My fish eat my crabs and snails

[ess17]

My bicolor and my hawkfish like to eat snails and crabs that I add to the tank. Is this normal? Do your fish do this as well? Is there anything I can do to stop this from happening?

 

[steelhealr]

Big fish eat small fish...crustacean eaters eat crustaceans. Always check the compatibility of your tank inhabitants. You can't change nature. Compatibility charts say 'caution' with hawkfish/angels and inverts. SH

 

[superman]

Where in Minnesota are you located Ess17? You should check out thereeftank.com
It has two reef clubs (I am part of TCMAS the Twin Cities reef club) and the rochester and duluth reef clubs are on there as well I believe.

 

[steelhealr]

..that's a good suggestion....you can always ask your lfs if you can exchange fish....SH

 

[ess17]

I am in the twin cities. Thanks for the tip, I will look into the reef club! I would be interested in meeting more people in the area that are in the hobby.

Thanks for the recommendation, but I am not interested in a fish exchange. I don't mean any offense here, but by all recommendation I have received, reef tanks should have snails and crabs. Are we saying that this isn't true in the case of hawkfish and pygmy angels, which are considered reef safe "with caution"? Sorry if that comes across as rude, I don't mean it to. I was just curious if others have the problem of fish eating snails and crabs and if there is anything that can be done. If not I suppose I will have a tank full of algea.

 

[fraservet]

anything which is reef safe with caution is likely to have a go at something - whether corals or snails etc.

hawkfish are predatory fish, and pygmy angels can be coral nippers.

reef doesn't automatically mean it has a specific clean up crew, or a specific type of coral, that's why it says with caution - research the fish before you buy.

 

[steelhealr]

Fraservet is right.....if you need/want a cleanup crew that won't be eaten, you can't add fish that predate them. The whole reef system is about balance and compatibility. You don't have to take those fish back if you are attached to them, but, you won't be able to support a cleanup crew and you may have a detritus or algae problem.

There are several wrasses I'd love to have but I have a sixline and the chances that they will be aggressive towards each other are high. I don't add bumble bee snails or zebra hermits because they can hijack shells. Research is the key. SH