Advice on a Hippo Tang vs Blue throat Trigger conflict

[Lee]

First, the background info:

-125g (6' x 18" x 22") tank
-Tank age; approximately 8 months
-Full back wall covered in Live Rock

Inhabitants:
-4" Yellow Tang (8 months)
-6" Blue Hippo Tang (6 months)
-2 firefish (8 months)
-2 ocelaris clowns (2 months)
-6 line wrass (8 months)
-3" female Blue Throat Trigger (3 weeks)
-3" male Blue Throat Trigger (4 days)

A few weeks ago, I added a female Blue Throat Triggerfish to my newest tank, which is about 8 months old (I've been reefing for 6+ years). After about a week, the large 6" Blue Hippo Tang started chasing her and acting very aggressive towards her. Yes, the Blue Hippo Tang is SUPER aggressive towards the TRIGGER fish. So after a few more weeks of this, I had a long discussion with a few local fish experts that I've known for years and I generally trust. I had the idea of adding a male Blue Throat Trigger, and my hope was that the Blue Hippo Tang would either A) be overwhelmed by the pair and decide to back off, or B) chase them both, therefore HALVING the abuse that either Trigger receives. I hoped that it wouldn't be C) the triggers realize their teeth are sharper than the Tang's and decide to team up and kill it.

After 4 days of the male being in the tank, the Blue Hippo Tang has become EVEN MORE aggressive towards the pair of Triggers.

Clearly the Blue Hippo Tang has decided that the tank is his and the Triggers are a threat and doesn't want them in the tank. I am wondering if there are any methods that will basically shift the balance of the tank, like for example; removing the Blue Hippo from the tank for a certain period of time, or moving around the live rock? My goal is to maximize the survival chances for every fish in the tank, ESPECIALLY the 2 Triggers and the Blue Hippo. The Hippo is HUGE, and he is just a beautiful fish, and I'd be heartbroken if he died, but I really love the Triggers as well, and I really want to make this work. On paper, they are all very passive fish. This should be able to work.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[major fish]

Just the usual of rearranging the rockwork to alter territories. Feed less but more often. believe it or not I know someone who feeds minimal amounts every hour and says it does wonders for his tank........peacefullability.

Is adding the extra trigger halving the aggression on the female or doubling the stress on the hippo!

You could take the tang out and place into QT for a couple of weeks, then pop it back into the DT.

 

[PSU4ME]

I read about this and heard it works. Go online and get a picture of the aggressive fish (try for the same size). Tape it to your tank (photo side in) and put about 10 of them on there...... The aggression will stop, the picked on fish will be ok. Every 2-3 days take a few photos down and then all should be fine.

I haven't had to do this but think it would be fun if needed.

Let me know if you do it and how it works.

 

[major fish]

I reckon the above would work. It is much along the same lines as using a mirror, which works.

 

[PSU4ME]

^yep

 

[DaveK]

You can try the above mentioned things and they might work.

However, you have a fairly large fish. I'd be a bit surprised if moving the rock work or putting a picture or mirror on the tank will change the fishes attitude.

I think that either the tang or triggers are going to have to go.

 

[Lee]

I read about this and heard it works. Go online and get a picture of the aggressive fish (try for the same size). Tape it to your tank (photo side in) and put about 10 of them on there...... The aggression will stop, the picked on fish will be ok. Every 2-3 days take a few photos down and then all should be fine.

I haven't had to do this but think it would be fun if needed.

Let me know if you do it and how it works.

That is hilarious. I gotta try this

 

[Lee]

You can try the above mentioned things and they might work.

However, you have a fairly large fish. I'd be a bit surprised if moving the rock work or putting a picture or mirror on the tank will change the fishes attitude.

I think that either the tang or triggers are going to have to go.

Peculiar thing is this fish (the hippo) has always been super passive with previous tankmates. It was always the Yellow Tang that was confronting the newcomers, especially when I added the short lived powder brown tang.

 

[kderobertis]

Can you isolate the Blue Tang within your tank, kind of like a " timeout". Your Hippo is pretty large, so I'm not sure what is available to keep them all in the tank, but just isolate the hippo. Do they sell breeders net that large?

 

[Lee]

Maybe... I'm kinda hesitant to start moving fish around. I decided I don't want to rearrange the rock, because I don't want to risk losing any of them. The Blue Tang especially. Its tough to come across a Blue Tang as huge and beautiful as this one. I'd be devastated if he died. I might try the mirror/picture approach, see if that does anything, otherwise maybe they'll just hash it out. I haven't seen much aggression lately, so maybe the problem will work itself out. But I haven't exactly been starring at the tank...

 

[mikethebike7]

how about a temporary partition in the tank, to kind of let the fishes get used to the other fishes, and also let each fish get used to it's own area of the tank. Just a thought.
I suppose when you remove the partition either peace or strife will ensue.

 

[Lee]

I suppose that would be possible, but there is a ton of live rock in there... Probably 200 pounds, so it wouldn't be easy. Probably would be a heck of a lot easier than removing any of the fish. I'd pretty much have to remove all the rock