Powder Blue Tang aggressive?

[7up]

I have a 75 gal with ~55lbs LR and assorted corals. Fish = 2 percs in an anemone, bicolor angel and a Kole tang. I added a powder blue but was worried about everybody getting along so I removed the Kole first then introduced the powder. My hope was when I reintroduced the Kole, the Powder would feel established and not get pushed around by the Kole.
Well, the bicolor must not have been happy with the arrangement. He and the Powder started sparing and did not stop for 20 minutes. I was concerned that the fish would get so stressed that there would be secondary problems with them. I canceled the experiment by moving the Powder and Kole back to their previous tanks.
Is there any hope of adding these fish all together or is it hopeless. I could do without the Kole but wanted to keep the bicolor and powder.
[ June 20, 2001: Message edited by: 7up ]

 

[dugan]

IMO that may be too many big fish for one space. One thing you could try is rearranging the rock so that they are all scoping out new territories at the same time.
Katie

 

[jimi]

In a larger tank there would be hope. Powders need room, where is he now?

 

[grouperhead]

powders are notorious ick magnets as well. hope the fighting didnt allow anything to get to him. powders can be very mean and as jimi said need room, i would say 100-125 gallons. bo

 

[7up]

Powder is currently in a 20g quarantine with two damsels. For some reason he seems very happy there. Even this morning he was eating just fine after his boxing match last night and multiple tank transfers.
I could rearrange the rock but since that may still not work... he may have to go. Too bad, he is a very beautiful fish with lots of character and color.
Would a yellow tang work instead of the powder?
Anybody in St. Louis want to buy a Powder blue?

 

[brinkdrum]

Sorry, but i just wouldn't try it. The powder blues are tough and even when added last tend to be territorial with other tangs in anything less than 90 gallons. I remember we once tried a powder blue with a good sized asfur angel at my work (I work at a LFS) and even then in a 75gal tank, the powder was rubbing against the angel trying to show dominance. I would think that in that sized tank the results could be dissasterous. IMO take the powder blue back, he's bound to get ich in that tank, whether it's from the size or from his tankmates.
I'm sorry, but for an expensive fish like that, it's just not worth the risk.

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

Ok - you got the fish and you need them to get along - at least a little bit. Here's the process, you should always acclimate your fish to their new surroundings with the lights off so the existing fish don't know who's new.
Watch out for the ICK

 

[dr. jay]

If you'll ship him to New York, I'll buy it from you