Experience w coral beauty and corals

[Mariette]

I know, I know. Coral beauties are a gamble when it comes to soft sting-less corals. But I have one and I’m attached. Super attached. I also want to start keeping corals. I know it’s a gamble and some do well while others pig out. And that some corals are more likely to be eaten than others. I will be feeding once a day. Not much natural algae in the tank. So, what has been your EXPERIENCE? Id like to stress that rehoming the fish is not an option. Thx all

 

[Oshengems]

I don’t believe it’s some, I think it’s all at one point they will flip it’s in their nature, from what I seen the difference is how hard they go after the corals, example my previous Multibar angel as soon as he got in the tank he was ripping coral chunks off he was eating frozen but not very aggressive at dead frozen food he wanted corals! In a day almost cleaned my favia took more than half also saw him take chunks of my candy cane as well, sold him got a 2nd in August this one I got him to eat aggressive before I added him to the display he knew my presence meant food, when he went in I saw him nip my lobophilia but never actually saw flesh being ripped off he would just nip and corals would not react I’m guessin he’s picking off pods, he’s still in my tank and the only coral he was aggressive was the neon candy cane, regular candy cane And everything else he leaves alone.

If you are going to attemp to keep corals with an Angel always have a back up plan and that fish trap ready. So far in this tank I had a pair of coral beauty and flame angel both were good with corals then the Multibar bar he went ham my potters angel died because he would only and exclusively graze the rocks for algae nothing else and then my current Multibar that as long as my acros are on he’s on

 

[alanbetiger]

Had one in a 190 gallon mixed reef with SPS, LPS and zoanthids. Did fine for about 4 years. Then suddenly with no changes started picking at all my SPS overnight. By the end of if all the SPS died before I could catch it and caused a tank crash. Super fun times...

 

[dansreef]

Unfortunately, I have had similar experiences. I have had a bunch of different angels and while model citizens... they will explore and pick. If they find something they like...they keep at it until it is exhausted. The point that you make about only feeding once a day will only compound things I am afraid.

 

[cperry7467]

I've had a coral beauty for about a year with no issues. Primarily acro's, couple of acans, brain coral, and hammer.

 

[Oshengems]

Unfortunately, I have had similar experiences. I have had a bunch of different angels and while model citizens... they will explore and pick. If they find something they like...they keep at it until it is exhausted. The point that you make about only feeding once a day will only compound things I am afraid.

Yeah if they taste and like it will be gone, I’m sure most stories are similar to this they taste certain corals and go ham in a day on a colony my war coral favia was pretty big in about a day half was gone and people panic for the rest of the corals, my Multibar is not much of a grazer like the potter or the coral beauty was, the flame I had graze but was also very curious and picked off pods and things of the the rocks like the Multibar does always inspecting the rocks and sand

 

[Jesterrace]

I know, I know. Coral beauties are a gamble when it comes to soft sting-less corals. But I have one and I’m attached. Super attached. I also want to start keeping corals. I know it’s a gamble and some do well while others pig out. And that some corals are more likely to be eaten than others. I will be feeding once a day. Not much natural algae in the tank. So, what has been your EXPERIENCE? Id like to stress that rehoming the fish is not an option. Thx all

I feel your concerns there. First of all I will say that daily seaweed/nori feedings will increase your chances of success. Second, unfortunately it's actually best to add the corals first and then the coral beauty. They tend to become more interested in new coral additions to the tank. That said however, I would say that Euphyllia Corals (ie Hammer, Frogspawn, Torch, Grape) are probably what I would go with. My tank has several Euphyllia Frags and my CB has done pretty well with them (I also feel it helps if the corals are larger in size as all big wavy tentacles tend to be a bit more daunting for a CB). I'm not saying it's guaranteed to leave them alone, I just think you will have a bit higher chance of success with them. My CB completely ignores my well established branching hammer and frogspawn. It has taken the occasional exploratory nibble at my Green Hammer, but it clearly doesn't like the taste (spits it back out) and the Green Hammer isn't really harmed by this (in fact it's actually growing quite well). The thing to remember with Dwarf Angels is that the occasional exploratory nip isn't harmful but repeated nipping on a given coral or corals is. The other thing of course is to keep your CB well fed (ie daily seaweed, feed a couple of times a day with a variety diet ie Reef Frenzy).

