2 Harlequin Tusks
- Thread starter NiTr0x911
- Start date
MrTuskfish
Team RC
I've tried 3 or 4 times over a lot of years; once, it lasted about a month. The other attempts were instant failures.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Pretty much. The pic in my avitar (not my pic) is fairly typical of the few I've seen in the wild. They hang around reef drop-offs and are quite solitary, very territorial too. Most are caught by divers using tiny baited hooks.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
I've had a tusk or 2 (different tanks) for many years. I've never seen one that bothered any fish that he couldn't eat. Other than harmless pecking order stuff. They will eat small fish and any invert is lunch.
BUT: I wouldn't trust mine with any mystery or flame wrasse that wasn't nearly grown; and I think that's iffy. My largest tusk has eaten more slender fish that were 3''+. IMO, HTS belong in a tank with other larger fish. Tangs, triggers, Thalassoma wrasse, etc. This is also one of those rare, larger fish that is safe with lionfish.
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gobolts23
Member
I have tried this experiment as well. it did not work for me at all. i even tried putting one in a critter cage and the tusk that was free would not leave the critter cage alone. he would continuously try to bite the cage and attack the other tusk. i think i may have a couple pictures if i can dig them up.
I have a HT with ~30 other wrasses, including trio of flames and a mystery, mostly fairies and flashers, all smaller than HT, many added after the HT... never a problem (yet)!
I have almost always had a HT in 1 of my tanks since 1973, and never even questioned if they would be a problem with other wrasses
gobolts23
Member
How were you able to determine sex?
MrTuskfish
Team RC
I've never seen any source that could tell the sexes apart. Everything I've seen/read in about 30 years of keeping them says they are not sexually dimorphic, especially at just an inch. I've never heard of any spawning in captivity either. I'd love to find two HTs in that size range, small ones are impossible to find, except diver-direct. I've never heard of any HT under about 2 1/2" offered for sale on the open market. ...........Maybe, I don't hear about everything.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
If you can get any HT for under $120 or so. , its almost certainly not an Australian. Big difference. Not just appearance, But Aussie fish are very well caught & handled.
These two fish almost look like different species. BTW, where can you get an Australian tusk, any size, for $120? That' really a deal!
Come to San Francisco or Rocklin, stores will blow you away. And yes, we generally refer to them as Indo or Australian. I have had a bright one from Indo for $60 that was very much as pretty as an Aussie. I have also seen Aussie ones that were dull and lacking the red tail. If you ever get a chance to see the wholesalers in Los Angeles you will get to see tons of these fish all next to each other. In SF a store sells 4" Indos for $38 and keeps about 15 together in a big sump like area.
