clam emergency!!!!!! help

[SaltwaterSensei]

Heres the problem. I have 5 clams two cros, two squams and one max. I also have a kole tang. I've had the fish about two weeks and it hasen't touched the cros or the squams. But I just got this max which is very large about 7-8". The fish has been pecking on the max and only the max to the point it won't open much at all during the day.

I would get rid of the fish but how am I supposed to catch him? I'm not going to get rid of the clam its my biggest most beautiful clam I own.

Has anyone else had this problem? I don't know what to do. Why is the fish only picking on my best clam and not the others????


P.S. please help

 

[GTR]

Two words...

Fish Hook

Steve U

 

[grim]

Is he picking on the mantle or eating algae off the shell? I'm guessing shell, since my kole tang does the same to the squamosa.. Could be he isn't getting enough food elsewhere..

jb

 

[SaltwaterSensei]

no hes actually scraping the mantle. He has lots of food thats why I can't understand why hes doing this. I feed him brine, mysis, seaweed selects and prime reef, yet he only does this to the maxima. fish hook eh.... Hmm that serioulsy might have to happen..... what size do you think? hes only about 3.5" long

 

[GTR]

I use the smallest treble hook I normally have which is an 18. I either bend or file the barbs so that I don't rib it's mouth when de-hooking. For bait I use scallops... shrimp if the fish keeps sucking the bait off. It can work good when you don't have a lot of other fish in the tank but when there is a lot of others it's a PIA to keep them off the bait. This all assumes that your fish will eat the type of bait you are offering.

The last one I caught was a damsel from a 15 gallon that was nipping pieces from my clams. It took less than 2 mins. and rebaited 3 times.

Steve U

 

[greg s]

wow, i have this prblm w/ a coral beauty, but he is so fast
there is no way to catch him..Greg

 

[SaltwaterSensei]

ok a number 18, got it. I'll have to take a look in my tackle box to see if I have those. luckily I only have one fish and its this kole tang. In the mean time I placed a cage over the clam to prevent futher nipping until D-day (tomorrow)

thanks gtrestoration I would have never thought of that. Lets hope this thread doesn't get seen in the "responsible reef keeping"

But honestly what would you choose? a $ 14.99 devils minion or a 75 8" max?

thats how I justify me hating this little fish

 

[GTR]

SWS...

I don't think it's all that bad. The key is to remove the barbs otherwise you will rib the fish lips right off. Have a bowl ready to drop it into. Most every time I've done it the fish has fallen off the hook on it's own.

Once you see it's hooked don't waste any time jerking it out of the tank as many times without the barbs it will flip off the hook on it's own.

I also have a DIY trap but can't always fit it into the tank with out redecorating. I only do this if needed to protect my corals or other fish or is they need attention which can't be offered in the display. They almost always end up at a LFS even if I feel like introducing them very rapidly to the concrete floor in the garage.

I'm like Resse, my dog shown in my avitar, I hate fish and only have them in my tanks if they serve a purpose.

Lets hope this thread doesn't get seen in the "responsible reef keeping"

Oh no... here they come... RUN!

:eek2:

Steve U

 

[SaltwaterSensei]

I'm like Resse, my dog shown in my avitar, I hate fish and only have them in my tanks if they serve a purpose.

Same here I only got this tang because I thought he'd make a good film algae eater. The only thing in my tank is carals and clams. I think after I catch this little bugger its going to stay that way.

Do you have a picture of that fish trap? Maybe I can build a scaled down version since the fish is only three and a half inches.....:mad2:

 

[Freed]

What color is the MAX? If it is green the tang is probably mistaking the color in the clam as algae and trying to eat it. Freed

 

[grim]

Try feeding the kole nori rubber banded to a rock. This way it has something to graze on all day long.. Koles are grazers and will eat throughout the day. Mine will not eat any of the items you mention above.

I have two large squamosas, one blue dot, one green striped, the kole will clean their shells but that is about it.

jb

 

[GTR]

SWS...

