Harlequin Tuskfish
- Thread starter anbosu
- Start date
Stuart60611
New member
It is funny that you just posted this inquiry. Just yesterday I posted the same question below. See .here. Tagging along for an answer.
Assuming that they can get along, you definitely want to remove the lunar and place him in quarantine for a bit when you add the tusk to the display. Tusks do not tolerate being harrassed in the slightest when acclimating to a new tank and will die within days if so harrassed when first introduced. Lunars always harrass any new additions so you definitely want to do this so that the Tusk can settle in and the Lunar then will have to re-establish a territory once re-introduced to the display after the tusk becomes established in the display. As you can see from my inquiry, I plan on doing this with my picasso trigger.
Now, tagging along to find out whether such a wrasse can get along with a tusk assuming the above is followed. Hopefully someone will post their experiences
Assuming that they can get along, you definitely want to remove the lunar and place him in quarantine for a bit when you add the tusk to the display. Tusks do not tolerate being harrassed in the slightest when acclimating to a new tank and will die within days if so harrassed when first introduced. Lunars always harrass any new additions so you definitely want to do this so that the Tusk can settle in and the Lunar then will have to re-establish a territory once re-introduced to the display after the tusk becomes established in the display. As you can see from my inquiry, I plan on doing this with my picasso trigger.
Now, tagging along to find out whether such a wrasse can get along with a tusk assuming the above is followed. Hopefully someone will post their experiences
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anbosu
New member
That makes sense, I figured at the least I would have to rework the rock scape a bit. If I got the tusk I would have a QT tank up and running, so it wouldn't be a big deal to put the lunare wrasse in there for a few days or a week to give the tusk more time to acclimate. I may have read your thread yesterday and it made me think about this, I have been thinking about getting a tusk for a while.
Stuart60611
New member
Ya, my thoughts exactly. Not a big deal to put the lunar in quarantine for a bit since you will be quaranteening the tusk anyway. I edited my above post to provide you with a link to the thread I started yesterday in case you want to check it out. My Australian Tusk arrives tomorrow. Hopefully, he will be healthy.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
I just posted this on another thread:
I usually don't like to recommend what I do if it goes against an established "rule" of fishkeeping; because someone, somewhere has successfully kept every combination of fish imaginable. But I don't think H. Tusks are typical wrasse in many ways. I now have a banana Wrasse with one H. Tusk and a Pinkface Wrasse with another HT. Both are Thalassoma species; they do extremely well together. Prior to Katrina, I had an HT with a pair of Flasher Wrasse with no problem. This sounds stupid pairing but most HTs just don't bother anything, except inverts!
I usually don't like to recommend what I do if it goes against an established "rule" of fishkeeping; because someone, somewhere has successfully kept every combination of fish imaginable. But I don't think H. Tusks are typical wrasse in many ways. I now have a banana Wrasse with one H. Tusk and a Pinkface Wrasse with another HT. Both are Thalassoma species; they do extremely well together. Prior to Katrina, I had an HT with a pair of Flasher Wrasse with no problem. This sounds stupid pairing but most HTs just don't bother anything, except inverts!
Stuart60611
New member
MrTuskfish:
Thanks for the reply. I was not fearful of the tusk becomming the aggressor. Rather, I am more fearful of the wrasse beating on the tusk. Did you add your wrasses after the tusk or the reverse? Was there any fighting?
Thanks for the reply. I was not fearful of the tusk becomming the aggressor. Rather, I am more fearful of the wrasse beating on the tusk. Did you add your wrasses after the tusk or the reverse? Was there any fighting?
MrTuskfish
Team RC
The pinkface has one little corner that the tusk knows to avoid; other than that, no problems at all. I did introduce the T. wrasses after the tusks though; that may have helped. Given the near-impossibility of getting an active T. wrasse out of a tank and into QT if things go wrong; that sure is something to consider. (I once used a tiny, baited, barbless hook to remove a goldbar wrasse that was a real terror with a big Blueface Angel; safe & effective!))
MrTuskfish
Team RC
I know it sounds silly; but the "fishing" really works when trying to remove certain fish. Fast, aggressive wrasse are very easy to catch this way. Using a very tiny, barbless hook; baited with the target fish's favorite food is the secret. BTW, most Australian tusks are caught on barbless hooks by divers. Its certainly less stressful than tearing apart the tank. I've had a lot of folks laugh at this idea; but then come back and say it worked great. a great way to get 'nuisance" damsels out too.
Stuart60611
New member
How do you avoid the other fish going after the baited hook instead of the fish that you desire to catch?
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Sometimes it is catch & release, when you get the wrong one. But "fish" in an open area and just snatch it away when the wrong fish goes after it. With Thalassoma wrasse, its easy, they are usually the 1st fish to get to the food. BTW, be sure you're ready with a place to put your trophy and use a clean, wet cloth to hold him when removing the hook; it protects the fish's slime coat. I like the long shank hooks used to catch bait in SW, "hair hooks". But any tiny hook will do; like the size 22 used by fly-tiers. I laugh every time this topic comes up; but I had a couple of LFS in my old home area that would occasionally ask me to go fishing at a customers home----usually the dreaded "cycling damsels".
loganjonathan
In Memoriam
now thats funny who fishing in your home is so much funnnnnnnnnn
I am also wondering i need a harlequin tuskfish does anyonave one for sale i am in brandon fl but will drive to westly chapel to get one
I am also wondering i need a harlequin tuskfish does anyonave one for sale i am in brandon fl but will drive to westly chapel to get one
MrTuskfish
Team RC
This thread is almost 4 years old, I haven't gone tank-fishing since then. Live Aquaria almost always has Australian Tusks and they are magnificent.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Just to clear up my post #6 above from 4 yrs. ago; the Flasher Wrasse with the Tusk were about Red Tail Flasher Wrasse, almost 4" . (I think, I lost all my notes in the Hurricane). Do not trust HTs with small fish, they will eat them.
