Tangs picking on Crocea

[ReefWreak]

Has anyone had experience with tangs picking on their clams?

I believe my Desjardini Sailfin Tang to be picking on my 3.5" Crocea, as since his and only his introduction, it hasn't been opening up as much as before, now it hardly opens, maybe opening 1" or so, with no mantle extension outside of his shell. It was always wide open when I first bought the clam about 2 months ago, and in the last 2-3 weeks (since I got the tang) it has been like this:

The tang always swims around, but hasn't ever taken a chunk out of the mantle or anything. I don't think that there is edible algae on it's shell, as he is a grazer around the tank. He gets fed cyclopeeze with the rest of the tank every other day, and gets a quarter sheet of nori to share with the foxface twice a week.

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas, I'm all ears

Thanks!

 

[ezcompany]

tangs are known to nip at clams. it is either ur clam, or the tang, you must decide.

 

[teetimefun]

I have a clam as one of my oldest inhabitants it always had a full mantle extension without fail. I added a lemonpeel angel and shortly thereafter my clam never fully opened up. I never caught the lemonpeel nipping the clam but I removed the lemonpeel and within hours it was open fully again. I was told that if it nips once it is highly unlikely to stop even if you keep the tang well fed. My clam never had chunks missing but it would not open with the nipper in there.

 

[Krazy]

I have 2 tangs and a crocea, they never bother the clam (knocks on wood)

 

[prugs]

Yup,
3 tangs (achilles, purple, & chevron) & 2 clams, My clams are fine.

My LFS guys said to watch out for the purple tang, as they have witnessed them nipping on clams.

I have heard more problems from blennies nipping clams.

 

[Krazy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9138121#post9138121 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prugs
Yup,
3 tangs (achilles, purple, & chevron) & 2 clams, My clams are fine.

My LFS guys said to watch out for the purple tang, as they have witnessed them nipping on clams.

I have heard more problems from blennies nipping clams.

my blennie doesnt nip either, thank god (knock on wood) it does nip at soft corals alot however

 

[ScubaTC]

ReefWreak, any progress with the problem?

I came home last Friday to find 5 of my 6 clams slightly opened. All are sitting near the bed. The one not showing any problem signs is sitting higher up in the tank. Two of these clams are big, one is a t-giga.

I performed tests against all parameters and ALK and salinity were low so I adjusted to within specs. Clams still were not fully open. One I have had for more than 7 years without any problems.

Over the weekend while doing a 10% water change and cleaning the tank I noticed all the clams were fully open. During this time I had my hands in the tank, so most fish were hiding or keeping a low profile. I never linked the two together.

Came home today, and all 5 of the same clams barely opened. Then while standing back and watching the tank I saw the horrible deed. My Desjardini Sailfin Tang was nipping at the clams. The tank was swimming from one end of the tank to the other while inspecting each clam. I thought "NO. Can't be. Maybe he's picking at algae."

Upon further inspection I saw him nipping at their flesh and also noticed a section of my t-giga where he had drawn up more in a certain area had small nip marked. Since the giga is so big and slower to close (never closes all the way) I guess this one is getting picked on more than the others.

The Desjardini Sailfin Tang was added several months ago and the clams were always fully opened until the problem started 3 days ago!

I have other tangs as well. The blue hippo for as long as the 7+ year old clam and never a problem. When the Sailfin picks the other tangs, powder blue and purple don't seem interested to follow suit.

The Desjardini Sailfin Tang is a very pretty tang, but looks like I will be pulling him out (won't be easy!).

 

[ScubaTC]

btw: I feed the tank heavily so I don't think giving extra food will help with the problem.

 

[ReefWreak]

ScubaTC,

I have not had any problems since I moved the clam from the bottom of my tank up into the rocks. He's been doing great up there. I think that I've reached the limitations of my 1.5ish year old 250w bulbs. I've got some spares, I just don't have the time to change them out because I'm hardly ever home to do maintenance (I'm at school 400 miles from my tank, parents take care of basic tank maintenance).

