Tusk in reef questions

[bdif]

I am contemplating a 8-9" tusk for my 240. The tank is soft/lps. This would be the last fish added. I know that as far as sessils go, I'm fine. I understand that my hermits and snails will be picked off over time. I know every specimin is different, but here are some q's for anyone who has kept a tusk in a reef.

1. Will they topple rock work/decor as they hunt crabs/snails? or be overall beligerent ala reef safe triggers?

2. Will they eat cleaner shrimp?

3. Will a 9" tusk kill school of chromis 1.5-2"?

4. Will they kill starfish?

Any advice would be appeciated!

 

[Reef-LeGeNd]

Mine ate all my shrimp so I gave him to LFS.

 

[Flavum]

we used to have a tusk in a 155 bow at work and like you said he would pick off the inverts. The fish was pretty bad about toppling rock work although this might have been the individual speciman. As for the stars and shrimp im not sure we never tried

 

[Bdimas]

I have a friend who added one to his 240 and it ate almost all 300 of his snails and hermits and killed some anthias. I believe he was trying to get rid of it.

 

[Cuteo3]

I've just added a 6" Australian Tusk into my 120 gal. I have four smaller Onyx clowns and it hasn't touch them one bit. I feed it every other day with a mixture of squid and shrimp. Thus far, he has behaved leaving my rock work alone. I guess I am pretty lucky compared to the others that have posted.

 

[jda]

I have one that is only 4.5". I would definately worry about the chromis. The inverts are toast. I have no idea about the starfish. Mine does move around some rocks and stuff. They aren't as clumsy as other fish about accidently knocking over rocks.

The require a lot of food and would put quite a burden on your reef to process the waste. Don't underestimate this. My 4.5" tusk could easily eat a package of PE mysis every third day and still chow down on some pellets. If you feed them less to keep the nitrates and phosphates down, then who knows what it might go after (this would be death for the chromis IMO).

 

[AquaKnight]

I have experience with 3 Tusks, though all have been smaller, 2" juvi, 5.5", and a 4.5" currently. I haven't had a problem with any of them going after other fish, I have a little neon goby in my 125 and he's only glanced at him once or twice, my goldbar wrasse is far more aggressive and he leaves them alone. I also had a chromis with those two in QT and both were never interested in him. I would say the hermits/small snails are toast. I believe the starfish should be fine.

I will add though, I not really a fan of adding one that big. When adding those large adults (regardless of speices), you run into two main problems, first is that they sometimes refuse to adapt to tank life and refuse to eat/etc, or second, they are real terrors to the tank. I would really encourage you to try and find a smaller Tusk to add if possible.

 

[bdif]

Thanks for all the great advice/opinions!