Atlantic Blue Tang Aggression

[Redland]

I have an atlantic blue tang that I bought about 6 months ago as a 3in juvenile in my newly set up 200 gallon reef. It was a mistake to make him one of the first fish in, and he attacked the the next fish in (a pair of ocellaris clownfish) bitting their fins and shaking them and cutting them with his "scalpel", though after several days of taping a mirror on the side of the tank he tolerated them when they stayed in a corner of the tank, though still chases them when the come out into the water column. A trio of dottybacks is mostly ignored, but this week I added a trio of pyramid butterflyfish which he also chases unless I tape a mirror up. When the mirror is up (now the third day) he ignores them, and even occasionally grazes algae next to them (when not fighting his reflection), but as soon as it is down the will take runs at them.
My question is, do I:
1. Find a new home for him, realizing that he is too aggressive for his tank newer mates.
2. Add another similarly sized fish (a red tailed trigger?) tough enough to stand up to him that will distract him from smaller fish like the mirror does?
3. Keep the mirror up for a could weeks, hoping that it will modify long term behavior?
4. Other suggestions?

 

[lokmar]

My personal experience: Current tank is a 120 with a support skeleton for live rock made from 4" and 2 1/2" PVC with access holes cut in various places to allow hide outs for the fish.

My clowns reside in a large red and Green BTA. They nearly never leave it other to chase and bite my hand when in the tank. I personally believe its critical for the clowns to have an anemone for refuge!

I had a Flame tang, 2 clowns, a 6 line that used to bully the clowns until I got the BTA for them, and a small yellow belly blue tang. I was concerned about aggression from the blue so I added a Scribbled Rabbitfish that was smaller then the blue. The blue went after it and even slashed the Rabbit once. The blue had several sting marks, as evidenced by white round areas in its blue areas, over the course of several weeks.

Apparently, the blue calmed down, especially since the rabbit has outgrown him, because I rarely see sting marks on the blue any more. Maybe 1 every 2 months or so. The blue always goes to sleep in the end of a 2 1/2 PVC wye about 1/2 hour before lights out.

I was going to upgrade to a 60 X 30 X 24 over the summer but the tank wont be made till Jan. I plan on doing the same type of setup with a bigger piece of PVC in one spot for the Rabbit as it gets bigger.

To me, it seems as if the biggest fish in the tank needs to be a non aggressive fish that can easily defend itself. The Scribbled Rabbits only bad behavior is that its a pig and will push everything else out of the way to eat all the food first!

 

[scooter31707]

If you really like him and want to keep it, I would recommend setting up another tank for him and putting him in the sump and rearrangement your tank and put the tang back in once all your fish are in that you want.

 

[Dmorty217]

They get pretty large for a 200g tank and at this point the aggressive behavior won't go away. I would revoke the fish if possible.

 

[Coffeeinbed]

I had a small Atlantic tang and it was the most aggressive tang I've ever owned. More aggressive than a Yellow.

Good riddance to the Atlantic.

Could have been just an unusual specimen but - never again for me.

 

[pinnatus]

You will always have some fish that will be aggressive when adding a new fish. It is they way they are. I suggest learning how to defuse the situation. The mirror trick is one way, but not the only way.

Other ways are -

1. Add the new fish in an acclimatization box. They get to see the newcomer, the newcomer gets to see the other fish. Within a few days they get used to each other and you let them go.

2. If possible, re-arrange the rock work. I find this to be the best method, but I don't have corals to worry about so it is really easy for me. When you move all the rocks around, it re-sets the territory and everyone starts out on an even foot.

3. Put some large scary object in the tank, like a fish net or a big sheet of egg crate. The new fish can take refuge near it and the established fish are scared of it.

4. As stated above, remove the offender and put in the sump for a few days. Then when re-introduced, he is the newcomer. Of course, then he may get bullied.

Usually aggression subsides in a couple of days and the fish become best friends.