AGGRESSIVE POWDER BLUE

yas2903

Member
Just purchased a powder blue that i think is like a trigger fish. He doesn't let my naso or purple tangs swim in peace. He swims around the tank at 100 mph every time he passes them he tail whips them and my purple staying in one spot now hope he doesn't get stress. anyone now of this behavior never seen it before in powder blue they say they r the lease aggressive.
 

tangs rule

Active Member
My PBT is kinda aggressive too - he has acted aggressive for short periods in the past, esp when adding a new tang or pairing him with another tang. Usually he calms down after the first hour or so. Lights off, feeding, re-arranging the tank, maybe catching the PB and reintrodcing him after another hour or so, can all help. And they are far from being the least aggressive tang, more in the middle of the pack.
 

yas2903

Member
tell me about it he on my last nerve. 2 day are gone and nothing. i thought he will calm down but wow if my naso picking at rocks he moves them and picks that spot same with purple. he's stunning but might have to say good bye. all PBT cant be this way.
 

aquaknight

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by yas2903 http:///forum/thread/386780/aggressive-powder-blue#post_3399098

AGGRESSIVE POWDER BLUE

Nothing new with that one.... How Powder Blues have recently developed the moniker that they are one of the less aggressive tangs is beyond me (and it's just not whoever told you that). A "true Acanthurus
tang" by definition, makes them one of the more aggressive tangs....
I think threads titled "aggressive powder blue" on all the different reef/fish forums on the internet, falls just behind "Why is my yellow tang beating up my Copperband" in popularity...
 

yas2903

Member
What would be the best option for me besides sell him. Thinking of advice by( tangs rule)THANKS about reintroducing but tried to net him out and it does not look as easy as it looks in the LFS. Another wrong advice taking by me is if tangs kept in odd numbers will work. WRONG, THERE STILL GOING AT IT.My Naso and purple are fine with each other its just PBT.
 

java1

Member
What I like about Bang Guy:
1. His favorite toy is a toilet plunger
2. He made out with beth in sasquatch's forest
3. He terrorizes Mars
4. He is a [Fill in the Blank]
5. He turns my eyes into holes
6. He reminds me of BTLDReef
 

jerry050321111

New Member
What would be the best option for me besides sell him. Thinking of advice by( tangs rule)THANKS about reintroducing but tried to net him out and it does not look as easy as it looks in the LFS. Another wrong advice taking by me is if tangs kept in odd numbers will work. WRONG, THERE STILL GOING AT IT.My Naso and purple are fine with each other its just PBT.
 

btldreef

Moderator
Your best option is probably still to catch him, so keep at it. Try only feeding the tank with your hands in it. This has really helped with my fish. They're completely desensitized to the idea of my hand now and associate it with food, so it makes catching them much easier. This doesn't take long to train them either.
You can also try rearranging the rock work and leaving the lights off for a day or two.
Powder Blues, like mentioned above are one of the more aggressive tangs. They're beautiful, but the aggression is one of the things that has made me stay away from them.
 

yas2903

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/386780/aggressive-powder-blue#post_3399589
Your best option is probably still to catch him, so keep at it. Try only feeding the tank with your hands in it. This has really helped with my fish. They're completely desensitized to the idea of my hand now and associate it with food, so it makes catching them much easier. This doesn't take long to train them either.
You can also try rearranging the rock work and leaving the lights off for a day or two.
Powder Blues, like mentioned above are one of the more aggressive tangs. They're beautiful, but the aggression is one of the things that has made me stay away from them.
Wow aggressive more like a bully. They say about the lights being off but when my living room lights come on everyone sleeping i feel he's worst. Today he went after my Naso and purple tangs fins while they were on the sand bed there body's then turned white with dots. Stared to chase him with a flash light he went nuts and calmed down. If leave lights off wont that throw off PH. I added him last to. He has gotten a little better but it that he goes for fins and tail what drive me crazy want to throw him in fuge but will it help. Tried that with a Trigger no luck rocks are to well arrange trying to stay away from that
 

btldreef

Moderator

[list type=decimal][/list type=decimal]
BTLDREEF THAT PHARMACY THING WAS BIG OVER THERE WHERE U LIVE RIGHT.
Yes, I live about 1/2 mile from there and the gunman lived 3 blocks from me. It was a scary few days until they caught him, my husband would not letme walk the dog by myself. So sad too!
Where in NY are you?
Lights off can throw off pH, but if you have a fuge, you can usually keep it at a constant, you might just have to run the fuge light longer. This sounds silly, but saltwater fish can learn. If you stay on top of the behavior, sometimes they'll stop doing it. Of course, this is a last ditch effort. If he's bullying/hunting your other tangs at night, that's a problem that needs to get addressed. Definitely try to bump up feedings, keep your hand I. The tank when you feed. I've noticed that heavier feeding/more frequent small feedings can help with aggression, just make sure you have a strong CUC. With your handin there, your fish will get more used to it and it willbe easier to catch him if he is still an issue. I've went as far as pushing a fish away during a feeding so that a more timid fish could eat, and even doing that enough times makes some bullies calm down.
Good luck!
 