I don't have a picture of it but its kinda simple and comes in handy for anything that will take bait, including Tangs that will eat nori or lettuce. The last time I used it was to catch an ich covered powder blue tang to treat it in a QT. You just put the food in the box, grab a beer and wait. I think the bigger it is the easier it is to get the fish or what ever to go in.

It's simple to make, you just need some small pieces of acrylic, glue, a prop rod, some rubber bands and fishing line to close the trap. I was going to try a explain it but found it didn't make much sense to me when I read it. It's one of the first things I made out of plastic and it's a good thing it need not be water tight or I'd be in trouble.

I'll try to get some pics tonight and post. I'm at work now.

Steve U

 

[SaltwaterSensei]

grim,

the kole tang I have loves the mysis and brine. Also seaweed selects (which I listed in its diet) is the same thing as nori .
right now the clam is under a little eggcrate cage I made for it last night so the tang can't get to it.

GT I found some size 18 trebble hooks in my tackle. But since the clam is protected for now under its cage I think I'm going to try and make a trap like you did. I think I have a good idea how to make it. I'm thinking I'll use eggcrate and then place a bunch of rocks all over the trap so that the fish thinks its just anouther cave. Then when he swims in it I pull the fishing line closing the door.

I'll probly be done with it tonight. I'll post how it works out.

oh yea the max is a bright blue and orangy color not green.

 

[GTR]

Ah come on hook em, much more satisfying.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lets hope this thread doesn't get seen in the "responsible reef keeping"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Oh no... here they come AGAIN ... RUN FASTER !

LOL

Good Luck

Steve U

 

[SaltwaterSensei]

Arg the fish won't take the bait!!!

I've tried krill, brine, mysis, and nori but he won't take the hook...

 

[GTR]

Ok, with a trap it still helps if the fish will actively go after the bait.

This first attachment is a side view drawing of the trap I made several years ago. The green bars in the drawing keep the door in line. and are just small strips of acrylic glued tot he side walls vertically. I have mine so that the channel it creates is about 150% of the thickness of the door and I also smoothed the edges of the door so it would close easier and not bind.

Also note that I have extended the back panel, top & bottom. This gives me somewhere to wrap the multiple rubberbands I use to spring the trap door.

The second drawing is a top view, nothing special. The hole is to put the bait into.
The top is put on in two pieces, one large piece behind the door and one small strip in front of the door to keep the door in line.
The trap door is inserted into the rectangular white space shown in the drawing.

Not show is a front view but I just use a piece of 1/4" rigid tube to prop the door open with a piece of fishing line leading out of the tank.

Set the trap in a low flow area so the bait stays in, grab a beer (or three) and wait.

Steve U

 

[SaltwaterSensei]

very nice trap design. I actually made a trap last night that is similar to yours. except the closing door is on a hinge and I use fishing line to close it. I may remake it so that it is similar to yours. I think your trap design has the ability to close faster then mine....


thanks for posting your trap design I really appreciate it.

 

[GTR]

I tried the hinge door thing also and the water created to much resistance for the door to close fast.

The only problem with mine is if the fish is under the door when it closes, not unlike a guillotine. Still works though, you just have to half fishes.

I also failed to tell you how I use the rubberbands to load the door.

In the first drawing showing the door as a red bar I drilled a hole in the bottom to attach the rubberband and also a hole in the floor of the trap to feed the rubberband through. I then wrap it around the back of the trap. This normally takes 3-4 rubberbands from the newspaper tied together to get it long enough.

I did take pictures but you couldn't really see anything well enough to see how it was made.

Good luck,

Steve U

 

[Frisco]

Besides the irresponsibility factor, there's really no reason why you need to catch this fish with a hook. FIsh traps can be DIY'd out of a small acrylic tube, 2 acrylic endcaps, and a piece of fishing wire. I made one for about $4 and have been caught MANY fish over the years.

 

[SaltwaterSensei]

I tried the hinge door thing also and the water created to much resistance for the door to close fast.



Steve U

I made my door out of eggcrate so there no water resistance....


oh yea

I CAUGHT THE LITTLE TANG!!!!!!!!!!!

justgot back from the lfs got 8 bux store credit for him....

I caught him using my trap....that was definatly a test of my wits....took nearly two days for him to get caught