harlequin tusk, Indian or Australian?

[Razor]

I've noticed a huge price difference between the Indian and Australian Harlequin Tusks, but what's the difference otherwise?

 

[golfish]

Indian or is it from the Philippines. The Aussies are the better way to go here, the others are probably caught with poison and won't live very long due to liver damage....maybe?

 

[Razor]

I looked at the details at they're from the Indian Ocean, not India, therefore it is possible that they are from the Philippines.

It's a shame because we're talking about $40 versus $90. I love that fish but can't imagine spending $90 on it.

I wonder if there is a way to find out if it was net caught or not?

 

[Minh Nguyen]

They are very hardy and will do fine either from Australia or other Pacific are. Australia Tusk are more colorful thus the higher price. IMO, if you look at two of them side by side, you can tell but otherwise it is hard to tell them apart, as least the young ones. I was told the older they get the more colorful they are and thus more easy to tell one from the other.
Harlequin Tusk is almost imposible to kill. My Tusk (non Australian) eat out of my hand.

 

[Razor]

In this hobby how can you go wrong with something that is "almost imposible to kill". Thanks for the info.

Can I ask how much you paid for yours and how big it is?

 

[Anonymous]

The Australian usually has more blue to the striping instead of that silvery-white color. Also as the fish ages, the 'tusks' themselves will tend to develop a more pronounced color (though I have a feeling that's primarily dietary).

This winter when I get my 125 done, I'm probably going to get a juvi tusk from the phillipines and try to raise it on high quality food and see if I can bring out the more australian coloration...see how much of it is dietary and how much hereditary.


-John

 

[Minh Nguyen]

H Tusk will decimate your small snail population. I got lots of snail breeding in my tank. Many young snails are less than 2 mm (thousands in my 400 g tank). My H Tusk is about 5 inches in total lenght rigth now. With in 1 week, there is no small snail can be seen during the day. Less than 100 can be seen at night. If they stay out as the light turn on, the Tusk will eat them.
He loves escago. He just eat every snail that he see that is less than about 4 mm, shells and all. He does not bother any of my corals, fishes shrimps. or clams. I think he will be great in control parasitic snails in a clam tank.

 

[Razor]

So he won't touch any of your larger snails? What kind of coral do you have in your tank?

 

[Minh Nguyen]

So he won't touch any of your larger snails? What kind of coral do you have in your tank?

The large snails are safe. I have 90+ SPS a few LPS (frog spawns, plate, brain coral, candy cane, anchor coral, Goniopora) and Green star polyps, yellow polyps, zoanthus and Xenia, + a few more that I may over look. I have 15 Clams in my tank also.

 

[Razor]

Thanks for the info. My only reluctance in getting the H Tusk, other than the price, was the fear of it killing my coral, but it seems to be fine. Now I just have to find a reliable retailer that won't kill me on the price of the fish.

 

[texman]

I have also considered a tusk for my tank but am concerned about it damaging clams and corals. Small snails don't concern me since they seem to be reproducing in my refugium and seeding my main tank. Has anyone had experience with tusks and small clams? Anyone had any bad experiences with tusks in their reef tank?

 

[Minh Nguyen]

My smalest clam is about 2 inches. No problem with the H Tusk