Yellow Tang Steeling Food From Anemone

the_colonel · 10-04-2004, 09:12 AM

Hello,

I have a yellow tang who likes to steel food from my green carpet anemone whenever I feed it. The Anomone is not a quick eater, and even though he closes up around the food the Tang likes to try to get the food away. I am worried the tang will get stung, or worse yet "caught" by the anemone. Is there a potentail problem here?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

otolith · 10-04-2004, 09:27 AM

It's possible that you may come home some day without a yellow tang, which, IMO, is not necessarily a bad thing (just kidding). Is there any way that you can feed both at the same time? or Can you cover the anenome with some sort of protection until it's done eating?

mnreefgeek · 10-04-2004, 09:37 AM

I had a green carpet that cleaned my tank out, literally. I would suggest that you figure out a way to feed them together or to keep the tang away from the anemone, or like Derek said, one day you may come home to no tang.

Jeremiah · 10-04-2004, 09:44 AM

I have never had a carpet anomone but have heard the same thing about them eating fish. I would also suggest feeding them at the same time. Maybe clip on some dried seaweed or whatever you tang likes to eat to distract him for a while. If your anomone is still small you might be able to cover him while he eats.

Dwayne · 10-04-2004, 10:50 AM

Try feeding the anemone at night when the lights are out. The tang should stay away from the anemone if the tang can't see clearly.

David Grigor · 10-04-2004, 11:31 AM

Or better yet. Don't feed it at all.....I'm sure it will get stray food periodically on its own. Carpets can be huge with or without feeding no sense making it outgrow your tank any faster.......

the_colonel · 10-04-2004, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by otolith

It's possible that you may come home some day without a yellow tang, which, IMO, is not necessarily a bad thing (just kidding).

If I come home, and that Tang is gone, my daughter is going to be really upset, its her "fav" fish.

Thanks for all the advice, I will try all options including Davids "not feeding at all". I do like to watch him eat though, so when/if I do feed him, I'll try to keep the Tang occupied with his own food.

JP

lfish · 10-04-2004, 04:25 PM

I have a cleaner shrimp that tries to jump on and pull food from my rbta. I was more worried about the aggressive shrimp harming the rbta. Could it be the other way around and the rose bulb eats the shrimp?