Tang troubles!
I once had a kole tang that nipped my clam mantle, sounds crazy right!?! I hear only good things about those guys and how safe they are so I figured it was just a isolated case, so I gave him away. I had always wanted a white-tail tang instead, but never saw them for sale.
So LA gets them in finally, $300 bucks is a lot of money for me, but I had waited about two years so I picked on up! Right away he really had a taste for fleshy LPS, I gave a dragon soul brain and a large wellso away, he had really done some damage to them, but nothing else. My excitement over him was consideraly less after that, but after giving the fleshy green LPS away he seemed good. Months and months pass and without incident, but then I notice my large gorg isn't opening - I really like that corky finger gorg, it's pretty big and a neat conversation piece. After a while I notice when he swims by bites the gorg hard enough to move the small rock it's on and pulls it across the tank! Not only that but he now developed a taste for zoas. I have a few pretty zoa rocks and he was just wrecking one, the prettiest one of course. I was thinking what am I going to do, but then I saw him go after a clam mantle. No this wasn't pecking at the shell... Clear and hard bites when the clam was extended. So it was time to remove the rock and drain the tank to catch him. I am still amazed how much damage that guy did.
So after that things are happy again, everyone extending again, but I notice my prize maxima isn't opening. I couldn't see anything wrong but was concerned after two days of being closed up. So I watch for a few days, my purple tang was going after them! I saw him bite 3 different clams smack in the middle of the mantle. So another draining and he lives in a QT system now while I decide what to do. I don't' know if the clams will survive now, they are pretty weakened. I am thinking I will wait a while and see if they recover. If not I will consider putting the purple back in and just not having clams.
I know many people have tangs with clams without issue for years, but this is 3 for 3 for nipping mantles. I am now done with tangs and clams. FYI the kole was in a 65, and the white tail and purple were in a 120. They are not underfed! I have an apex autofeeder for 5x/day feedings along with nori everyday and LRS reef frenzy and frozen blackworms. Both tangs were super fat, enough that I was going to cut down on the feedings.
So just FYI use the term "reef safe" with caution when you have clams! If you have any strange issues just keep watching the tank for fish nipping, you never know.
I once had a kole tang that nipped my clam mantle, sounds crazy right!?! I hear only good things about those guys and how safe they are so I figured it was just a isolated case, so I gave him away. I had always wanted a white-tail tang instead, but never saw them for sale.
So LA gets them in finally, $300 bucks is a lot of money for me, but I had waited about two years so I picked on up! Right away he really had a taste for fleshy LPS, I gave a dragon soul brain and a large wellso away, he had really done some damage to them, but nothing else. My excitement over him was consideraly less after that, but after giving the fleshy green LPS away he seemed good. Months and months pass and without incident, but then I notice my large gorg isn't opening - I really like that corky finger gorg, it's pretty big and a neat conversation piece. After a while I notice when he swims by bites the gorg hard enough to move the small rock it's on and pulls it across the tank! Not only that but he now developed a taste for zoas. I have a few pretty zoa rocks and he was just wrecking one, the prettiest one of course. I was thinking what am I going to do, but then I saw him go after a clam mantle. No this wasn't pecking at the shell... Clear and hard bites when the clam was extended. So it was time to remove the rock and drain the tank to catch him. I am still amazed how much damage that guy did.
So after that things are happy again, everyone extending again, but I notice my prize maxima isn't opening. I couldn't see anything wrong but was concerned after two days of being closed up. So I watch for a few days, my purple tang was going after them! I saw him bite 3 different clams smack in the middle of the mantle. So another draining and he lives in a QT system now while I decide what to do. I don't' know if the clams will survive now, they are pretty weakened. I am thinking I will wait a while and see if they recover. If not I will consider putting the purple back in and just not having clams.
I know many people have tangs with clams without issue for years, but this is 3 for 3 for nipping mantles. I am now done with tangs and clams. FYI the kole was in a 65, and the white tail and purple were in a 120. They are not underfed! I have an apex autofeeder for 5x/day feedings along with nori everyday and LRS reef frenzy and frozen blackworms. Both tangs were super fat, enough that I was going to cut down on the feedings.
So just FYI use the term "reef safe" with caution when you have clams! If you have any strange issues just keep watching the tank for fish nipping, you never know.