Here is an overview of my CB in my Reef Tank:


Here are my newer coral additions so you can see how they look with my CB in there:

 

[ReefAddict0887]

Had one he as expected ate corals [emoji23] so he went back to the store

 

[Mariette]

I feel your concerns there. First of all I will say that daily seaweed/nori feedings will increase your chances of success. Second, unfortunately it's actually best to add the corals first and then the coral beauty. They tend to become more interested in new coral additions to the tank. That said however, I would say that Euphyllia Corals (ie Hammer, Frogspawn, Torch, Grape) are probably what I would go with. My tank has several Euphyllia Frags and my CB has done pretty well with them (I also feel it helps if the corals are larger in size as all big wavy tentacles tend to be a bit more daunting for a CB). I'm not saying it's guaranteed to leave them alone, I just think you will have a bit higher chance of success with them. My CB completely ignores my well established branching hammer and frogspawn. It has taken the occasional exploratory nibble at my Green Hammer, but it clearly doesn't like the taste (spits it back out) and the Green Hammer isn't really harmed by this (in fact it's actually growing quite well). The thing to remember with Dwarf Angels is that the occasional exploratory nip isn't harmful but repeated nipping on a given coral or corals is. The other thing of course is to keep your CB well fed (ie daily seaweed, feed a couple of times a day with a variety diet ie Reef Frenzy).

Here is an overview of my CB in my Reef Tank:


Here are my newer coral additions so you can see how they look with my CB in there:

Great info thx! I’ll consider placing CB in qt (20g, I’ll make it nice) while I maybe get corals established. Awesome. And good tips re types of corals too. Just what I was looking for.

Unfortunately, I can’t get my CB to eat Nori. Tried 3 kinds. Will take occasional bite when his best buddy (a yellowtale damsel - don’t ask) is having some but not into it. Eats frozen mysis, brine, bloodworms every day. I Ofer flakes too. He’s not into it. Tried soaking in garlic. No change. Tried w and without vitamins. No change. Minimal algae in tank but I do see him nipping at rocks. What gives?!?

 

[Mariette]

Had one he as expected ate corals [emoji23] so he went back to the store

been afraid of that. I’d be more likely to set up another tank for the corals than give up my CB. Hmmmm maybe this isn’t such a bad idea ....

 

[Oshengems]

My Multibar doesn’t eat nori at all!!! Neither did my old flame, the coral beauty did but lil, i don’t think it’s about any particular coral, because I have read stories them eating Euphyllia funny thing my lightning maroon clown was literally eating my torch coral and no he wasnt getting used to it or trying to host it he was ripping and eating weird, anyways just keep in mind that corals are part of their natural diet but they do graze so I’m guessin some develop the taste when they need the Extra nutrients or more food as they grow, size also is not relevant since a fellow reefer tried a tiny flame which was a hard coral eater from day one. I love me some angels and im willing to take the risk but I draw a line at acropora if he touches any of those he’s evicted, I sold a few LPS to accommodate my Multibar

Don’t try one in a reef without a fish trap becaue at one point he might just turn on that taste and that coral he’s munching will be gone fast!

 

[burnetb1]

When I first got my system I got a 30 gal setup with a CB angel, frogspawn and some trash brown palys. I had the fish for about 4 years and would see her nip at a coral every once and a while but she never did lasting damage or developed a taste.

 

[User1]

Every fish and tanks is different so not sure how much my personal experience with our Coral Beauty will be to you. I picked it up close to 3 and a half years ago while small in size I am not sure who old it was. Anyway it was perfectly fine in that tank. Other fish at that time are azure and Talbot damsels, pair of clown fish, mated file fish, and a cleaner shrimp. Snails of course but I think that was more or less it. LPS hammers, mostly soft corals with Kenya tree, Xenia, and various zoas. I have several rose bubble tip anemones. Oh - pair of pajama cardinals. Anyway I think that is more or less it but how it acted in the tank was fine. It did sleep or use my hammer corals for refuge for whatever reason but whatever it did the hammers had no problem sustaining and being healthy.

I would see it nip at some corals I had and tuck (hide) in others. Never bothered any of my fish or clean up crew so more or less safe I'd say. It ate pellets, frozen, and live. Last year around this time I upgraded to a 210 gallon tank and of course he followed. Same corals, more live rock, same fish. Same temperament. The only thing I noticed now is that at times it will get a bit bossy with my clown fish pair but the larger of the two has no issues letting it know it is too close.

What I personally believe is if you keep the ecosystem consistent with feedings and mature corals then the Coral Beauty, or any other "with caution fish", tends to do well. More rocks and places to forage and explore mean less bored fish. Bored fish is like a bored dog that will chew on shoes, furniture, or dig. More mature corals means if it does pick that it should be able to outgrow the damage if that makes sense.

We like ours.

 

[mattzang]

i did a lot of research before recently adding a flame angel and basically it seemed to come to: are you ok with less than stellar polyp extension and are you ok with nipping? and there are corals that they are very likely to go for: acans, zoas, meaty brain type corals. if you have those corals or don't want nips or amazing polyp extension all day, then probably best to not try it. i added the flame and on day two he went and gave my purple stylo a big kiss. several weeks later, purple stylo is doing fine. seems there are the rare cases where someone has an angel that just won't relent and goes to town on corals, but idk. if you're more of a fish person with coral as a secondary, i'd give it a whirl