Tricks for Pacification?

[Dominican]

I have an overly aggressive Purple Tang and was wondering if anyone has heard of any tricks for getting fish to chill. I put the purple tang in time-out in a cage (plastic mesh suspended in the display) for about three weeks. Catching him was a biznatch. After the first week, I added a new YT to the display, letting him get comfortable in the tank, and with the others. After the second week, the PT stopped showing signs of aggression when the YT passed by the cage, but I left him in there significantly longer for good measure. After another week, the PT started to get a little ick due to the stress of being confined, so I finally let him out.

I figured the PT would be the newcomer, and would be less likely to freak, but I was wrong. Luckily this YT is huge and has been holding his own, but the PT just wont let up. I followed this approach after a failed attempt at adding a smaller, meaker YT to this tank and without taking the above precautions.. Before all this I had a YT in there for a couple of years before losing him to unknown causes.

My tank is a 150 and well established.. 6+yrs

[Big_Pun]

sometimes you gotta bite the bullet and just figure out what you really want, that may be selling the tang, I've been thru some bad luck with fish being aggressive and some picking at corals.

[RayAllen]

Purples are know for their aggressive nature. Over the years I can recall a few maastards having to remove them.. I am with Chris on this one, you may have to choose one or the other.

When I have dealt with aggressive fish, I remove them completely. Ban them to the sump for a period of time and place them back after the choosen time. If that does not work I ban them to the sump again and rearrange the rock work. This makes it seem as if you are putting them in a entire new place and they are forced to re-establish them selves among the other fish.

good luck.

[allan]

I hate aggressive fish. My yellow rim is the bully when I introduce new tangs. For three days he kept my new vlamingi in a corner, and he is only a third of the size. Same thing when I put the other tang with the high fins on top and bottom. But in my case it only took three days. More of establishing a pecking order I think.

[Dominican]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Ray, I'd considered the sump and think that might have done the trick, but I have a drop-in chiller so it's not very hospitable down there; and my rockwork is precarious and not to be jacked-with (for my own good, lol). I'm considering talking to Aquadome about doing an even PT swap for one of theirs, once mine mine is back to 100%, of course. That might solve it. I'm persistent because I've almost reached my ideal mix of LF. It can be so elusive!

[Dominican]

The YT is doing okay for the time being, fyi. Peeking out from the rockwork and coming out for din din. Hoping to have Allan's luck! Only time will tell.. I'll post an update..

[mkengr45]

Xanax has always worked for me.....OH, your talking about the fish. Yeah you may consider getting rid of it or add some busy fish to keep the jerk fish occupied.

[Dominican]

mkengr45 gave me a great idea (thanks!) I figured that there could be no bigger threat than another PT, so I put up a mirror! Instead of distracting the PT though, it made the YT so bold that he came out from taking refuge from the PT to threaten the new YT in the mirror. And in the process, he stepped up to answer and even dominate the PT. Now the PT has stopped his aggression and everyone is having fun gently talking sh*t to the new guys in the mirror. Lol. All this in a matter of a couple of hours..

I'm amazed at how fast this worked, wow. Note taken!

[allan]

Ooh... I need a mirror. :)

[Scutterborn]

That's cool!


- Ben -

[ErikH]

Hah, that's funny.

[Dominican]

Gotta love those $0 solutions!!! duct tape and a handheld bathroom mirror. Works best pointing longways down the tank, fyi..