got ethical husbandry?

Biiiiiig Haddoni

TheRealMadMax

TheRealMadMax

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Well I might have made a bit of a noob mistake. On Black Friday I found a great deal on a beautiful Haddoni online. The description said 7 - 8” but this guy is much bigger, also a crazy bright orange which is wild. The base foot in the QT tank is at least 3” tall. I have one spot in our tank which I think he could fit (at least for a bit until our new larger tank comes online). Question, knowing they like a sand bed to anchor into, for this big guy how deep a bed would you recommend?
 
I have one in a crushed coral substrate, and the nem had reached down below the substrate to the floor of the tank. I don't really understand how they would like a sandy bed since there isn't a great place to stick to.
 
Yeah I had heard they like to burrow down into the substrate. I have a 2” sand bed. I can add more in the area I would like it to stay if you think it would help. Really trying to avoid having him pull a Godzilla in the tank

Here are some pics. The first was taken by the seller. Under my light it isn’t quite a neon orange but still really bright. Second is a pic from the QT tank, the lighting is awful. However size wise this is a 50 gallon, front side of the tank is 30”.
 

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Definitely orange. I had a red Haddoni before that due to a bad salt batch didn’t make it. The importer said they only get in a couple of orange ones per year. Here is another terrible pic under natural light that shows the color a little better.
 

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Thinking of adding a haddoni to my tank for the Clarkii clown. Everyone says they eat fish - anyone have specific examples or is that not something to be super concerned about?

I’d appreciate it if he ate a couple of these damsels I have but wouldn’t want to like put my tangs and such at risk…
 
Krak256 said:
yea I would never do a haddoni again. lost 1-2 fish as a result (one being a leopard wrasse)
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Wow no kidding, and it was perfectly healthy? It's hard to imagine a fish just going full send into the anemone, enough to get immediately caught and eaten! Was there a clown defending it at the time?

@H2OPlayar did you ever lose any? I remember your carpet being way in the corner.
 
I've seen them in public aquariums have them in like sea grass tanks with like archerfish or other things that stay close to the surface. The raccoon butterflies in here seem to have no trouble either. I'd guess Banggais would be fine too. Not surprised wrasses would become a meal or any other fish that investigate the bottom though!

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SepToob said:
Wow no kidding, and it was perfectly healthy? It's hard to imagine a fish just going full send into the anemone, enough to get immediately caught and eaten! Was there a clown defending it at the time?

@H2OPlayar did you ever lose any? I remember your carpet being way in the corner.
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It was, just grazed the haddoni and got sucked in.Yea had two clowns but they didnt chase it away
 
SepToob said:
Thinking of adding a haddoni to my tank for the Clarkii clown. Everyone says they eat fish - anyone have specific examples or is that not something to be super concerned about?

I’d appreciate it if he ate a couple of these damsels I have but wouldn’t want to like put my tangs and such at risk…
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Yes they eat fish. Think of them as carnivores and predators -- because that's what they are. It is something to be concerned about and to expect.
 
Darkxerox said:
I've seen them in public aquariums have them in like sea grass tanks with like archerfish or other things that stay close to the surface. The raccoon butterflies in here seem to have no trouble either. I'd guess Banggais would be fine too. Not surprised wrasses would become a meal or any other fish that investigate the bottom though!

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Oh man I love that turtle gras!
 
SepToob said:
What fish of yours did it eat?
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None because I've never put one in a mixed reef tank with other fish because they are predators, and I tend to get attached to my fish. Also, I tend to lean very heavily to wrasses in my tanks and wrasses startle easily. A startled fish that darts down becomes a meal.

However, I suggest you go find one and touch one. You'll instantly know HOW they so easily grab fish. There's also tons of good video on them eating prized fish (especially tangs) online. The risk can be mitigated with proper fish choices, but it's never completely alleviated. They will at times (albeit rarely) even eat the clowns they are hosting.

I believe they are best kept in a tank designed for one.
 
SepToob said:
Wow no kidding, and it was perfectly healthy? It's hard to imagine a fish just going full send into the anemone, enough to get immediately caught and eaten! Was there a clown defending it at the time?

@H2OPlayar did you ever lose any? I remember your carpet being way in the corner.
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If they died, they were weak and something was going to take them out anyway. I never saw the nem closed up on a fish myself, and usually they spit out large chunks of food anyway, but they do suck them in long enough to kill a fish.

I did have a very aggressive maroon gold band clown fish which hosts it, which likely keeps other fish away as well.

Speaking of, I still have it and want it to go to a good home if anyone is looking for a blue one.
 
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