44 PM

Try adding him in the dark after the lights are off...this always helps because they are asleep

babareef · #10 07/21/2007, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Onesaltydawg
Try adding him in the dark after the lights are off...this always helps because they are asleep

Thanks man. I'll try that tonight and will keep you update.

babareef · #11 07/21/2007, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mr_o98
Why was the purple tang removed to the refuge?

Just to make him forget that he actually was from the display tank. Furthermore it will help cos I can "introduce the yellow tang first".

babareef · #12 07/25/2007, 07:11 AM

Hi All ! For those who have replied and given good advice, I wanna say thank you all. I have successfully released the purple tang back into the display tank. Now after 3 or 4 days, even since day one, the two don't seem to be fighting at all even during feeding times.

AquaKnight407 · #13 07/25/2007, 09:27 PM

PICS!!

mattsilvester · #14 07/26/2007, 08:16 AM

keep them well fed.

i recently had a yellow and purple in a 75 gal q-tine. At first, the slightly smaller purple gave the yellow a hard time.... after a week it was evened up, last week the tables turned and the yellow tang relentlessly attacked the purple.... had to seperate.

probelm with Q-tine - can't feed heavily enough.....

triggerfish1976 · #15 07/26/2007, 08:21 AM

I would say that you will have more problems with the yellow than the purple given that the yellow is the established fish. They are both Zebrasoma's so territorail disputes are bound to happen but you may get lucky and only have problems for the first few hours and then everything will be fine.
I have 4 purple tangs but I only started out with 1 and then added the other three a month or so after the intial one was in the tank. He harrassed the trio for about a week but then eventually settled in and now form a nice little school.

babareef · #16 08/09/2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AquaKnight407
PICS!!

Hi AquaKnight and others! I've been trying to upload the pics the whole day w/o much success. Will try again next time. In the meantime both yellow and purple tangs are doing well except the yellow now doing small chasing during feeding. Not much stress on purple though.

babareef · #17 08/09/2007, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AquaKnight407
PICS!!

Been trying it w/o success. Will try again. Meantime both r doing well except a few small chasing going on by the yellow tang.