Yellow Tang Harassing Flame Angel

[CC-Star]

Has anyone encountered their Yellow Tang being an angry aggressor fish?

He bothered my Royal Gramma a tad when I bought him, but he was able to get into smaller crevices and hide from the Yellow Tang.

But I just bought a Flame Angel and he chases him around the rocks and will back up and slap the Flame Angel with his back fin. He will not let the Flame Angel rest and I am afraid he will stress the Flame Angel to death.

Does anyone know if this will stop in time or should I return the Flame Angel before he stresses out and passing away?

 

[Tackett]

Hmm, if he doesnt start to behave himself you might have a problem. Tangs are agressive, some more than others, and alot of times ends up depending on the individual fish. You seem to have gotten an extra mean one. Im afraid if you dont take back the angel, you may wind up finding him on the bottom of the tank with his intestines hanging out. Give it a few days and watch him though, but I doubt that the yellow will ease off. sorry.

 

[CC-Star]

I wonder if we took back the Yellow Tang and got another one...

When we had just 2xpercs, 1-firefish and added the Yellow Tang then he was shy, hiding and left them alone and always have. But any new tank mates, Royal Gramma, and now the Flame he harrasses them. So hmm wonder if taking him back and adding a new one would be like starting him off being timid. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Anonymous]

In a lot of cases, a pre-established tang (or other species for that matter) can exhibit aggression towards newcomers. Tangs are fish that are best added last to a community tank. Your thinking is sound, and it may not be necessary to trade the tang, but rather just remove it to another tank for a few days, allowing the angel to settle in. The aggression may taper off once the tang sees the angel is not a threat, but if not, be prepared to remove one of them.

 

[CC-Star]

Alright

Thanks for your opinion

Will try it out

 

[Anonymous]

Here's an old Cichlid keeping trick you can try. Take the aggressive fish out of the tank for a few days and rearrange the rockwork a bit to sort of break up the territory. When you put him back in he may act better.

 

[CC-Star]

Ya I just called the LFS to see if they would exchange the YT for a new on he said on the condition i try changing my aquascaping. I wanted to put my YT in my QT tank but unfor. the nitrates are sky high....

So hmmm i dunno if changing it with him in there will do anything...

man what a pain

 

[Anonymous]

How high is high? Can you change a bunch of water in the Qtank or even
set up another one? After all, we're only talking 2-3 days then back he goes to the main tank.

 

[CC-Star]

It is in the 2-2.5 mg/L side, and the Bottled Water Store (where I get R/O water) is closed today....

So i guess I am forced to change the aquascape with him in the tank...

I just can not take another minute of him chasing my poor Flame Angel around tears my heart out to see it. Well here goes nothing, if that does not work then I will try again during the week by putting in in the QT (when a water change is possible) for a couple days and then re-arrange again.
So...here goes nothing....

 

[CC-Star]

Didnt work...oh well was worth a try.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear that.

 

[Anonymous]

Good luck next time!! Many of us have been this before...it is always tough on the reefer.

 

[CC-Star]

Apparently the Flame Angel has Ich....sigh today is just not my day.

Well I am 100% sure it does anyhow..fine white spots. It is still very active, eating etc...doesnt seem to be itching himself along the rock but ..still the fine white dots are a dead give away.

Since I have never encountered this issue yet before...If i catch him and get him back into my QT (2morrow once I am able to get some RO water), is there just a ich medication drops to administer?? And how long would that last??

booo what a weekend

 

[Mihai]

My yellow tang also harrased my mandarin and still does, but less than in the beginning.

M.

 

[fishfanatic2]

In a QT tank you can add any of the many ich medications as long as you never plan on really putting any inverts in there. Otherwise you could try Malachite green, I think if you remove the tang for a while and put him back in after the flame settles they will be OK.

GL

 

[CC-Star]

Update:
Got Ro Water....got my QT alll ready to go so putting the Flame Angel in there and using "Cupramine" that will hopefully solve the ich problem.

So praying that he survives I have to plan my next step (i guess 2 weeks from now)

Either:
1) Take out the Yellow Tang before I put in the Flame Angel and return him to the fish store for another.
2) Take out the Yellow Tang before I put in the Flame Angel and then put him in the QT tank....(problem with this one is that the QT tank will have the CUramine and could be high in Nitrates at that point).

Hmmmm

 

[Anonymous]

CC, how big is your q-tank? What about doing large(r) water changes regularly to keep the 'trates down? You keep referring to a high 'trate count in your Qtank and THAT ain't good for trying to cure your Flame Angel!

 

[CC-Star]

Qt Tank - 10gal

High Nitrates bc I had never cleaned it from leftover fish food from when I had my last fish in it...

So I dumped it 2nite washed it out whipped off sides and such to make sure all is clean. Then I took 10 gal from my 55 and put it in the QT tank. Checked paramters all is good temp, nit, etc..sal little lower but that is good thing when trying to cure ich or so i keep hearing. (not to low but tad lower than main). Then I added new water to the 55 and such.

It took SOoooooooooooooo super long to catch the Flame Angel..but I have him in the QT and he is swimming happily around (not breathing heavy or anyhting). We put the Cupramine in so hopefully that solves it ...man never had ich before so I hope I can help the poor guy.

Main tank is now all re-arranged for the millionth time (thanks to trying to catch the Flamer). And all tankmates are accounted for and well.

 

[Anonymous]

The problem I see (it just occured to me) is that the angel with Ich was in your main tank, which could be bad for all the fish still left in there.

You may want to start another thread regarding the Ich and see if you can't get more opinions...I haven't had a case in a marine tank in years so I'm not sure what the prevailing thought is now.

 

[CC-Star]

Ya it suxs....

Thanks :/

I made a post
http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=708355#708355

Titled: Ich and its effects on the whole aquarium

I just hope it didnt affect any other fish, and that hte Flame Angel makes it.. Then I will be forced to make my decision on what to do w. the Yellow Tang. (Scenario 1 or 2).