yas2903

Member
Wow 3 blocks away u must have been stunned when u found out huh. Good thing your husband didn't let u walk the dog alone shows how much he loves and care about u. Good thing they did catch him quick because he seemed out of his mine lord knows what that man was capable of he had no sympathy for human life. Yes it was very very sad for every who lost there lives over a Fein. I'm located in NYC .
 

yas2903

Member
Yes they are used to my hand feeding its just the PBT that not familiar with it hope with time he will. I will try the light trick but as i said he's very mean at night and dont know how long my purple can put up with it. He's staying away in a corner and not moving much, but he does still eat so thats ok. Its not silly because he is getting better when i chase him with the flash light he knows he doing wrong and he calms down a bit. They do learn because when my PBT tang is fussy my purple comes to the corner where i am sitting and the PBT doesn't come no where near it's amazing makes me love them more and more. Thanks for taking time answering my post.
 

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by yas2903 http:///forum/thread/386780/aggressive-powder-blue#post_3400177
BTLDREEFS. what's your fish stocking list.
I just upgraded from a 155 to a 180, and changed out a whole bunch of fish so my current stocklist is:
Pair of Blue Star Leopard Wrasses
Blonde Naso Tang (female)
Purple Tang (juvenile)
Copperband Butterfly
Yellow Belly Hippo Tang (juvenile - eventually will got thrown in a FOWLR that I want to set up in my entrance way)
3 PJ Cardinals
Tail Spot Blenny
Black Combtooth Blenny (will eventually go in a FOWLR since it likes to perch on my corals and kill them!)
Sleeper Banded Bullet Goby
Coral Beauty
Aiptasia Eating Filefish
Cleaner Wrasse
I'd like to add:
a trio of Resplendent Anthias or Red Saddle Anthias
Borbonious Anthias (my husband insists on having this stupid fish)
Yellow Candy Hogfish
Rhomboid Fairy Wrasse (If I can find a trio, I will do a trip and skip the Hogfish and a flasher)
McCosker's Flasher (still pissed that my last one jumped!)
Orange Spotted Filefish (Possibly if I can successfully convert another one to frozen)
In the refugium I have a mated pair of Ocellaris Clownfish, a Yasha Goby and a Pistol Shrimp. The goby/pistol will eventually go in their own nano tank.
Here's my 180 thread: https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/forum/thread/385998/btldreef-s-180-tank-build
The only other tank that is setup at the moment is my 14G, which is about to be upgraded today to a 30T for my Kuda Seahorses and 2 baby Blue Line Pipefish and my female filefish. Once they're in the 30G, I can play with the 14G again and look for another filefish to wean, if my husband doesn't sell the tank first, hahaha. I know he already put it up for sale on ManhattanReefs this morning because he doesn't want me getting any more fish right now.
 

yas2903

Member
LOL LOL LMAO..............If he doesn't sell the tank........
I have same problem with my girl they just don't understand our addiction
.He should sell them if u wont let him have the Anthias. that the least u can do for him putting up with u and the fishes. He must get mad when u say let go to the pet store. He must say again LoL....... Tell him that why you love him.
 

yas2903

Member
I'm very upset with u why did u give a link to your 180 build. thanks to u and that awesome tank i went to bed at 6 am
. Tank look great love it
 
S

saxman

Guest
As AquaKnight mentioned, and as you're finding out, powder blues are about as bad as tangs come in terms of getting "cabin fever"...they pace incessantly and get really cranky. I didn't see a mention as to your tank size, but maybe I missed it. Altho the PB is about my fave tang, they really need a 8-10 foot tank or more.
 

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///forum/thread/386780/aggressive-powder-blue#post_3400477
As AquaKnight mentioned, and as you're finding out, powder blues are about as bad as tangs come in terms of getting "cabin fever"...they pace incessantly and get really cranky. I didn't see a mention as to your tank size, but maybe I missed it. Altho the PB is about my fave tang, they really need a 8-10 foot tank or more.
I believe it's a standard 180G
 
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