I have a 180 gallon reef with with mixed corals and a good amount of live rock. I have an atlantic blue tang and a blue hippo already established in the tank. I also have a yellow tang that i am currently keeping in my fuge. Every time i try to put the yellow tang in my 180 the atlantic blue tang will not leave him alone and attacks the yellow guy. The yellow guy is about half the size. I know the size difference may be a problem. Does anyone have any suggestions on how i can get the yellow tang in my 180 with the atlantic and the hippo so they all get along? Thanks!
add the yellow with another tang at the same time. I heard if they are the same shape or color it is bad. i added a powder brown with a mimic and a flame angel, they picked on it for two days after that passed they’re buddies
you could try to move the rocks around and add the yellow tang. might help to add the yellow tang at night.
I added the blue hippo at night when he was being bothered by the atlantic blue and that seemed to work. I am just afraid that if i add the yellow again i won’t be able to catch him and they will fight to the death. The only other thing i am thinking of doing is catching the atlantic blue tang and keeping him in another tank for a few weeks and letting the yellow guy get used to the 180 then add the atlantic back or should i add them at the same time?
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add the yellow with another tang at the same time. I heard if they are the same shape or color it is bad. i added a powder brown with a mimic and a flame angel, they picked on it for two days after that passed they’re buddies[/quote]
+1, with Tim. I’d put the yellow with the blue hippo in first. Leave them in there till they seems to be really establish in the tank, then put in the bad blue atlantic in. How did you manage to get the yellow tang out of that 180g tank in the first place?
I tried it twice. The first time was when i first got the yellow tang. He got banged up pretty bad and hung around in the top corner and i was able to get him out easily. The second time het got banged up again and i was able to get him out. Since this has happend i have put alot more coral and frags in so i really can’t move much rock around. :
: From what you guys are saying i think i may let the yellow and the hippo become friends then add the atlantic back in. Will wait to hear back some more feedback. Thanks
With the atlantic and the yellows having the same body shape you may have problems, you can try rearranging the rocks like Brett was saying but still may fight.
Will say in my old tank which was a 180, I've kept 5 yellow tangs, blonde naso, hippo, and a purple all at the same time and everyone seemed to be happy, the yellow I bought from a guy which he had them for at least 2 years and I had them for 4. The yellows I had for a couple years and they started to go the blue hippo past last year and was 5 years the blonde went this year and he was 8 the purple is 8 and he is still in my temperary tank for right now.
So it is possible to keep simular body shape tangs but with caution and if you add them all at the same time it works best.
I did add a copperband butterfly to the tank few months ago and the purple beat it up real bad, enough I took the purple out for a month or so, to let the butterfly heal and I put the purple back in and now there both fine together.Generally speaking Yellows are probably the least aggressive and most passive of all the tangs we keep so adding it last is never going to be ideal. You can make it work by rearranging the rock as was suggested above, adding it at night while the other fish are sleeping, or by adding several different fish (that all get along) at the same time.
If you’re able to get the Atlantic Blue out of the 180 for a few weeks you may be successful, but there’s always the chance it will still identify the 180 as it’s home and will be aggressive.
I keep a Blue Hippo, a Yellow, and a Purple - the purple has beaten up anything I’ve tried to add after it, the yellow and the hippo went in at the same time and paired up to keep the purple at bay until it just decided to leave them alone and play nice.
Good luck with whichever method you decide to try.