Will feeding my haddoni keep it from eating my fish?

[Dave-T]

I have a large red haddoni carpet nem in my 240 gallon reef. I tend to suspect it as the culprit every time I have a mysterious fish loss. I've been told by several people that if you feed a carpet nem it will become less "sticky" and will be less likely to kill fish. I've also been told that this is an old wive's tale.

Although my nem seems perfectly healthy, I could be better about feeding it. But I'll do more frequently if it would prevent fish loss!

Can anyone shed some light on this?

 

[CBonito]

It's not like it has any behavior other than what is hard wired so if there's food, it's going to eat that. Whatever it may be, whenever possible.

 

[Dave-T]

Well theoretically, it seems possible that it will be less inclined to eat if it's already satiated...

 

[The_Paradox]

Well theoretically, it seems possible that it will be less inclined to eat if it's already satiated...

Feeding it will make it stronger and more efficient. It’s not like it even knows if it is hungry.

 

[CrayHawk]

Red carpets are a blessing and a curse.

 

[jerrod]

Have you tried to see if clowns will host it. Generally they will keep away all other fish once they claim it as their home.

 

[bradleym]

Feeding it will make it stronger and more efficient. It’s not like it even knows if it is hungry.

I would tend to agree with this. They don't get hungry and start hunting. They are very simple, no brain. So if something touches it, that something gets grabbed.

 

[Ernie Mccracken]

Doubt it. I've seen well fed ones eat just about every fish including a fox face, large tangs, clownfish that were trying to host, etc. They are machines.

Every time I see one in someone's tank, I always wonder how many fish it has managed to devour.

 

[RockBox13]

You remember the scene in Return of the Jedi, when they’re above the pit of the Sarlaac? There’s no stopping it and if you chance it, the best you can do is rip your nicest Tang from the mouth of certain death. Unfortunately. dominant clowns might keep most fish safe, but it’s always the creatures from the nassarius snails and peppermint shrimp to the biggest and strongest fish in your tank that try to steal food that belongs to the Sarlaac, that end up in the death grip of the tentacles and this is how it ends.

 

[RockBox13]

You can not stop the carpet, you can only hope to contain him.

 

[cilyjr]

see if clowns will host it

This is backwards it will host the clowns.

But it's an interesting point about them keeping away other fish.

 

[Dave-T]

I thought about putting a guard clown pair in the tank. I've tried the clown route but only with percula and Ocellaris. They've ignored the carpet. I've stayed away from jerk clowns like maroon or tomato. Maybe I should try that.

 

[Hot2na]

NOPE..but I have 2 large hadoni in a 75 gal..NO fish ever eaten

 

[Gill the 3rd]

This is just my experience - I had a haddoni for a few years and I now have a mertensi. The haddoni was 12" in a 180 gallon. I found that the haddoni never ate healthy fish, its seemed to only get the fish that were sick or dying. I lost maybe 2-3 fish to my haddoni, but they were not in good shape. Its very possible they died and the haddoni got them. My mertensi is over 24" in a 300 gallon and it hasnt touched any fish. Both the haddoni and mertensi were hosts to the same clarki clown pair.

 

[Gill the 3rd]

You can not stop the carpet, you can only hope to contain him.

That's a great picture. Did you take that from outside the tank and zoom in or did you use an underwater camera?

 

[OrionN]

Healthy Haddoni carpets are very sticky, recent feeding or not. Feeding them make them larger and even more dangerous to fish.
To decrease loss of fishes, I would concentrate on keep your fish from been startled, night light, keep traffic and noise in front of the tank low and keep light on and off with traditional period and not abruptly on or off.
Lastly, have smaller clowns in the carpet to keep other fish away. Larger, nastier clowns can drag tank mates and feed them to the carpet.

 

[RockBox13]

That's a great picture. Did you take that from outside the tank and zoom in or did you use an underwater camera?

Thank you! The truth is that I’m a terrible photographer, so if I take a good picture it’s pure luck. I took it with my phone in a view box, so technically underwater just a little and angled towards the anemone.

 

[bakbay]

The trick to prevent fish loss is losing the fish! Always assume that whatever fish you put in there might be subject to being eaten. I’ve only had my Haddonis for 8mos and during this time, I lost one fish. Fish just learn to stay away, even clowns. Agreed with @OrionN above — need to give the tank some “night light” so fish won’t accidentally dart into a sticky trap. That said, accidents do happen.

My 3 Haddonis.

 

[CBonito]

The trick to prevent fish loss is losing the fish! Always assume that whatever fish you put in there might be subject to being eaten. I’ve only had my Haddonis for 8mos and during this time, I lost one fish. Fish just learn to stay away, even clowns. Agreed with @OrionN above — need to give the tank some “night light” so fish won’t accidentally dart into a sticky trap. That said, accidents do happen.

My 3 Haddonis.

Great tank!

 

[RockBox13]

The trick to prevent fish loss is losing the fish! Always assume that whatever fish you put in there might be subject to being eaten. I’ve only had my Haddonis for 8mos and during this time, I lost one fish. Fish just learn to stay away, even clowns. Agreed with @OrionN above — need to give the tank some “night light” so fish won’t accidentally dart into a sticky trap. That said, accidents do happen.

My 3 Haddonis.

Is that a Klein’s butterfly in there?!?? Sweet! That’s awesome! I haven’t seen one in a reef in like 10 years. There was a guy named Limpet’s Reef who had one that ate aiptasia. The Haddoni’s are cool but that butterfly is even cooler to me!