Chalk Basslet odd behavior

Question
Hi Jennifer, I was wondering if you knew anything about Chalk Basslets. I have had two since they were 1 inch long. They are now about 3 1/2". The one has turned completely brown/orange and is hiding the blue unless the other basslet nips at her. She is very listless and lays around the tank in very open places. I am not quite sure what to do. Is she pregnant? I hope she is not sick. My Baby Blue Tang is protecting her from the other basslet which I find very odd. Please help if you can.
Amy

Answer
Hi Amy. Depending on what size tank you have it may not be a good idea to keep two of these basslets together. If you have a very large tank you may be able to get away with it but generally once they reach maturity they can get pretty scrappy with one another with the less aggressive of the two usually falling victim to the others bullying behavior. It sounds like the one who is not acting normal is being picked on especially since you said it changes color when the other one "nips" at her. You may want to separate these fish in order to keep the peace in your tank. The fish is definitely not pregnant because these fish are egg layers and have not been successfully bred in an aquarium as of yet!