Biota Tangs Fighting!!!

TinnysReef · Apr 1, 2024

I introduced my baby Biota yellow tangs to my display tank last week. They're still relatively small, just under 2". Everyone was doing great, getting along - there are 9 of them in a 7' long tank with lots of hiding places. There were mild posturing but no real fights going on until last night. 2 of them seem to hate each other! This morning I noticed that those 2 have little cuts on them

. It's not constant, but 2 of them really aren't getting along.

I don't think I could catch them if I wanted to. They're still so timid I doubt they'd get in a fish trap. Also, if I took one out, would the remaining aggressor just pick on his next least favorite?

Any suggestions??

I attached a video of the little guys going at it. Ugh!!

i cant think · Apr 1, 2024

TinnysReef said:
I introduced my baby Biota yellow tangs to my display tank last week. They're still relatively small, just under 2". Everyone was doing great, getting along - there are 9 of them in a 7' long tank with lots of hiding places. There were mild posturing but no real fights going on until last night. 2 of them seem to hate each other! This morning I noticed that those 2 have little cuts on them . It's not constant, but 2 of them really aren't getting along.

I don't think I could catch them if I wanted to. They're still so timid I doubt they'd get in a fish trap. Also, if I took one out, would the remaining aggressor just pick on his next least favorite?

Any suggestions??

I attached a video of the little guys going at it. Ugh!!

I honestly find these are tangs that we can’t really keep in groups without expecting fighting. Even some of the biggest groups in much larger tanks seem to kill the weakest off. It’s a never ending cycle until the last few remain.

Honestly, the only thing you can do with this scenario is let time take its course or intervene and take the aggressor out.

blecki · Apr 1, 2024

9 tangs?? Might not seem overstocked now while they are little but that is a lot when the tangs are full size.

Anyway, as long as all fish are eating, I would do - nothing. They're gonna joust. That's just how tangs are.

Lbrdsoxfan · Apr 1, 2024

blecki said:
9 tangs?? Might not seem overstocked now while they are little but that is a lot when the tangs are full size.

Anyway, as long as all fish are eating, I would do - nothing. They're gonna joust. That's just how tangs are.

This. Tangs doing what tangs do...

I have a pair of yellows along with a purple, the yellows go at it for a few days at a time, a few times a year. Usually kick the crap out of each other and themselves and back to normal for months @ a time. It's all about how much you can tolerate and how much the fish will thunderdome themselves.

TinnysReef · Apr 1, 2024

Lbrdsoxfan said:
This. Tangs doing what tangs do...

I have a pair of yellows along with a purple, the yellows go at it for a few days at a time, a few times a year. Usually kick the crap out of each other and themselves and back to normal for months @ a time. It's all about how much you can tolerate and how much the fish will thunderdome themselves.

It isn't constant or persistent so hopefully they reach a pecking order amongst themselves. I'm surprised they're like this after just one month and being so tiny. I thought if they "grew up together" they'd behave a bit better.

blecki · Apr 2, 2024

Have you met siblings?

TinnysReef · Apr 2, 2024

OK so I spent way too long watching YouTube videos last night on this and ended up taping a mirror up to the side of the tank. It seems like the 3 little guys with personality disorders are taking out their egos on the bullies in the mirror. On one of the videos they kept the mirror up for a month ... might give that a try and maybe they'll get all (or most of) the angry out of their systems enough to be a happy school again.