Carpet with big fish

Z06-Hec · Oct 30, 2015

So I have posted times before, 2 Adult Angles, Majestic and Blue face
One 6" Purple Tang
one 4-5" Yellow Tang
Various other fish besides the point of my question....

My Big tangs and Majestic angel are always by my carpet... I have even witnessed my Yellow tang nip at the Carpet. ( Not sure if he was picking food off the carpet or what, Carpet didnt budge so it wasnt bothered).
Anyway, Carpet has never eaten a fish....
I thought at some point maybe my carpet isn't sticky?
Well when it moved last time I stuck my hand in to attempt to bother it and see.... Sure enough it was sticky... I touched it a few times and its definitely sticky...
So...
Whats up here, is it selective... or the fish just too big/strong to even be phased ?

AlexG · Oct 30, 2015

I think your carpet is going to eat well. From what I have read on here it is a matter of chance. If a fish does touch it and gets stuck there is a good chance they will be dinner. I know there are lots of experienced carpet keepers here that will have some good input.

Z06-Hec · Oct 30, 2015

I'm not encouraging it to eat my fish.... Just wondering how no one has gotten stuck on him in the 4 months i have had him.

AlexG · Oct 30, 2015

I th

Z06-Hec said:
I'm not encouraging it to eat my fish.... Just wondering how no one has gotten stuck on him in the 4 months i have had him.

I think fish know to avoid it but if there is a stress reaction and a fish starts darting all over the tank they might accidentally collide with the anemone and that might mean there is no escape. I was going to get a carpet in my last system but I ultimately decided against it because it was just a risk I was not willing to take. I ended up getting bubble tips instead. Do you have clown fish hosting in this carpet?

Z06-Hec · Oct 30, 2015

My Nearly Naked alternates all day between the Carpet or the Bubble tip.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 30, 2015

What species of carpet? Giganteas are a lot less likely to eat a fish than a Haddoni.

I've not noticed my carpet (gigantea) eat a fish, although it may have done so. I feed all my fish right next to it because I'm not worried and I want the clowns and the gigantea to get some of the food.

Z06-Hec · Oct 30, 2015

Haddoni...
I will say i have had my lawnmower go missing... but i really doubt it was the carpet...
I see all the fish listed swim by and touch it with no issues...

Saltgator · Oct 30, 2015

I lost a 7 inch naso and a 4 inch orange shoulder to a tan haddoni a few years back. Both times was a night when my fish were bedding down for the night. Whether they were darting throughout the tank at night and miss judged it or not, I'm not sure. The nem was about 12 inches and I didn't have a active pair of clowns at the time. Maybe that's the trick. Both tangs were spit back up by the nem afterwards.