Dwarf Flame angel questions

Hunter399 · Jan 25, 2018

The last month or two my Acans have been closed up and everything else is growing great. I have narrowed it down to either my cleaner shrimp or my flame angel as the reason. My question is what does it look like when the angel is eating or bugging a coral? He swims the whole tank picking at everything which is normal but he does stop at the acans amd pecks at it for a sec then swims on. Is this them eating it as I know flame angels can or is this normal behavior to swim around nipping at things?

I love the little guy and before I get rid of him I want to make sure he is guilty ha ha

Thanks!

eatbreakfast · Jan 25, 2018

Oftentimes when dwarf angels start picking at coral it isn't staying put eating the colony in one sitting. Instead, it is as you are describing, a nip here, a nip there.

Hunter399 · Jan 25, 2018

Thanks! Any tips on catching him? Been trying for the last couple hours and worried it may be impossible with out a tank tear down.

eatbreakfast · Jan 26, 2018

A fish trap with a mirror at the back.

PghReef · Jan 26, 2018

They pick the mucous slime off of corals usually and don't actually eat the coral. Some corals handle this just fine while others do not. I kept a flame with monti, stylo, frogspwwns, hammers, mushrooms, trumpets elegance, xenia, polyps, and others. For the life of me I could not keep acans they were done until my flame went into the tank.

Personal preference but I chose flame over acans. Since I could keep everything else I just got rid of the acans and all was good. If it has been my stylophora or euphyllia it might have been a different story though

ca1ore · Jan 26, 2018

My dwarf angel gang either killed, or forced the removal of all the fleshy polyped LPS in my tank. Ultimately though, I prefer the Angels, so no biggie.

Hunter399 · Jan 26, 2018

Yeah I can’t decide lol. I am gonna buy a fish trap. I have tried everything to catch it. It’s a toss up I just feel like all my dosing, amino acids, husbandry and 90% of the effort is for coral health ha ha

ca1ore · Jan 27, 2018

I'm afraid that with the right 'opportunity', and given enough time, all the Angels will do damage. 'With Caution' indeed. In my case, flame, potters, Eibli and LemonPeel are amongst my favorite fish so acan, shmacan ......