I hate my clown tang

Salty Dog · Jun 19, 2011

I have a clown tang in my 230g display and I wish he would drop dead. He is a bully and dont stop all day long, he makes the other fish misrable.
I just put another sohal in yesterday and the clown wouldnt stop attacking him. I woke up and checked out the display,lights were off. I could see the clown still chasing him. the sohal was gasping heavy, I was able to scope him out very easy and put him into my frag system. I really dont like having fish in my frag system but he would have dyed.
I might have to sell the sohal. I will try to trap the clown if I can he is gone

Reef lvr · Jun 19, 2011

I had the same problem once mine was mature. Even started eating my lps, out the door he went.. was a shame after 6 years and sooooo beautiful. Good luck with what you decide!!

Reef UP · Jun 19, 2011

One of your big problems is first it's not a good idea to mix those two tangs because they are both of the same family and both are some of the most aggressive tangs you could ever have I'd say pick one or the other but the sohal will be just as aggressive if not more so than the clown when he gets big not the clowns fault he was there first right?

Pike614 · Jun 19, 2011

Been there...sold mine off to another reefer. Mine was a good tankmate, then suddenly decided to be a bully (in a 450g tank). I broke down and got another one about a year later, this time I added a tiny one! He went into a tank with a bunch of other tangs...achilles, Powder blue, naso blonde, fowleri, yelloy, hippo...ect...but they were all 5"+ so he tried to bully buy was quickly put in his place.

Salty Dog · Jun 19, 2011

so sad, such pretty fish and always an issue, sucks enough that butterfly fish cant be kept in a reef

pickupman66 · Jun 20, 2011

Those fish are way to similar to house together. and yes, the Clowns are very aggressive. I have a 10" sohal in my tank and just recently added a 2.3" atlantic blue. the Sohal was as nonchalant as the naso tang about it. barely raised a fin. alot of tang aggression is also the fish itself. I have seen yellows that are the biggest junkyard dogs in one tank, and another identical sized fish in another that is passive and friendly. My sohal is a puppy dog. just dont go after him like my old purple did. Madehim pay with a Nasty scar.

dnov99 · Jun 20, 2011

Had the same problem with a clown tang. I nicknamed him Satan, he was truly evil, would eat my LPS and fight with my PBT and black tang all day. I have never hated a fish so much and he was smart as could be, I could never trap him. I finally was able to hook him one day to my pure delight. All my fish have been much healthier since he was out of the tank. Trust me get the clown tang out!!!

revhtree · Jun 20, 2011

For now find the biggest mirror you can find and stick it on the tank. The tang will be so obsessed with the "new" look a like that he will leave the others alone.

caudill187 · Jun 20, 2011

Reading the above, I'm glad that somehow I have been able to resist my urges to add one of these beauties to my display.

This sounds crazy and probably is....but a friend of mine told me that if two fish are fighting, one can put them both in a bucket of tank water and swirl them like crazy. I'm told this will stop them from fighting the theory being that having been through such a traumatic experience together causes them to buddy up?

pickupman66 · Jun 20, 2011

Like Finding Nemo right? LOL. Never heard of that.

caudill187 · Jun 21, 2011

Finding Nemo was based on a true story. LOL

Viva'sReef · Jun 21, 2011

Same here. Had a clown for years. Was my favorite fish. Finally had to get rid of him for eating zoas and bullying every fish in the tank.

xcorallusx · Jun 23, 2011

I tried a clown tang a year ago in my 90 and wouldnt eat for the first week and a half. After that he was pretty skinny and started eating brine/mysis. He didnt make it but another week. He was small and I think he would have done better in a larger tank. I upgraded to a 350 and have a 8" sohal. I used the mirror trick and it keeps them busy but I think it can eventually kill them if used too long, because they try to mess with it day and night. I have other tangs that the sohal chases occasionally but the one fish he doesnt like is my foxface. He will chase him sometimes and pick at his spikes.

Salty Dog · Jun 23, 2011

well if mine suddenly died the tank would be much happier

revhtree · Jun 23, 2011

Did you try the mirror trick?

Reef UP · Jun 23, 2011

The mirror trick what is this rev? You speak of!

pickupman66 · Jun 23, 2011

Strange how the two tangs can differ greatly. My Sohal is a puppy dog. barely cared when I added my atlantic blue (albeit the blue was 2.5" compared to the 10" sohal). My Sohal shares the tank with a 7-8" naso as well and I have never seen the sohal go after her. they regularly swim together and both eat nori from my hand at the same time. He harrasses me more than anyone else by biting my fingers when I am working in the tank or hangin out right in front of me when I try to look at my corals up close. <--- that annoys my wife!:ah:

xcorallusx · Jun 23, 2011

My pbt would never leave the mirror day or night, but it also gave the orange shoulder tang time to get established after going into the DT. Before adding the mirror, the PBT would chase him into the rockwork. The little orange shoulder was cute and would always wait and till the coast was clear then come out like nothing happened. He is now one of the fastest growers I have. Anyone else have a sohal that pics on a foxface's spines?

revhtree · Jun 23, 2011

Just find the biggest mirror you can and place it flat on the glass of the tank. The tang will be so consumed by the "new dude" who looks just like him that he will leave the other fish alone. Cool way to see your flasher wrasse flash as well.