Harlequin Tusk in 700g reef.

[iReefer12]

I really want to add him to my reef.

Will he eat small fish? Fairy wrasse, clownfish etc. That is my main concern.

 

[KrisReef]

I really want to add him to my reef.

Will he eat small fish? Fairy wrasse, clownfish etc. That is my main concern.

Mine is a model citizen and doesn’t bother with the other fishes. If he was starving I would expect him to find something to eat.

 

[iReefer12]

This is interesting, I was leaning towards no, and then you pull me back in.

What about fish you add after him, how does he react?

 

[KrisReef]

This is interesting, I was leaning towards no, and then you pull me back in.

What about fish you add after him, how does he react?

If they are not crowded they don’t pay much attention to the other fishes, ime.

 

[Porcupine Reefer]

If I could make a suggestion, you should watch reefdork's video on the harlequin tusk, he shows and talks about his experience keeping this fish and how it acted with smaller fish and invertebrates.

 

[KrisReef]

If I could make a suggestion, you should watch reefdork's video on the harlequin tusk, he shows and talks about his experience keeping this fish and how it acted with smaller fish and invertebrates.

Yes, should have mentioned that they like to prey upon the cuc, and they don’t ask me if I’m okay with that.

The colors of the tusks make me ignore their feeding habits and I keep mine in our fish tank.

 

[C_AWOL]

They're generally really mellow from experience so I wouldn't worry about anything other than small inverts.

 

[OrionN]

Harlequin Tusk is a great reef fish. Will eat all the small snails (smaller than 1/8 inches like all my Stomatella and baby Trocus), but other than that no problem. I feed him well however.
I never lost any fish or shrimp to him except when I add small fish and shrimps when he is active swimming. I think disoriented fishes and shrimps are irresistible to him. I use acclimation box and let them out when he is bout for the night.
I will always have Harlequin Tusk in my large tank, small wrasses and cleaner shrimp pair in all my (larger) reef tanks.

 

[iReefer12]

@OrionN, he is beautiful!

A lot of conflicting opinions on them, I guess it’s a lot to do with the individual fish on how they can be.

The only shrimp I keep are Cleaner, and usually even aggressive fish are okay with cleaners as they’re serving a purpose.

I’m really torn, I guess worst case scenario I can catch him and find someone with a FOWLR.

 

[littlefoxx]

I really want to add him to my reef.

Will he eat small fish? Fairy wrasse, clownfish etc. That is my main concern.

Mine eats hermits so keeping those as cuc is hard with her but shes an awesome fish otherwise!

 

[littlefoxx]

This is my girl!

 

[iReefer12]

She is awesome! How fast has yours grown for you?

 

[littlefoxx]

She is awesome! How fast has yours grown for you?

Not much. She had an eye spot when I got her and it faded. She is maybe a half an inch at most bugger than when I got her

 

[OrionN]

Keep him well fed. I hand feed mine almost everyday. I am sure if he is hungry he will go hunting. However mine s lazy and rather eat out of my hand, and I love to feed him.
I always look for my shrimps first thing when I get home from vacation. So far the shrimp survive even after 9 days vacation.
He is too lazy to go fish hunting except small new arrival as we drop the fish into the tank. That would be the same as feeding him live food.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I really want to add him to my reef.

Will he eat small fish? Fairy wrasse, clownfish etc. That is my main concern.

I just saw your thread. I had posted an article about tuskfish here:

The Harlequin Tuskfish – All Dressed Up, but Anywhere to Go?

This article gives my take on Harlequin Tuskfish in home aquariums. Updated from an article published in TFH magazine.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[iReefer12]

That was a really great read Jay. Interesting to note the difference between Aus and Philippines variant. I wonder if the Aus could be more aggressive and that’s some of the difference in temperament that people observe.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That was a really great read Jay. Interesting to note the difference between Aus and Philippines variant. I wonder if the Aus could be more aggressive and that’s some of the difference in temperament that people observe.

I've ordered some large adult ones direct from Australia and I didn't see much issue with them, but they were in a system with just other fish, no invertebrates.

 

[littlefoxx]

I have a philippine. Shes pretty shy but holds her own if another fish messes with her

 

[OrionN]

I had both. The Indo-Pacific ones are darker in term of more black, and thus looks more menacing but behavior wise they seem to be the same