copper band butterfly vs yellow tang

chevyjaxon · #1 02-20-2008, 01:52 AM

ive introuduced a copperband butterfly to my 90 gal problem is my yellow tang dosent like him much (the tang was there first) will they sort this out? or am I going to have a National Geographic moment and one kills the other?.
any thoughts?

chevyjaxon · #2 02-20-2008, 02:11 AM

bump anybody know anything? did i make a mistake?

mr_alberta · #3 02-20-2008, 02:20 AM

The tang should stop eventually, but if it continues for a few more days, you might have to move the rocks around in your tank so the tang and copperband can re-establish territories.

mseepman · #4 02-20-2008, 02:32 AM

I had the same thing, after about 2 weeks it calmed down. Unfortunately, about a month later I got up one day to find the Copperbanded dead in the tank. Not sure it was fighting or something else.

Delphinus · #5 02-20-2008, 03:04 AM

My desjardini tang started World War 3 when I put in my CBB. I was utterly convinced I made a mistake but things did settle down after a few weeks. It was a pretty hairy couple of weeks though. And I did rearrange rockwork and I made sure the CBB (who was much smaller) had spots that he could escape to that the tang couldn't get at.

Empty stomachs make for cranky behaviour... I found keeping my tang *extremely* well fed was pivotal to him becoming a little more docile. If you don't already, keep nori onhand for the tang. More or less 24/7 for now (ie. replace it as soon as it's done. This is not good for your tank long-term but for now it might help with the territoriality.)

chevyjaxon · #6 02-20-2008, 04:10 AM

the tang and CBB are about the same size. interesting though the tang is clearly the aggressor but yet my tang has definatley chosen a fight he simply cannot win, this is due to the CBB,s dorsal fin spines I hope my tang gives up soon

untamed · #7 02-20-2008, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevyjaxon

the tang and CBB are about the same size. interesting though the tang is clearly the aggressor but yet my tang has definatley chosen a fight he simply cannot win, this is due to the CBB,s dorsal fin spines I hope my tang gives up soon

Interesting...I would have put my money on the Tang.

Delphinus · #8 02-20-2008, 05:44 AM

Actually my money is still on the tang even if the fish are the same size (in my case the tang was larger). The dorsal fins of the butterfly are no defense against a torqued-off tang. Butterflies are really quite timid creatures. In fact I wonder if slightly aggressive tankmates (ie., where the aggression may not be so obvious to us as casual observers) this contributes to the common story that butterflies starve in our tanks.

Anyhow, my suggestion is still basically ensure that the butterfly has escape routes (creative rockwork) and ensure the tang is well fed, and hopefully within a couple weeks they will be tolerant of one another. My tang and CBB get along fine nowadays (18 months together in the same tank) although my tang will still charge at the CBB if he feels he's not respecting the totem pole (eg. "you're too close to my nori stick, GET OUT OF MY CORNER!!").

chevyjaxon · #9 02-20-2008, 05:51 AM

so basically my tang is still the king of my tank? thats good because thats the wifes favorite fish infact thats the whole reason i got into marine is for 1 silly tang that the wife wanted

littlesilvermax · #10 02-20-2008, 05:01 PM

My yellow has been chasing my CB for a year now.

Nothing major, but my CBB was big and had a fighting chance right from the beginning.......he was Doug's old fish.