Can Tangs hurt themselves when 'tail whipping'?

[D3DPrintedThingz]

I have a little 'sand cleaner tool' which is nothing more than two plastic shirt hangers that are taped together for length. I use the hook end to stick down in the sand and twist it 360 degrees to stir up the sand bed. It works wonders, and I can always tell when the sand is a'needin' stirrin'.

However - my newest addition a blue eye kole tang really does not like it when I do it. She zips out and whacks the coat hanger with her spine on her tail. Last night I noticed a lil' scratchy-poo on her face, I know it was from when she was zipping around attacking. It looks much better today, I always soak food in vitamins and her color and everything has improved so much.

The question I have, is it better to 1) continue to clean the sand bed, and allow "Rainbow Dori" to smack my cleaning object or 2) stop stirring sand bed and keep Rainbow from whacking my tool?
I do not want her to get super stressed, but also stirring the sand bed does wonders for my tank's overall well being.

Also, when I have my hand in the tank, am I going to get stabbed? I haven't actually seen the spikes come out, but she is definitely using them to whack the coat hanger. Hoping that my forearm isn't also subject to the stab.

 

[blaxsun]

Stirring up the sand bed can occasionally "dig up" stuff you probably want to keep undisturbed (hence why gravel cleaning tubes are recommended). And if your fish abhors this and stresses out, yes - you may want to find a better alternative.

 

[fish farmer]

I had a Regal Tang leave a nasty gash on a large white damsel....so yes, they can use their tool to inflict damage.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

I suppose maybe a sand sifting fishy is in my future.

I used the gravel siphon for a couple months but it sucked out way too much of the sand, I would have been bare bottom eventually

Am I in danger? lol... but seriously... I like to stick my hand in there and move corals until they find their happy place, but recently I've been a little nervous after seeing the speed of her attacks...

 

[Tired]

Sand-sifting fish aren't the best option. They either do very little, or strip the sandbed of microfauna and start going hungry. Maybe try a fighting conch or three.

You shouldn't put your bare hand into your tank, particularly to touch the hardscape. There can be some really nasty bacteria in reefs, so an open cut, even a tiny one, is a risk. Either use tongs to move the corals, or get yourself some of those thick, elbow-length yellow gloves that people use for chemistry. Probably that'll provide some protection against the tang, because, yes, she might try and whack you. Generally you want to not have a fish cut yourself with its body, between their slime coat and the bacteria in the water.

Edit: as to whether she can hurt herself, a fish flinging itself around at high speeds can run into things, and I'd imagine slapping her tail into a hard object might not be great.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

Sand-sifting fish aren't the best option. They either do very little, or strip the sandbed of microfauna and start going hungry. Maybe try a fighting conch or three.

You shouldn't put your bare hand into your tank, particularly to touch the hardscape. There can be some really nasty bacteria in reefs, so an open cut, even a tiny one, is a risk. Either use tongs to move the corals, or get yourself some of those thick, elbow-length yellow gloves that people use for chemistry. Probably that'll provide some protection against the tang, because, yes, she might try and whack you. Generally you want to not have a fish cut yourself with its body, between their slime coat and the bacteria in the water.

Edit: as to whether she can hurt herself, a fish flinging itself around at high speeds can run into things, and I'd imagine slapping her tail into a hard object might not be great.

Dang, lesson learned. I legit grab stuff out of the tank and haven’t thought anything about it. I am wary of “Rainbow Dory” the tang, but she has only ever tried attacking my sand sifter which I stopped using after this post. No aggression, and I have 2 conchs, not fighting, are those better at sifting? I am going to buy some tongs and yellow gloves after I hit post reply. I use nitrile gloves when h2o2 my zoas but when I put them back in the tank the water obviously enters the glove so I’m essentially wet suiting my hand.

sincerely thanks for the heads up. Should be more talked about, but I also do not consider myself overly researched, so maybe it’s common knowledge uncommon to me lol

 

[Tcook]

Fighting conch and nassarius snails are all you need for your sand bed.

 

[gbru316]

I used the gravel siphon for a couple months but it sucked out way too much of the sand,

You need to use your free hand to regulate the flow of the vacuum. Doing so allows you to keep the sand in the tube/tank but pull out the dirt.

Pro tip: If you've got a fleece roller in your sump, put the vacuum drain inside it so you can vacuum as much as you need without draining your tank.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

You need to use your free hand to regulate the flow of the vacuum. Doing so allows you to keep the sand in the tube/tank but pull out the dirt.

Pro tip: If you've got a fleece roller in your sump, put the vacuum drain inside it so you can vacuum as much as you need without draining your tank.

Im thinking i may grab a couple fighting conchs next time i need to place order on reef cleaners. Ive got probably 15 nassarius and 2 normal conch, also moved some rocks out of the sand bed, so its doing pretty well now. Hopefully tank reaches a point that i dont have to worry about the sand bed, if that i a thing..

 

[gbru316]

Im thinking i may grab a couple fighting conchs next time i need to place order on reef cleaners. Ive got probably 15 nassarius and 2 normal conch, also moved some rocks out of the sand bed, so its doing pretty well now. Hopefully tank reaches a point that i dont have to worry about the sand bed, if that i a thing..

If you have a sand bed, you're always going to need to clean it. No amount of "sand stirring" livestock is going to eliminate that maintenance item. You might be able to get away with not doing it for a while, but eventually, it'll become a problem. Think of it like a ticking time bomb.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

Aw pewp. Literally. Would be cool to have a magnet attached to bottom of tank that could pull through the sand from the bottom. Would need an idea of rock structure placement… but now the wheels have started turning.

 

[gbru316]

Aw pewp. Literally. Would be cool to have a magnet attached to bottom of tank that could pull through the sand from the bottom. Would need an idea of rock structure placement… but now the wheels have started turning.

If I didn't have a wife and kids, I'd go barebottom in a heartbeat.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

If I didn't have a wife and kids, I'd go barebottom in a heartbeat.

I worry about something falling and smashing through the glass, i considered it, and am swapping to and setting up a 90g in the very near future…. Hmmmm…..

 

[Tired]

The best way to avoid things falling is to put the rocks on the bottom of the tank, then put the sand in. You want the rocks to be resting on something solid, so burrowing animals can't make them unstable.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

That was how this 75 is set up, two large base rocks and some mortar to hold them all together. The worry of smashing glass is relative to the bare bottom idea

 

[Bucs20fan]

My 60b has over 20+ nassarius and two large fighting conchs. This along with me stirring sand maybe once a month has served me well. Nassarius + diamond goby, solves almost all sand issues.

 

[gbru316]

My 60b has over 20+ nassarius and two large fighting conchs. This along with me stirring sand maybe once a month has served me well. Nassarius + diamond goby, solves almost all sand issues.

Stirring your sand is doing far more to keep it clean than snails and a diamond goby.

 

[Bucs20fan]

Stirring your sand is doing far more to keep it clean than snails and a diamond goby.

I disagree, but thats fine. I only stir it to remove empty snail shells, not in any sort of intent. Its mostly them moving the sand not me.

Im also not sure you know exactly how much sand a fully grown diamond goby moves.

 

[gbru316]

I disagree, but thats fine. I only stir it to remove empty snail shells, not in any sort of intent. Its mostly them moving the sand not me.

@ me in 5 years.

 

[Bucs20fan]

@ me in 5 years.

If I remember I will be sure to contact you.