Yellow Tang; fighting his reflection?

wvufan788893 · 07/12/2006, 07:36 PM

Has anyone ever seen a yellow tang "fight" their reflection in the tank glass?

This is all I can think of regarding his behavior. Water parameters are good, he's eating, etc., but he's staying in the back corner of the tank darting side to side and sort of shaking at his reflection.

Weird . . . .

wvufan788893 · 07/12/2006, 10:31 PM

bump

masterqaz · 07/12/2006, 10:37 PM

ya mine used to do that before i took him back for my blue (regal). Wish i could have kept both in my tank but its just to small.

Tu Ku · 07/12/2006, 10:44 PM

I'm pretty sure that they can't see a reflection from their side. I've swam around in 1000 gallon systems and even stuck my head in the water of my own 55 for this very reason. All you can see is out.

kypatriot · 11/01/2006, 08:43 PM

Does your tang still fight its reflection?

They can see it, depending on the balance between the light in the tank and the light in the room. If the room is brighter, they will see out, but if the tank is brighter, it will see itself.

I have a yellow that I've had for about a year now. It is blind in 1 eye (injured in shipping), and it only fights its reflection on the side it can see from. It never does that on the blind side.

It just started fighting its reflection last night, but it did it all day today. So how is yours doing since your post?

dcombs44 · 11/01/2006, 09:32 PM

Are you sure it's not rubbing do to some type of parasite? You may get him to a quarantine tank and keep a closer eye on him for a while. Maybe a copper treatment, some garlic supplement or something just to be safe. Someone else may have to chime in for other options.

kypatriot · 11/01/2006, 09:40 PM

I strictly quarantine all new additions to the display, for 5 weeks with no symptoms before moving them into the display. The tang was the last addition, about a year ago.

No other fish are acting strange, and I don't see any lesions at all. The tang only does this on its sighted side and then only when it can see out (it helped to turn off most of the tank lights so only actinics are on and turn on all the lights in the room, lessening the reflection).

It also only does it at the glass - never at rocks, like scratching from parasites.

It's not a bad thought, without knowing the other history though. I actually had a yellow once before (before I knew about QTs!) that acted weird when it was started to get a parasite. That was different though, because it went up and down the tank and darted a lot.

dcombs44 · 11/01/2006, 09:47 PM

I guess I should've specified. That was more directed toward wvufan. I saw that his tank was in progress, but it's cool to see that your tang recovered from his eye injury and that he's always got a friend close by as long as he's facing the right direction

SDguy · 11/01/2006, 09:57 PM

My tomini will attack its reflection every once in a while. It was bad at first...attacking his reflection preoccupied him so mush, even from eating.

spieszak · 04/21/2013, 10:01 AM

If there is a specific spot where he does it, taping a piece of white paper to the tank for a while may make him "forget" where that other tang lives.

PanagiotisCR7 · 04/21/2013, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spieszak

If there is a specific spot where he does it, taping a piece of white paper to the tank for a while may make him "forget" where that other tang lives.

I did it whith the paper yesterday. And i left it until today. Today it is better, but it is doing it again. But we have progress. Now it is going a little bit more in the other side of the aquarium. But it is not going away of his nest.

07/12/2006, 07:36 PM	#1
wvufan788893 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: St. Albans, WV Posts: 44	Yellow Tang; fighting his reflection? Has anyone ever seen a yellow tang "fight" their reflection in the tank glass? This is all I can think of regarding his behavior. Water parameters are good, he's eating, etc., but he's staying in the back corner of the tank darting side to side and sort of shaking at his reflection. Weird . . . .

11/01/2006, 09:32 PM	#6
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	Are you sure it's not rubbing do to some type of parasite? You may get him to a quarantine tank and keep a closer eye on him for a while. Maybe a copper treatment, some garlic supplement or something just to be safe. Someone else may have to chime in for other options. __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

11/01/2006, 09:47 PM	#8
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	I guess I should've specified. That was more directed toward wvufan. I saw that his tank was in progress, but it's cool to see that your tang recovered from his eye injury and that he's always got a friend close by as long as he's facing the right direction __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

11/01/2006, 09:57 PM	#9
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	My tomini will attack its reflection every once in a while. It was bad at first...attacking his reflection preoccupied him so mush, even from eating. __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

04/21/2013, 10:01 AM	#10
spieszak Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,877	If there is a specific spot where he does it, taping a piece of white paper to the tank for a while may make him "forget" where that other tang lives. __________________ I'm new to this saltwater thing, all comments should be taken with a BUCKET of salt! :-) -Stacey

07/12/2006, 10:31 PM	#2
wvufan788893 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: St. Albans, WV Posts: 44	bump

07/12/2006, 10:37 PM	#3
masterqaz Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Oakville Ont. Canada Posts: 551	ya mine used to do that before i took him back for my blue (regal). Wish i could have kept both in my tank but its just to small.

07/12/2006, 10:44 PM	#4
Tu Ku Moved On Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 353	I'm pretty sure that they can't see a reflection from their side. I've swam around in 1000 gallon systems and even stuck my head in the water of my own 55 for this very reason. All you can see is out.

11/01/2006, 08:43 PM	#5
kypatriot Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 425	Does your tang still fight its reflection? They can see it, depending on the balance between the light in the tank and the light in the room. If the room is brighter, they will see out, but if the tank is brighter, it will see itself. I have a yellow that I've had for about a year now. It is blind in 1 eye (injured in shipping), and it only fights its reflection on the side it can see from. It never does that on the blind side. It just started fighting its reflection last night, but it did it all day today. So how is yours doing since your post?

11/01/2006, 09:40 PM	#7
kypatriot Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 425	I strictly quarantine all new additions to the display, for 5 weeks with no symptoms before moving them into the display. The tang was the last addition, about a year ago. No other fish are acting strange, and I don't see any lesions at all. The tang only does this on its sighted side and then only when it can see out (it helped to turn off most of the tank lights so only actinics are on and turn on all the lights in the room, lessening the reflection). It also only does it at the glass - never at rocks, like scratching from parasites. It's not a bad thought, without knowing the other history though. I actually had a yellow once before (before I knew about QTs!) that acted weird when it was started to get a parasite. That was different though, because it went up and down the tank and darted a lot.