Wierd things happening in my tank...

[Pisces]

I've had my tank for 2-3 years now, but I still feel like an amateur....it's pretty much a 'fish only' tank, with the exception of some fairly recent (few months or so) star polyps.

I have a Regal Tang, and he behaves differently than I would expect him too.....to be more specific, I've caught him hauling snail shells around, nipping at starfish, and even at my spiny urchin! I had one previous to this one that behaved similiarily, so I took him back to the store. That one even went as far as nipping at my brittle star and cowrie.

Also, my spiny urchin has white bands around it's spikes.....a friend of mine told me it was a zebra urchin, but I don't think so. When it was new and little, it was all black. Is this normal?

[Quinn]

Welcome to Canreef.

Interesting behaviour for a tang. I have nothing to offer you on that note.

There is a great diversity of invertebrates in the hobby, many sold without ever being properly identified. I am sure there are some type of urchin that will start black and develop striping as they mature. Possibly Echinothrix calamaris? Check out http://www.wetwebmedia.com/urchins.htm.

[Samw]

My hippo tang is always picking up hermit crabs and dropping them. Not sure why.

[christyf5]

Hey Sam, maybe he needs some valonia beach balls to play with

Christy

[dekay]

I've seen mine peck at snails once in a while. As long as he's not trying to hurt him, he stays.

[Pisces]

I let my last one stay too long.....killed my brittle star, so I really am keeping an eye on this one.

My sailfin tang is quite big now, and I find she's somewhat aggressive towards other fish. Doesn't nip, just makes them get out of her way and chases a little.

But it's the regal that worries me. My red coris wrasse also picks at snail shells once in a while, but that to me seems typical of that type of fish. Maybe I'm wrong. I also catch her pulling bristle worms out of the rocks now and then...but I'm happy about that.

[Quinn]

Just out of interest, how big is your tank and what all is in it?

[monza]

oh oh the tang police are knocking.

Dave

[Pisces]

It's 130gal with a 25gal sump that my boyfriend and I plumbed in ourselves.....turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!

The tank's not drilled but has the converter overflow that hangs off the back. I've incorporated my skimmer into the sump and all water going back to the tank goes through my UV Sterilizer first.

I have a ton of Live rock, lost track of how much....and a sand bed.

I have:
Naso Tang, Sailfin Tang, Regal Tang, Red Coris Wrasse, 3 ocellaris clowns, mandarin goby, Copperband butterfly, a few snails (variety), a few little crabs, Peppermint shrimp (haven't seen them for a while though), a black spiny urchin...a chocolate chip star, a Bali star, and a brittle star.....I also have a couple big feather dusters in my sump so my copperband doesn't eat them. I think that's about it.

I'd love to get into corals (oh yeah I have some star polyps too, but my chocolate chip star finds his way to them once in a while) but I need to upgrade my lights first. My poor clowns have no anemone to play in!

[Pisces]

Also, I realize not everything I have is reef safe....so I'd have to get back into multiple tanks!