Yellow Tang Vs. Sailfin: How much bullying is too much?

[rwillden]

I purchased a Sailfin tang on Wednesday night. However, I have a yellow tang which is a long-time tenant of my 55 gal. tank. The yellow tang constantly badgers the Sailfin. The only signs of this on the sailfin are that his fins are a little tattered on the top and bottom, and that he usually stays in one of the bottom front corners of the tank. He has been eating well, and does not show any signs of ich, or any other forms of stress.

The yellow will often try to protect his territory during feeding time, but the sailfin usually can eat okay.

My question is this: How long do I subject the sailfin to the yellow's constant badgering before I return the sailfin to the store?

Will they work it out likely, or should I save the sailfin before it's too late?

 

[Chucker]

Tangs with similar body shapes tend to not get along well. Two Zebrasoma tangs in a 55 gallon is, well.... to be frank, asking for trouble. This is especially true if one of them has been established in the tank for some time before the second is added.

 

[rwillden]

Not to sound obtuse, but if I understand what your saying correctly, I need to decide which one stays, and which one goes... Right? :?

Thanks for your response.

 

[AbelaJohnB]

I acquired a nice Sailfin about a year ago.... he's grown very fast and now dominates a tank with sizably larger fish in it.

Anyway, just a heads-up for the future

 

[Chucker]

Not to sound obtuse, but if I understand what your saying correctly, I need to decide which one stays, and which one goes... Right? :?

Thanks for your response.

Exactly.

 

[Anonymous]

Not to sound obtuse, but if I understand what your saying correctly, I need to decide which one stays, and which one goes... Right? :?

Thanks for your response.

If I were you, I would chose the sailfin to go and keep the yellow. My 4 year old sailfin is too big for my 155 gallon, in my opinion. You wouldn't believe how huge they get.

Yellows stay smaller than sailfins, from what I have seen.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree take the Sailfin back or find someone with a decent sized tank.

We took in a stray Sailfin a year ago - it's taken me a year to find him a home because he's gigantic. He will be going into a nice 540 gallon reef in a few months.

 

[naesco]

Please remove both tangs. Retun the sailfin now.
Your tank is too small for tangs which require the length that larger and longer tanks provide. They need this room to swim.

 

[rwillden]

Please remove both tangs. Retun the sailfin now.
Your tank is too small for tangs which require the length that larger and longer tanks provide. They need this room to swim.

I'll take that as my first official flame... However, I've seen dozens of 55 Gallon tanks with Yellow tangs in them, and I see no need to remove him. I will however take the more polite responses I've been given, and take the sailfin back to the store.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

I'll take that as my first official flame...

Don't take it as a flame but rather your first official response from the tang police that patrol these waters.

 

[desktopsilver]

from my experiance ,,i would keep your sailfin ,,it will give you years of trouble free life and pleasurable viewing,,,,My sailfin has been my most hardy fish,always ready with a good morning,,,,I think yellows are a bit more sucseptable to dieses,,and given time i bet the sailfin would at least hold its own,there no slouch,,,and when it does get to big you could then trade or donate it....mines nearly 2 years old in a 70 tall and he/she is doing fine,,,sorry for the spelling

 

[SPC]

Desktopsilver,
what size is your sailfin?
Steve

 

[desktopsilver]

he/she is actualy about 4 1/2 by 3 3/4 as im looking i did notice he has grown,ill have to watch and see when its time to extract him ,,,but now it looks like hes got another couple inches untill its to much or approaching to much,,,,but for the 1 1/2 years or so ive had him/she its been a real pleasure ,,,,,,ill probobly donate /trade and get another maybee,,,,he kinda picks my rocks clean.

 

[naesco]

I am ahppy you returned the sailfin. No, no flame was intended.

 

[JohnD]

rwillden-

Welcome to the board. No flame intended, so let me give you some advice:

1. Buy Scott Michaels Marine Fishes: 500 Essential... book. It gives minimum tank sizes, eating information and general difficulty rating, as well as pictures for 500 species of fish. I never go to the LFS without it.

2. Before buying anything, post a question to the board. You get reponses from concerned hobbiest who are not trying to sell you anything. I have been into SW for over a dozen years and I still ask lots of questions.

Once again, welcome.

JohnD

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Please remove both tangs. Retun the sailfin now.
Your tank is too small for tangs which require the length that larger and longer tanks provide. They need this room to swim.

I'll take that as my first official flame... However, I've seen dozens of 55 Gallon tanks with Yellow tangs in them, and I see no need to remove him. I will however take the more polite responses I've been given, and take the sailfin back to the store.

Thanks

You got to be kidding if you think the above post by Naesco is a flame. You have seen nothing yet, except a response you did not like and did not agree with. Naesco was also very polite in his response to you.
I also agree with Naesco that the 55 g tank is too small for either tangs, and that Sailfin will be much larger than the yellow tang.

Minh

 

[K77]

he/she is actualy about 4 1/2 by 3 3/4 as im looking i did notice he has grown,ill have to watch and see when its time to extract him ,,,but now it looks like hes got another couple inches untill its to much or approaching to much,,,,but for the 1 1/2 years or so ive had him/she its been a real pleasure ,,,,,,ill probobly donate /trade and get another maybee,,,,he kinda picks my rocks clean.

just as a reference (I don't know what size tank you have) and just because its a funny story... I have a tiny butterfly in my tank right now cleaning up some aiptasia, and for some reason my sailfin hates having him in there and is displaying some pretty wierd behavior. Other day my sailfin which is about 3" and about 1.5yrs old also takes off across the tank at the speed of light almost. I have never seen him travel so fast. The tank is like 8 feet long though, and he hits his nose on the oposite side of the tank as if he completely forgot it was there. I swear he must have almost knocked himself out. I wasn't sure whether to fall out laughing or whether to check and make sure his poor nose wasn't broken.

 

[desktopsilver]

i think maybee he has reached the point of trade in time,,,,,his fin is growing rapidly at this stage ,,,now ill have to catch him,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,my flame angel is going to cop a major atttitude with out the sailfin to keep him in check

 

[rwillden]

Thanks for all of your responses. I appreciate the feedback.

Minh, I wasn't being serious when I said what I did about "naesco" I was being fecetious... So lighten up will ya?

Anyway, as far as the suggestion to buy the 500 fishes book. I own it... I've had it for a very long time.

I saw the sailfin at the LFS, and had a compulsive buying experience. One which I will not duplicate again. Again, thanks for your replys... Even those from the "tang police." :lol:

 

[K77]

i think maybee he has reached the point of trade in time,,,,,his fin is growing rapidly at this stage ,,,now ill have to catch him,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,my flame angel is going to cop a major atttitude with out the sailfin to keep him in check

nah, these guys live forever and are a ball to watch. Its just time to get that 200 gallon tank you've been wanting. :idea: :wink: