So my current 120 is my first tank I've had that's large enough to house multiple "big tank" fish. Before it crashed last year, my stock list was:
Gold spot rabbitfish
Fridmani basslet
Lyretail Anthias pair
5 blue eye cardinals
Midas blenny
Purple tang
I really enjoyed the fish behavior in this tank. The anthias were always out in the open, and this tended to draw the others out too. The tang and rabbit kind of paired up as buddies but didnt seem to fight. When the tank crashed, I lost everything except the rabbitfish and basslet.
Current stock list until today was:
Gold spot rabbitfish
Fridmani basslet
Purple tang
Clown pair (plain misbars)
Neon goby
Red mandarin
The problem in the tank is twofold. First, the tang and rabbitfish are so skittish that they bolt for cover and hide when anything in the room moves. They also panic the whole tank when they do this. When I restarted the tank, I just had the rabbit, tang, and basslet. I added the clowns and goby partly as dither fish to calm them down, but it didn't seem to work.
I also added a lamarck's angel, which disappeared the first night after being added to the display. I suspect the tang, as the tang was picking on it. I then added a porcupine puffer, which seemed to be fine but in the morning looked severely beaten, with a chunk missing from his face. I pulled him out of the display but he also died. I suspect the tang again.
Occasionally the rabbitfish will have scrapes or cuts on him, though when I try to observe these fish they just hide until I leave. Even during feeding, the tang is the bravest but only darts out to grab food and hides again. The pre-crash tang didn't behave this way, but it was a larger specimen and also didn't act aggressive to the rabbit that I ever saw.
Today I pulled the tang out, and he was probably the most difficult fish I've had to catch. Had a trap in the tank for a week, he would eat the food up to the door but not go in. Too smart to bite a hook. Didn't even seem dazed when I spotlighted him at 3am. I had to drain the tank to get him, which is my last resort.
After pulling the tang, I added a lamarcks angel, lyretail anthias, and a Midas blenny that I had been keeping out of the display. My hope is that the tank will become less skittish overall. The anthias is great, when you come near the tank he swims over to you. Much better than wondering where my fish are.
Now the big question is, what to do with the purple tang. I really love these tangs, they are beautiful. My previous tang was nowhere near as mean as this one, either.
As I see it, I can either:
Swap the tang for another and see if the new one is less aggressive.
Reintroduce the tang to the display after a month or so, so the he's the new fish again.
Give up on having a purple tang.
I'd appreciate any thoughts you guys have.
Gold spot rabbitfish
Fridmani basslet
Lyretail Anthias pair
5 blue eye cardinals
Midas blenny
Purple tang
I really enjoyed the fish behavior in this tank. The anthias were always out in the open, and this tended to draw the others out too. The tang and rabbit kind of paired up as buddies but didnt seem to fight. When the tank crashed, I lost everything except the rabbitfish and basslet.
Current stock list until today was:
Gold spot rabbitfish
Fridmani basslet
Purple tang
Clown pair (plain misbars)
Neon goby
Red mandarin
The problem in the tank is twofold. First, the tang and rabbitfish are so skittish that they bolt for cover and hide when anything in the room moves. They also panic the whole tank when they do this. When I restarted the tank, I just had the rabbit, tang, and basslet. I added the clowns and goby partly as dither fish to calm them down, but it didn't seem to work.
I also added a lamarck's angel, which disappeared the first night after being added to the display. I suspect the tang, as the tang was picking on it. I then added a porcupine puffer, which seemed to be fine but in the morning looked severely beaten, with a chunk missing from his face. I pulled him out of the display but he also died. I suspect the tang again.
Occasionally the rabbitfish will have scrapes or cuts on him, though when I try to observe these fish they just hide until I leave. Even during feeding, the tang is the bravest but only darts out to grab food and hides again. The pre-crash tang didn't behave this way, but it was a larger specimen and also didn't act aggressive to the rabbit that I ever saw.
Today I pulled the tang out, and he was probably the most difficult fish I've had to catch. Had a trap in the tank for a week, he would eat the food up to the door but not go in. Too smart to bite a hook. Didn't even seem dazed when I spotlighted him at 3am. I had to drain the tank to get him, which is my last resort.
After pulling the tang, I added a lamarcks angel, lyretail anthias, and a Midas blenny that I had been keeping out of the display. My hope is that the tank will become less skittish overall. The anthias is great, when you come near the tank he swims over to you. Much better than wondering where my fish are.
Now the big question is, what to do with the purple tang. I really love these tangs, they are beautiful. My previous tang was nowhere near as mean as this one, either.
As I see it, I can either:
Swap the tang for another and see if the new one is less aggressive.
Reintroduce the tang to the display after a month or so, so the he's the new fish again.
Give up on having a purple tang.
I'd appreciate any thoughts you guys have.