One stressed out Deresa...

[Melkor]

Okay, long time viewer, first time poster today for this reason.

A large Deresa I've had for 3 years finally made a complete comeback from a brown spot rabbitfish that went postal attacking all corals (and the 3 clams especially the huge D.) since I never feed the fish or tank anything but maybe once a week or so.

Well, the rabbit is long gone (which was introduced in hopes it'd eat bryropsis sp? algae) and now 2 ORA clowns I've had forever decided to host inside the clam, though the Deresa doesn't seem to mind in the least. They dig into it like an anenome, but it still doesn't close up or even flinch. Get the magnet or hand anywhere close, and yea, it freaks out then for sure.

For a long time the zoos had kept the clowns happy, but now they seem to like the D. much much better.

Question is, will this have negative effects on the clam in the long run, or since it doesn't seem to mind, don't worry?

Much thanks on anyones input in advance since I've personally known friends whose clams were killed in this exact fashion, except for that theirs didn't tolerate the clowns, staying closed (since they'd hover right above, just waiting for it to open back up) resulting in eventual death from lack of light.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

usually not a problem. watch your clam, it will let you know by closing if its irritated too much. BTW, feed your fish more. Starved fish of any kind will start going after inverts.

 

[Melkor]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the D. doesn't even seem to notice.

Tough clam, as I was sure the Rabbit had done it in before finally tearing the entire tank down to get him out. Company who watches the percs dig into the D.'s mantle just don't get the same chuckle out of it as I do since it is hilarious to watch, especially when they "retreat" to protect it when someone gets too close to the glass.

The tank isn't/wasn't fed because I wanted the Kole to do algae control, leaving the two ORA percs, psycho mandarin, and dusky jawfish to eat up the pods. All are extremely healthy and fat, including the mandarin who was given for free since it was dying in a LFS from starvation and they couldn't sell it. Within a month his belly was huge, a complete success story with that one. (75g tank with 90lbs of LR in display, with a 75g sump below filled with about the same amt. of LR)

In the past with other tanks, it seems if you feed the fish too much or too often, they become "babied" and refuse to do any real "cleaning" of the LR knowing they will be fed prepared food instead.

It's worked fine for 3 yrs with this tank and the choice of fish, but since Kole won't eat bryropsis sp? and this rabbit tore it up at a LFS it was bought in the hopes he'd do the same in the 75 at home if not fed.

Wrong...

 

[jmaneyapanda]

grazing fish like rabbits and tangs eat constantly. it would be really hard to feed a tang so much it didnt forage.