Can’t add new fish to tank with established tomini tang. Suggestions needed.

[Baronen]

Hi there. I’ve got a juvenile tomini tang and he has become quite the bully to new comers. The first fish I added after him was a yellow assesor and he chased him into hiding for a week to the point where I thought he was dead. A week later the assesor came out and the tang doesn’t even look at it anymore. I added 4 fish on Friday (2 wrasse, 1 sunburst Anthias and a yellow jawfish) and the tang bullies the fairy wrasse and Anthias until death. I tried the mirror trick. Put a net by its area and nothing really worked. Short of giving back the tang what other tricks are there? It seems like once you’re in, you’re in. He doesn’t care about the other wrasse. Would an acclimation tank work? Could I temporarily set up another tank with the tang and allow the new fish to adjust and then put him back in?

 

[i cant think]

Hi there. I’ve got a juvenile tomini tang and he has become quite the bully to new comers. The first fish I added after him was a yellow assesor and he chased him into hiding for a week to the point where I thought he was dead. A week later the assesor came out and the tang doesn’t even look at it anymore. I added 4 fish on Friday (2 wrasse, 1 sunburst Anthias and a yellow jawfish) and the tang bullies the fairy wrasse and Anthias until death. I tried the mirror trick. Put a net by its area and nothing really worked. Short of giving back the tang what other tricks are there? It seems like once you’re in, you’re in. He doesn’t care about the other wrasse. Would an acclimation tank work? Could I temporarily set up another tank with the tang and allow the new fish to adjust and then put him back in?

How big is the tank?

 

[exnisstech]

Acclimation box may work but I would put the aggressor in not the new fish. Better yet is if you can temporarily remove the tang but not an option for everyone.
What size tank do you have?

 

[Baronen]

Reefer 350 so 4 foot about 75 gallons. Like 92 total. Lightly stocked. No other big bodied fish which is why he keyed in on the Anthias.

 

[Baronen]

Acclimation box may work but I would put the aggressor in not the new fish. Better yet is if you can temporarily remove the tang but not an option for everyone.
What size tank do you have?

I’ve got a small house but my fiancée was cool with me putting a 10 gallon in her office to try and nurse the Anthias back to life. Unfortunately it passed this morning but if I try again I might try and catch the tang and keep him in there for a week to throw him off his game

 

[Baronen]

Do you guys think that is my best option?

 

[bensoo00]

I think reintroducing the tang last and getting all the other fish you want in there would be optimal because he probably set up his territory as the big fella of the tank is the impression I get with the bully tangs. My scopas tang is exactly like that and tried to chase a new diamond watchman goby that was bigger than him until the goby flared his gills and the scopas tang ran away lol! anyway I just took the scopas out because it was boxing with the desjardini too much but I think that removing the aggressor if the mirror trick doesn't work is the best option and reintroduce him after letting all the less aggressive fish find their space around the tank. good luck!

 

[Nano_Man]

Yep fish with territories I ve had 2 domino damsals a couple of years and what ever you put in the tank they bully and then kill them . I have just rehomed them because there's a lot of peaceful fish out there to buy. Now my tank has nice peaceful fish in it and that's what a marine tank is all about. Stressed fish is not good. Its so strange after 2 years seeing my tank so peaceful and my fish just going about there business

 

[TX_REEF]

I’d put him in an acclimation box hung inside the main tank. I had a similar issue where my established coral beauty was viciously attacking a new yellow tang on sight to the point of visible fin damage. I left the coral beauty in the quarantine box for 2 weeks, and viola, time out made him be nice

 

[bureau13]

You might not have the room for this, but I had a mimic tang that was pretty aggressive to new fish. I added a bristeltooth tang, they squared off for about half a day and then settled down like their fast friends. They pretty much ignore the other fish now.

 

[CBonito]

I miss having certain tangs, but I don't miss all the Neurotic BS that comes along with them.
Definitely remove him for a while and reintroduce him AFTER you have what fish you want in there.
But it's 50/50. The moment you add him back in he may pick up right where he left off though...