[mattga6985]

I just bought a onespot rabbitfish today and put him in my tank. My powderbrown and yellow tang are nipping at his rear fins. Does anybody out there have any advice?

[leebca]

WELCOME TO REEFLAND!

I moved your post from the Saltwater (Fish Only) Aquariums Forum to this forum on fish care.

Some aggressive behavior is to be expected, since the fish you introduced is a herbivore like the ones already there and established. The new fish is a competitor. The nipping can turn worse, especially from the Power Brown.

Suggestion/advice: return the Rabbitfish to where you got it from and get a credit.

The two Tangs you have need to be in a very large aquarium, so unless you have a 500 gallon aquarium, I wouldn't try to add that third one at this late stage.

An alternative would be to move all fish to a quarantine tank; move around all the landscaping; and return all the fish to the 'new' aquarium. But if it isn't large enough, there just won't be enough room for all those herbivores.

[mattga6985]

If im not mistaken cant the rabbitfish sting the other fish?because they dont seem to mess with him anymore and they swim together now.By the way i have a 100 gallon. Another ? I have is my water has these small particles that I cant seem to get out. How can I fix it? I have a 20 gal sump with a 125 coralife skimmer,2 korrola power heads num 2's and the return pipes out of the over flow box. I would like my water crystal clear any advice?

[leebca]

Fish are not born with the knowledge of what fish can or can't sting. That the Rabbitfish has a deadly defense does not usually overcome territorial or resource disputes.

If the reaction to the new addition was temporary as you've indicated, then all should be well. Sit for a long time and verify that they are in fact getting along.

The minimum length of an aquarium to keep a Tang is 6 feet. This puts the smallest tank at the standard 125 gallon. For more than one or two Tangs you need to go to the 180 and from there a 240 or 300 to house 4 or more. Any Tang above 2" in length needs the 6 foot long run. As they get larger they will need the 8 foot length. If your Tangs are not growing, then they are not being fed properly. A healthy, well nourished Tang will often put on 1" in length per year. The Rabbitfish should grow about 1.5" per year.

Without knowing for sure what that white material is, I can' help eliminate it properly. It's unclear on what kind of overall circulation you have on the system -- how many times is the total volume of the system being turned over, per hour?

On the 'fix it after it happens' end, though, it is a matter of mechanical filtration. There needs to be a mechanical filter on your system. You need to put in a filter sock on the return pipe to the sump perhaps or install a separate filter. But I'm afraid you may be chasing your tail a little. With a tank over stocked with Tangs, which defecate large quantities, it may be hard to keep up with the water clarity. Still, a proper mechanical filter should do the job.