Anyway, the sailfin has not gone near my clam since I moved it from the bottom of the tank. I've also added 2 angels, a Rusty and a Coral Beauty, and I have seen the CBA pick on a colt leather once, but other than that, they have not eaten anything in the tank other than algae. I get slightly less polyp extension on my Acros, but not much less, and it could be from lack of proper maintenance as well.

Maybe you could try moving the one giga that is getting picked on to the rock structure (depending on his size) and see if that works. It could be that the tang won't be able to pick on him as easily, or that he'll get more light, who knows.

Sorry to hear about your tang. They are most certainly beautiful fish.

I'm going to get an auto-feeder when I come home from this semester so I don't have to worry about angels picking anymore.

 

[ScubaTC]

Thanks for the update. Your observation about the clam being placed on LR higher up in the tank supports the fact that the only clam in my tank that's not showing any signs of being picked on is on LR higher up in the tank! My t-giga is too big to find him a home higher up on the LR.

Also, I miscounted the clams, I have 6 clams on the bed that he is picking at not 5. The 7th one is higher up.

I'm going to go ahead and try to move most of these higher and then see what I can do with the t-giga. I haven't measured him, but it's the size of both my hands wide open. I have lots of SPS so it'll be hard finding a decent location while not blocking light from the MHs.

 

[ReefWreak]

Yea. I'm sorry to hear that, but at least maybe we got a diagnosis... Keep me posted! Let me know what you do with the giga...

 

[ScubaTC]

I've moved all six clams off the DSB. Surprisingly, after moving things around I was able to find a spot for the t-giga. He's still closer to the bottom, but at least is now sitting on some LR. It took me about 2 hours to move them. 50% of the time was finding a location where they would fit and still get good lighting and then needing to move a coral to another spot, which was a domino affect of moving SPS around. lol

Hopefully the change up and moving them off the sandbed may help. I'll watch during the week and see how it does.

Thanks again for the suggestion.

 

[ReefWreak]

Lemme know how it goes. I know how the domino effect of SPS goes, since mine get shifted around by even regular maintenance, as mine are still on frag plugs wedged into different places in the rocks..

 

[kaserpick]

ScubaTC: I wish I had so many clams in my tank that I miscounted them! "yeah, I've got 1 clam no wait...2 clams!" haha

I cannot wait to have a nice looking clam bed! Got any pics?

Kasey

 

[ScubaTC]

Update: Since moving the clams off the sand bed the tang appears to have stopped picking at all of them, except for the t-giga.

The t-giga is still very close to the sand bed, but is also slow on closing to defend itself because of its size. IMO T-gigas also like to rest wide open (more than most other clams). It's not getting picked at as much, but I've noticed some new nips marks in the tissue. I doubt I have a spot where I can move it up higher. A clam this big should be resting on the sand bed anyway.

 

[ScubaTC]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9752904#post9752904 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kaserpick
I cannot wait to have a nice looking clam bed! Got any pics?

Kasey

Then make sure you avoid getting a Desjardini Sailfin tang!!

I'll try to take some pics this weekend of their new locations. Not too hot on where I have two of them located and although the smallest one is in a good spot, it's reattaching to the LR and has situated itself where you can't see it that well. I may be able to move the LR a little, but am waiting for it to fully attach first before disturbing it.

 

[ReefWreak]

Yea. When I moved mine, before he put his threads out, he fell further into the rocks. He's fine there and gets plenty of light, and has even reattached, but I don't like where he is because you can barely see his mantle. One of these days, I'll move him somewhere where he's more visable.

 

[kaserpick]

Yeah, I'll definitely NOT get a tang of any sort! Just cause my tanks too small. Plus, I'm not a big fan of fish; some might clean, but I get tired of them pooping!

 

[ReefWreak]

Yea. I bought my first nano from someone, and he had a 24g stocked with 10 fish, including a yellow tang and assortment of other fish. I immediatly traded all the fish but 2 or 3 into the LFS in exchange for coral down the road, and spend most of my time trying to get my parameters back into check. Now in the 24 is just 1 medium/small maroon clown and a peppermint shrimp.

I was really hesitant to put fish in my 120 sps tank, but I got such great deals on them..... lol. I'm still not overstocked though. I'm just happy that my Angels don't pick at SPS or clams, and that the tang stopped.