Powder Brown Tang Aggression

DKST227

Member
Looking for some input from anyone that may have an idea! I'm running a 210g reef and recently added a powder brown tang. My tank load is light with 10 fish total - leopard wrasse, couple fairy wrasses, a clown, 4 talbot damsels, a yellow watchman goby and this powder brown tang. To make the story short... my powder brown tang makes the watchman goby stay in one hole under a rock. The Goby is eating and does poke his head out periodically but if he ever strays too far from his home the tang will chase him until he hides again. I am only a week in at this point on the tang... perhaps time will help?

Any suggestions on calming this tang? I've tried a couple things so far - over feeding and rearranged a couple rocks. I'm wary of the mirror trick as I also do not want to stress the tang. I'm surprised it's targeting a small watchman goby... Let me know if anyone has any other ideas. Thanks for the help!
 

DKST227

Member
Mostly Nori as I don't want to kick up the aggression with too much meat... So I have been doing 3 or even 4 small feedings a day - one meat and the others nori. Plus I have a nori sheet on clip.
 

Sawdonkey

Premium member
How long have you had the tang? I’ve seen aggression from fish disappear after a few weeks. It might work itself out as long as it’s not beating the crap out of the goby and killing it.
 

DKST227

Member
Yeah - I actually think the aggression might be a little better today. Today marks one week with the tang - so it's new still. The tang isn't actively seeking out the Watchman Goby - but if the goby comes too far out he'll chase it away. So perhaps if the Goby doesn't wander too far things may remain ok.
 

Sawdonkey

Premium member
I’d let it go for a while. As someone with 17 and 13 year old triggerfish, I’ve been through that a lot. If they aren’t actually damaging the fish and the chase isn’t relentless, the interest will likely wane over time. I’ve had fish that don’t get along in my tank where when convenient, one will go after another, but it’s only momentary.
 
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