Tang eating my clam.

[RichV]

I've had a crocea for about 3 weeks now. It's mantle was fully out for the first 2 weeks. Now it's mostly closed, and I noticed my yellow tang pecking at it frequently. Water conditions are all good except nitrates at 25 ppm. What can I do?

Rich

 

[Kensn]

I would try to find a plastic tub, like the ones strawberries come in, or poke holes in a clear plastic tub to keep the tang from it untill you can figure things out.

 

[chris&barb]

and another thing is to cut the top off a 2L bottle to make a dome and cut slats all around it and place it over the clam.most of the time when a fish finds a taste for clams they wont stop so you may have to remove the fish.

 

[WA coral]

been through this with a regal tang and ended up getting rid of him.. Tried to surround with rocks and put current over top of rocks worked for a while but once they know it is good they ussally dont stop. That 2 lieter idea on the last post sounds good wish I would have though of that.

 

[WA coral]

hows your lighting I know my clams were not happy till I got halides

 

[RichV]

Thanks, I'll try the 2 liter trick first and see if the tang forgets about the clam down the road. I have 175 MH over the clam. I think it's getting enough light.
Rich

 

[steve-s]

What do you feed the tang on a regular (daily) basis? More commonly when tangs do this it's an indication of something missing from their diets. Usually a lack of grazing foods, nori, spurilina et al....

Cheers
Steve

 

[RichV]

I feed them formula two.
Rich

 

[steve-s]

That would probabley be a large part of the problem with the tang then. Without grazing foods available it is quite common for them to snack on soft corals and nip at clam mantles.

Go to the local grocers and pick up some unseasoned Nori (seaweed) sheets. Use only about ¼ of a sheet at a time and add it to the tank on a daily basis. Either attach it to a small rock with a rubber band or preferabley a feeding clip which you can get at the LFS. It will take a few days before the tang shows interest and becomes accustom to it but this should eventually curtail the problem. Don't be suprised if the other fish join in as well.

A varied nutritous diet is key in keeping marine fish but tangs in particular need veggie based grazing foods on a daily basis.

Cheers
Steve

 

[RichV]

Thanks Steve,
I picked some up tonight. I'd tried to get some macro algae to grow a while back for the same idea. The tang ate the whole thing before it could grow. Maybe with this, I could get some to grow.

Rich

 

[steve-s]

If you want to grow the algae yourself, I would not suggest doing so in the main system. Once an algae gets properly established it can quickly take over not to mention causing other issues depending on exact species. I would instead recommend you do so only in a seperate tank like refugia. It will allow the algae to become better established and unhindered by tank animals. It can then be harvested as needed for feeding and waste control by tossing it as growth permits. Try to go with non caulerpa species though, Chaetomorpha, Gracilaria, Ulva and the like.

Cheers
Steve