Am I buggin?

[Arif]

Are yellow tangs know to eat meat corals? My coral has been retracting and recently I started seeing chunks missing. I figured it might be the flow or too much light. I observed my tank for about an hour and saw my yellow tang put a handkerchief around his neck then pull out a fork and knife. Is this normal or am I missing something?

 

[MNFish]

I have seen tangs eat food from the coral that the coral had snagged but never the coral itself.... as far as I know this is not normal.

 

[Gtinnel]

I’ve never heard of a tang eating a coral before. Usually they’re considered completely reef safe.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Agreed with above. But the handkerchief has me confused?

 

[i cant think]

Are yellow tangs know to eat meat corals? My coral has been retracting and recently I started seeing chunks missing. I figured it might be the flow or too much light. I observed my tank for about an hour and saw my yellow tang put a handkerchief around his neck then pull out a fork and knife. Is this normal or am I missing something?

It’s not unheard of for tangs to go rogue for coral (Another reason why I think they need a new Reef Safe label and to go down in popularity). I’ve seen Paracanthurus hepatus quite literally playing with coral and purposefully taking frags and flinging them into the sandbed. I’ve also seen Zebrasoma desjardini, Acanthurus leucosternon and others taking chunks from coral.

But as we say with butterflies (which seem to be more reef safe than tangs are), once a nipper always a nipper. So in this case, you’ll have to pick one or the other if you only have one tank. I’d personally pick the coral however that’s my dislike for tangs showing.

 

[Arif]

It’s not unheard of for tangs to go rogue for coral (Another reason why I think they need a new Reef Safe label and to go down in popularity). I’ve seen Paracanthurus hepatus quite literally playing with coral and purposefully taking frags and flinging them into the sandbed. I’ve also seen Zebrasoma desjardini, Acanthurus leucosternon and others taking chunks from coral.

But as we say with butterflies (which seem to be more reef safe than tangs are), once a nipper always a nipper. So in this case, you’ll have to pick one or the other if you only have one tank. I’d personally pick the coral however that’s my dislike for tangs showing.

That sonova, is it legal to punch a fish in the face?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

The coral didn't have any bare skeleton showing with fresh algae on it by chance, just to clear the tangs name..

 

[Arif]

The coral didn't have any bare skeleton showing with fresh algae on it by chance, just to clear the tangs name..

Lol. It does have the skeleton but no algae on it. The coral was nice and healthy, I saw the yellow picking at it before but I thought nothing of it.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Hmmm... my yellow tang nips at the polyps on my cabbage leathers if I don't feed her right on schedule. The leathers are pretty large, and it doesn't seem to bother them thankfully. I never expected to see a tang do something like that though! Pretty sure the polyps could appear to the tang like little tufts of algae though, so I can't blame her...

 

[Arif]

Update for anyone that cares. Yellow tang finished eating my meat coral then died approximately a week later.

 

[Reefbuds]

Ouch dude. Sorry to hear that. Seems very unusual doesn't it?

 

[i cant think]

Update for anyone that cares. Yellow tang finished eating my meat coral then died approximately a week later.

Honestly, I can’t help with why it died but these guys tend to finish whole corals once they start eating unfortunately.
Sorry for your loss, personally I’d go for a different yellow fish next time

 

[TurboTang]

I would suspect this tang was not getting the nutrition it needs - either internal parasites or just not accepting food it was given. Looks rather thin in picture but hard to tell by the way it's dorsal fin is turned. Perhaps this is why it turned to the coral and later died. As the coral is probably not the best substitute for it's dietary needs. Sorry it passed - yellow tangs are usually great fish for larger tanks

 

[Arif]

I would suspect this tang was not getting the nutrition it needs - either internal parasites or just not accepting food it was given. Looks rather thin in picture but hard to tell by the way it's dorsal fin is turned. Perhaps this is why it turned to the coral and later died. As the coral is probably not the best substitute for it's dietary needs. Sorry it passed - yellow tangs are usually great fish for larger tanks

They all eat like beasts, knock on wood. I feed a little extra since I'm battling low nitrates. Out of the 15 years this is the first time I've encountered something this weird. I have other meaty corals like a scoly it never touched.

 

[TurboTang]

I agree - strange behavior and even more strange it died afterwards