Impact of fish nipping at mantle

eag

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 3, 2020
Messages
323
Reaction score
409
Location
Bay Area, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Today I saw one of my fish nipping at the mantle of the clam I received three days ago. It's my first clam, and it wasn't cheap, but I'm also very attached to my fish!

I posted in the fish forum asking for ways to dissuade the fish from nipping, or reduce the number of nips. What I'd also like to know though is how damaging the nips will be ultimately. The fish is small - a pygmy filefish inky a couple inches long with a tiny mouth. The clam is about two inches as well.

What kind of injuries are normally seen from fish nipping? How quickly do they heal, and will a clam tolerate occasional nips over a long period of time?
 

Sosuke

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 4, 2019
Messages
1,061
Reaction score
1,081
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think the filefish will eat the clam eventually or pick at it enough to kill it from stress
 

DeniseAndy

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
7,802
Reaction score
10,677
Location
Milford, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
A nip here and there will not be bad, but if it is constant, the clam will close and will die. Especially a baby clam. Filefish are notorious for picking at clams. You can put a cage around the clam to keep the filefish out. Just use the clear mesh and some rock or egg crate.
I had a clown pair basically be hosted by my clam once. It was much bigger though.
I had to do this to see if I had a picking problem or tank problem with some lps once. It was a fish. :)
 

hart24601

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 18, 2014
Messages
6,576
Reaction score
6,630
Location
Iowa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Realistically it won’t take long for the clam to stop opening and it will starve and die if the nipping continues. Not the best news I know, but I have had it happen with tangs.
 
OP
OP
eag

eag

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 3, 2020
Messages
323
Reaction score
409
Location
Bay Area, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
A nip here and there will not be bad, but if it is constant, the clam will close and will die. Especially a baby clam. Filefish are notorious for picking at clams. You can put a cage around the clam to keep the filefish out. Just use the clear mesh and some rock or egg crate.
I had a clown pair basically be hosted by my clam once. It was much bigger though.
I had to do this to see if I had a picking problem or tank problem with some lps once. It was a fish. :)

Hmm ok interesting. I think I may have found a solution by moving the clam into my goby's territory :). I haven't observed a nip in some time now, the filefish keeps a little further away than before, and the clam seems to be pretty happy. I'll report back in some time! Thanks for all the replies everyone!
 

Bpfor3

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 21, 2017
Messages
369
Reaction score
324
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Following. Same issue. i have 3 clams a 8-9" derasa, 4' maxima and 2" maxima. After about 3 months in the tank my multicolor angel has started nipping on the derasa. the derasa will react, but is usually open within a few minutes. i know it has to be irritated by it. I definitely am. Just wondering how much is too much. angel has not touched the other clams, but does have a favorite leather it likes to nip on as well. about 2 weeks in on the nipping and i have to assume at this point, it is not going to stop.
 

Bpfor3

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 21, 2017
Messages
369
Reaction score
324
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well, after deploying a fish trap for a few days to catch the angel it appears to have stopped nipping at the clam. have not seen it and clam has been fully open for several days. trap removed and will monitor.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 53 48.6%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 60 55.0%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 25 22.9%
  • None.

    Votes: 28 25.7%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 8.3%

New Posts

Back
Top