Okay so i started out my tank mates by buying 2 o. clowns. They did great together and always followed each other around. Then i introduced some snails to help combat my hair algae problem. Then a bar goby followed. Now to the part where i stumble across some problems. I bought a basic red sea star, as well as a powder brown tang. After they got settled in the new tank, they did well. The starfish moved around the tank ALOT! But the tang had started to develop alot of aggressiveness. He would swim towards, and bump into one of the clowns. The smaller one in particular. But the bigger of the two clowns now stays at the very top of the water surface (occasionally swimming throughout the tank for food, ect). Pushed against the glass and tilted a little. almost as if he was looking down at the tang. And of course i wake up today to find almost a fully gone starfish (one part of the 5 was left suck to the glass) aswell as one of then snails dead! Could the tang be responsible for the death of both of them?? PS: There is no nori clip added yet. I'm getting it today! and the bar goby is doing great after finding him a hiding place.
I doubt the tang is responsible for the starfish or snail deaths. Unfortunately you picked one of the most aggressive of tangs. They can be real jerks. New fish from here on out could be in trouble, especially any with similar body shape. Tang aggression also seems to be inversely proportional to tank size too. The smaller the tank, the more aggressive they tend to be. Adding some nori is a good idea. It's said to reduce tang aggression although I haven' personally seen it.
Okay, that actually sucks. I wish i knew that before i got him. *sigh* Do you think some Cardinals, a dwarf angle or a wrasse, would do well with it?? And its a 60 Gallon, 3ft wide tank. Some people said that was fine for a tang. But now im not too sure. Do you recommend bringing him back to the store? Because i really don't want a fish if hes going to be causing problems, and on top of that my clowns are now super iffy when eating around him. And finally what should i do about the starfish. It's literally only one tentacle, but it moves around...I know that like they can regrow a arm. But a body? He has small part of the middle on him too.After finding him nearly all gone, I dont know where the rest of him went.(I searched through the whole tank twice) He's currently in my acclimation box. Also Im generally new to the hobby and i have a great system, but im still in the works of getting a quarantine tank. And after purchasing a high dollar skimmer i cant do that too soon. Hey im only 17!
How much do you want for him? I think it is too small of a tank for this tang. I won't be adding anymore large fish to my tank.
To be honest im not 100% sure.Because im really looking at some type of dwarf angle, 2 Banggai Cardnals, and Some type of wrasse that would do well in the 60 gallons (the substrate is a crushed coral)
A dwarf angel would work fish compatability wise but they can be a problem with coral, especially LPS. I think many fairy wrasses and all flasher wrasses except the eight line would be ok. Halichoeres wrasses, Anampses wrasses and leopard wrassses are out because of your substrate.
I have 2 pygmy angels for you to pick from. I'd trade one for your PBT if you are interested. A coral beauty and flame. They nip around on the rocks and such. They don't EAT the corals, but they do indeed pick at and sample acros (why them vs the other corals not really sure). They are leaving my clam, frog spawn, zoas alone. If you aren't putting in acros either one would be good for your tank and should get along with your clowns. Something to think about. they would leave your inverts alone, too.
Well my main supporter for this project is my mother? And i dont really have the final word about it, but i do have a STRONG input. And i might be able to sway her for the coral beauty, She was wanting to get that one last time but i told her no. Because she bought me a 200 dollar protein skimmer and a controller. (which i of course will pay back lol) But ill mention it to her when shes home from work. My guess is we will probably wait a couple weeks and see how the tang does? On a side note is there a tang that i could have in the tank that would be fine with 60gallons, if it dosent work out.
Probably not. The smallest tank recommended for any tang is 75 gallon (same length as yours but wider). Many people will tell you that it's ok but in good faith I can't. If you do decide to try a different tang the best would be one of the smaller species such as a bristletooth (Kole, White Tailed, Two Spot, Square Tailed) or a small mimic tang (Acanthurus tristis or A. pyroferus). All of the zebrasoma tangs get too big or too aggressive for your tank. Same for the Acanthurus except as noted above.
Chances are good your tang will only get more aggressive. Very possibly resulting in death of a clown. That tang will outgrow that tank before you know it and typically aggression with a known small area doesn't improve over time. Your mileage may vary, but it would be an exception. When doc says "jerk" this is what he's talking about. They are aggressive in best circumstances but put in a small area I don't see a formula for improvement. I've been wrong about more important things though. Best of luck and hope your guys are ok. I am not aware of any tang I would put in a 60 gal.
Hiya, I also feel that tank is on the small side for a tang. I've got a 75 with a lot of rock in it, just lost my tang this weekend. I'm probably not going to put another on in there. I don't think I have enough swim room in there for it. Kim/Benton, AR
Use a mirror. I have a 40 breeder and I had a purple in the tank with no problems at all. Whenever I added a new fish I put the mirror on the outside of the glass. aggressive fish can't stand there reflection. lol it's works on all fish as well aggressive fish will want to fight the reflection and passive ones will just gase at themselves. It's will give your fish a break but don't let the tank stress out too much! I would only leave it on for a few hours at a time.
Well the guy that i buy my fish from, ive known for quite some time. He's actually the oldest aquaria store in the us! He's been doing it for MANY years. He even has a tang in some 50 gallon tanks with no problem at all. He also told me that i should try the mirror thing @Botheboss . Its working for the most part. After i take it down hes much more relaxed. And the clowns are actually starting to get a bit more confidence, ventureing throughout the tank. I dont really have alot of live rock in there now? And i was told that could be a problem, because theres not a abundance of spots for fish to hide. (Maybe 20 lbs in total). After adding a nori clip he's been improving alot. He dosen't have the need to go throughout the entire tank and harrasse the other fish. I learned that it literally means life/death in the wild, if they loose some of theyre grazing grounds. So i can see how that helped him, because he has a place to graze at all times. Ive also just got a coral beauty. And he has been butting heads with the tang a little. Its almost as if they are both a little agressive at eachother, and it keeps them both in check? Maybe because the clowns wouldnt put up a fight, but now that there is another fish (almost as big as him) he's starting to back off a little. After watching it for a bit, they all seem to be doing well. sorry for all the different things going on in this. Its just a basic summary
