Help! My tang is going insane with his reflection...

[disccollector]

The back of my tank was coated in algae for the longest time until I got a new supply of black turbo snails and they ate every bit of it. Now the back of my tank is showing the yellow tang's reflection and he basically fights it all day...swimming aggressively at it and flipping his tail a lot.
The wall behind my tank is about 6 inches away and is a dark brown color and it makes the reflection very easy to see.
What can I do? Will a brightly colored backing on the glass fix it? Thanks!

 

[lionfish12]

get a blue background. ( my dog does the same thing to our pond. She'll chace her reflection for hours!

 

[russianspy]

My Tang is the same way, He learned he can't win but sometimes still goes at it, But yellow tangs are more agressive so take that factor in he may never stop unless you do get a blue background....
lionfish12 - You must have one of those rat dog, they don't know much

 

[lionfish12]

Its a golden retreiver

 

[russianspy]

HAHAHA, I Love Golden Retirevers, there the 1 exception to rat dog cuz my old one was just like that...Gone now

Ah, Thats why i love golden retrievers they're rat dogs in a large body.

 

[clarkiiboi]

I agree, try a background. That will hide any cords and such too. I have always had this hard green algea on my back glass (not coraline) and nothing eats it, what exactly did you mean by black turbo snails? I have mexican turbos and astrea turbos, if it is something different I am very interested. Thanks and do try a background, you could use black also. Do a search for "backgrounds" narrowed to the reef forum to see how each looks and what you like better.

 

[disccollector]

ClarkiiBoi,
Thanks for the tip!
As for my snails, the guy at my local fish store called them "black" mexican turbos and said that they get a bit larger than normal turbo snails. I had the same green algae on the back of my glass that you are talking about and these guys tore through it in 2 days leaving my glass spotless! I've had every other kind of snail (nacarrius, cerith, bumble bee etc., astrea) in my tank and these guys did more in 2 days than my other snails ever have...I will most definitely be buying more of them

The only problem, and I think this is common with turbos, is that if they fall they cannot upright themselves and the hermits get them. So I find that I'm spending time every day looking out for fallen snails and uprighting them. The other problem is that they will actually crawl out of my tank and onto the top rim and I have to put them back in the water:scared: I might even get rid of my hermits...they're just not compatible with snails no matter how many empty shells you have. I think they kill snails just for food. Anyway, HTH.

 

[clarkiiboi]

I said I would leave my tank "clawless", but read too many good threads on scarlet hermits, not to be confused with red legged hermits. I bought some, and I agree with all I read. Model citizens. Try those, just cause you do need hermits to get into places the snails can't. Remove what hermits you have now and go scarlets only, IMO. I have mexican turbos and they dont put a dent in it, sounds like what your LFS stated. Bigger than than the normal turbos (astrea). I never have to upright either of these two, but I know it happens. The only snails I had that would crawl out of the water line (evaporation) where my margarita snails, they are black. They look very differnt from either tubos. They don't help either.

 

[scottbythesea]

They are as good as good nieghbors get...........Trade your bluefooted boobies 2 for one or hell three for One to your LFS...Dont be surprised that they dont want them back.
Had some lefty claws once that behaved but stick to the true scarlets and you can't go wrong.
ScottbytheSea