Coral Beauty fighting new tank mates

briphi · 01/06/2012, 02:11 PM

I've had a coral beauty for about a year, living with 2 clowns, 2 b.cardinals, and a lawnmower blenny in a 40B tank. Never seen it be aggressive to anybody. Then I give away the clowns, a few weeks go by, and I buy a new clown and a fairy wrasse. Now the coral beauty picks on everybody, especially the new clown. He's constantly swooping in to nip, then swimming away, over and over. This lasted for about 1 day, and he's still at it.

I tried rearranging the rock work, thinking it was a territorial thing, waited another day, and now he seems even worse. All tank mates seem stressed out by his bullying.

Finally I managed to catch him, and threw him in the sumps refugium as punishment. How long should I leave him down there before reintegrating with his previous tank mates? Any other advice?

Psirex · 01/06/2012, 02:24 PM

just setting the pecking order it should go away...

Try going lights out for a day or two after redoing rock work...

briphi · 01/06/2012, 03:12 PM

So was pulling him out not the right thing to do? Should I just put him back in right away?

Psirex · 01/06/2012, 03:24 PM

rearrange the rock work turn the lights off and then put him back and leave the lights off for a day turn them on for a day and let the other fish get used to the new setup and during your next lights out put him back in the DT with the lights still off and leave it that way overnight. That way he is the new tank mate and other have setup shop already - hopefully he won't try to take a occupied space....

Psirex · 01/06/2012, 03:25 PM

I so hope that last comment makes sense...

sporto0 · 01/06/2012, 05:02 PM

Just relax, lights out for a day will help the new fish acclimate, there will always be an Alpha fish, Coral Beautys are not going to kill your other fish, let nature do it's thing.

baja_driver · 01/06/2012, 05:07 PM

Hes been in the tank for a long time when new fish are introduced he shows dominance. natural thing

briphi · 01/10/2012, 04:17 PM

As a follow up, I had thrown my coral beauty in the sump. After 2 days i put him back in the display tank after the lights went out. He is 100% improved. Doesn't pick on anybody now, and everything is back to normal.

01/06/2012, 02:11 PM	#1
briphi Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 38	Coral Beauty fighting new tank mates I've had a coral beauty for about a year, living with 2 clowns, 2 b.cardinals, and a lawnmower blenny in a 40B tank. Never seen it be aggressive to anybody. Then I give away the clowns, a few weeks go by, and I buy a new clown and a fairy wrasse. Now the coral beauty picks on everybody, especially the new clown. He's constantly swooping in to nip, then swimming away, over and over. This lasted for about 1 day, and he's still at it. I tried rearranging the rock work, thinking it was a territorial thing, waited another day, and now he seems even worse. All tank mates seem stressed out by his bullying. Finally I managed to catch him, and threw him in the sumps refugium as punishment. How long should I leave him down there before reintegrating with his previous tank mates? Any other advice?

01/06/2012, 02:24 PM	#2
Psirex Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 1,934	just setting the pecking order it should go away... Try going lights out for a day or two after redoing rock work... __________________ SALINITY NOW....

01/06/2012, 03:24 PM	#4
Psirex Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 1,934	rearrange the rock work turn the lights off and then put him back and leave the lights off for a day turn them on for a day and let the other fish get used to the new setup and during your next lights out put him back in the DT with the lights still off and leave it that way overnight. That way he is the new tank mate and other have setup shop already - hopefully he won't try to take a occupied space.... __________________ SALINITY NOW....

01/06/2012, 03:25 PM	#5
Psirex Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 1,934	I so hope that last comment makes sense... __________________ SALINITY NOW....

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
What's wrong with my Coral Beauty?	dirtyBit	Fish Disease Treatment	2	07/20/2011 11:35 PM
coral beauty acting strange	1855	Reef Fishes	8	06/28/2011 05:18 PM
Pistol shrimp killed my coral beauty.	mathesandrew	Other Invertebrates	7	03/11/2011 02:25 PM
PBT and Coral beauty fighting	skunkmere	Chicagoland Marine Aquarium Society (CMAS)	8	12/20/2008 05:26 PM
coral beauty angel in tank???	oxkisses12ox	Reef Fishes	3	01/18/2007 09:27 PM

01/06/2012, 03:12 PM	#3
briphi Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 38	So was pulling him out not the right thing to do? Should I just put him back in right away?

01/06/2012, 05:02 PM	#6
sporto0 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. Posts: 2,924	Just relax, lights out for a day will help the new fish acclimate, there will always be an Alpha fish, Coral Beautys are not going to kill your other fish, let nature do it's thing.

01/06/2012, 05:07 PM	#7
baja_driver Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: grove city ohio Posts: 70	Hes been in the tank for a long time when new fish are introduced he shows dominance. natural thing

01/10/2012, 04:17 PM	#8
briphi Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 38	As a follow up, I had thrown my coral beauty in the sump. After 2 days i put him back in the display tank after the lights went out. He is 100% improved. Doesn't pick on anybody now, and everything is back to normal.