What can I get to go with a bully bristletooth Tang

[SakuraSky]

I tried to restock my tank and out of the 5 fish I ordered 1 has survived
I have a 90g Fowler (+ hermits, snails and urchins)
And the white tail bristletooth tang is thinking the entire tank is his and he's very aggressive towards the right fish. (He was the last survivor after all my old fish passed) My red headed solon fairy wrasse gets along swell, he doesn't get bothered and is bold. But the tang has killed my Starry blenny and hawkfish. Pretty much bullied them to death.
So I only have 2 fish.
What are my options? I have a heni on holdback at DR that they still owe me.
But now I'm not sure cause the tang thinks he's king

What can I buy that will stand up to him?
I need more fish

 

[Jekyl]

Placing the aggressor in an acclimation box for a couple weeks or redoing the landscape can help. Also have heard of mirrors working.

With the death going on in the tank I would also recommend a quarantine procedure to rule out disease being the cause.

 

[Lavey29]

Change your rock around a little as you add a couple fish. Tang will think it's a new environment and probably balance out territory

 

[SakuraSky]

Change your rock around a little as you add a couple fish. Tang will think it's a new environment and probably balance out territory

I just changed the rockwork sadly and he's still at it the rock work is pretty intricate so before I added the new fish I re- did it and that didn't help he went right back to being all territorial

 

[SakuraSky]

Placing the aggressor in an acclimation box for a couple weeks or redoing the landscape can help. Also have heard of mirrors working.

With the death going on in the tank I would also recommend a quarantine procedure to rule out disease being the cause.

The acclimation box could work if I can catch him! Sadly I already tried the landscape thing, didn't work
I have paper against the glass because he is constantly glass surfing otherwise.
Before I added the new fish he was the only one in the tank for 4 months and the tank went through treatment just in case and the new fish were fully QT by Dr reef so I know there is no disease at play. The wrasse is fine (the only fish from the shipment that lived) because he doesn't bully the wrasse

 

[Lavey29]

I just changed the rockwork sadly and he's still at it the rock work is pretty intricate so before I added the new fish I re- did it and that didn't help he went right back to being all territorial

Bummer, can you show a tank pic

 

[nereefpat]

Ctenochaetus genus tangs hate lawnmower type blennies, including starry blennies. The hawkfish is a little more surprising.

I don't think adding the butterfly will go well in a 90 gallon, but you could get lucky.

Tangs and wrasses don't seem to notice each other, in my experience.

 

[SakuraSky]

Ctenochaetus genus tangs hate lawnmower type blennies, including starry blennies. The hawkfish is a little more surprising.

I don't think adding the butterfly will go well in a 90 gallon, but you could get lucky.

Tangs and wrasses don't seem to notice each other, in my experience.

Yeah I learned that about the blenny sadly, the previous one he lived with was fine but was in the tank before he was and was a lot larger.

If I can't keep a heni then he's got to go. I love him but if he's going to pretty much destroy any of my other favorite fish he's out lol
I love hawkfish and I love blennies but Heni butterfly are my favorite. The heni he lived with before was 12yrs old and twice his size and ive been wanting to get another after my old ones passing.
Thank you for your input

 

[Naekuh]

Foxface Lo...

But i would put a mirror next to your tank for a couple of days to keep the tang occupied while the foxface finds a place in your tank to hold its ground.

Then after a couple of days, the foxface and tang will be BFF's, and even have the occasional BFF fight, but nothing too serious.

A Powder Blue Tang might work, but that will end up being even more of a nightmare then your white tail.

 

[xWascallyWabbit]

Fox Face, remove fish( quarantine) change scape, acclimating box all good choices. Plenty of options to control the aggression. There was a great video with Than (tidal gardens) and the fish guy (name escapes me at the moment) he touches on the subject a bit I'd watch that and create a plan. It can definitely be solved with some patience and understanding

 

[xWascallyWabbit]

Fox Face, remove fish( quarantine) change scape, acclimating box all good choices. Plenty of options to control the aggression. There was a great video with Than (tidal gardens) and the fish guy (name escapes me at the moment) he touches on the subject a bit I'd watch that and create a plan. It can definitely be solved with some patience and understanding

Found it

 

[SakuraSky]

Foxface Lo...

But i would put a mirror next to your tank for a couple of days to keep the tang occupied while the foxface finds a place in your tank to hold its ground.

Then after a couple of days, the foxface and tang will be BFF's, and even have the occasional BFF fight, but nothing too serious.

A Powder Blue Tang might work, but that will end up being even more of a nightmare then your white tail.

I did have plans to get another foxface, as I had an older one originally. I was hoping that would be on the safer list
I can try the mirror thing, although, he already sees his reflection in the glass and I have paper up because he was just none stop glass surfing at his reflection.

Definitely no more tangs for me though lol I tried to pick the least aggressive tang species :')

 

[crazyfishmom]

I normally go the other way with tangs. More tangs means displaced aggression and your other fish get less attention.

 

[SakuraSky]

I normally go the other way with tangs. More tangs means displaced aggression and your other fish get less attention.

Oof I'd hate to take that chance though and have them fight or something, if it was a larger tank I'd absolutely go for it. There are many tang species I love but my tank is too small for a lot of them.
Just out of curiosity, what would you consider pairing with a white tail bristletooth in a 90g?

 

[crazyfishmom]

Blue eyed Kole, flame fin tomini, yellow, and of course can’t forget scopas… many great options.

 

[dank.reefer]

Shoot it's a FOWLR? There are so many cool fish out there that are not reef safe. Lion fish, triggers, puffers, eels, several of the wrasses, large angels. Show him whos boss get someone meaner.

 

[Naekuh]

no tomini... they are NASTY as well.

I had one kill a baby Hippo, and would not leave my baby foxface alone until i did the time out thing in my sump for a couple of days.

IF you want more fish, id get rid of the Tang.

I have a Tomini... and well, it stresses me out sometimes when i add something new.
But lucky im done stocking my fish.

The only real aggression i have now is my Anthias doing there pecking order, and my chromis pairs which try to kill each other off constantly, yet get broken up by my male Anthias telling them to bugger off.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

What are my options?

Removing/rehoming the tang is one good one. I'm not sure the intimidation/overstocking/fighting fire with fire suggestions are as good as getting the fish into some more appropriate tank where it can do its thing. You mentioned that it is pacing -- it is clearly not happy in there (little wonder -- 90g is marginal at best for tangs).

You've noted that you realize the tank is too small for more tangs; follow your intuition on that. It apparently isn't even big enough for the one you have.

 

[125mph]

How big is the white tail? Is it really that much of a bully? I thought they only aggressive towards other tangs.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I tried to restock my tank and out of the 5 fish I ordered 1 has survived
I have a 90g Fowler (+ hermits, snails and urchins)
And the white tail bristletooth tang is thinking the entire tank is his and he's very aggressive towards the right fish. (He was the last survivor after all my old fish passed) My red headed solon fairy wrasse gets along swell, he doesn't get bothered and is bold. But the tang has killed my Starry blenny and hawkfish. Pretty much bullied them to death.
So I only have 2 fish.
What are my options? I have a heni on holdback at DR that they still owe me.
But now I'm not sure cause the tang thinks he's king

What can I buy that will stand up to him?
I need more fish

Having many tangs, rarely do tangs change their habits. Other tangs that wont put up with aggression are clown tang, purple, sailfin and lavender as examples however isolate the white tail allowing new fish to settle in prior to release