I Got A Boxing Match!!!

[75bownut]

ok I have a powder blue tang, (medium in size) been in my tank for like a month, put in a new purple tang (small) and the fight was on!
Not really a fight tho the powder was pissed off big time with white stipes flashing down its sides like a zebra!!! Chased the new guy in a corner and wont let him out.
So I tried to feed , didnt work, Then I shut down lights that worked but Im afraid come mourning the fight will flare up again???!!?? Question 1# what are the chances of them ever getting along?
2# Is this a dominance thing or a serious im gonna kill you thing.
How long would you give them to hammer out there differences???The tank is a 120.LOts of rock work etc... :notsure: :help:

 

[michaeltx]

not sire tangs are territorial and alot of times once the lights go out its a new day when adding fish I always jsut the lights off till the next day so it will help them from pickin on the new guy. I would just watch tomorrow when lights come on and see if they are still battling if so you might have to remove the new addition. maybe they will be more calm tomorrow for you cant really say though sometimes fish are funny that way
wish you the best
Mike

 

[ginarox]

good luck on catching him if you need to remove him,,i have a dragon goby , i have been trying to get him out,,but he is fast...i am not going to give up though....good luck...have a great night.

 

[reefiness]

i would try to rearange the rockwork while the lights are off if possible, and if that doesnt work i would try to get the purple out and either get a bigger one or dont get another one.

 

[zoboo2]

I have a yellow tang that was in my tank for about a month before I added a sailfin tang of similar size, at first the yellow was a real butthead to the new guy, always chasing him and whipping his tail around at him but after about a week they were getting along great and now the yellow swims next to the sailfin like they are buddies and there has been no more fighting. So I hope that is what will happen with your fish.

 

[seannmelly]

I had 3 yellow tangs beat the day lights out of a hippo a little bigger then them for a week. After about a week, they left him alone. I just added a hippo Friday, and my purple was mad, but didn't attack him like I thought he would. Right now the Hippo instigates. It all depends on the fish. I've heard of a purple tang being in a tank for a while, and then a sohal added, and now the sohal won't let the purple on "his" side of the tank.

 

[acrylic51]

It's not uncommon to see that behavior IMO as seanmelly pointed out......Whenever you make any additions to your tank, try to turn the lights down to give the new guy a fair chance.....I would also try rearranging some of the rockwork as suggested to shake the Powder up a bit......I would watch them closely and doubt you catch either, but I think they'll live together, but they'll know just how far to push each other......
I had my Achilles go after my Purple for over a week and the Achilles was the last addition.....