Flame Angel nipping corals HELP!!

Bauyer9 · Jan 8, 2017

I purchased a Flame Angel from Divers Den, went through the whole TTM and quarantine. He's been in my display tank for a few weeks now, and the last week some corals have been closed up. Specifically my acans. Today I caught him nipping (quite aggressively) at a few of my corals, leading me to believe he's the culprit. Exactly A week ago I started feeding NLS pellets strictly to get him and the rest of my fish on pellets in case of vacation etc. This is the same time noticed the corals closing up. Towards the end of the week he was eating them but I could tell he wasn't convinced. Not like the mysis. I'm wondering if that may have something to do with it? Should I continue with the mysis and see if he stops nipping the corals? Do I have other options? I'll take any advice I can get. Thanks - Brandon

Reefnewb · Jan 8, 2017

Hes a flame angel... thats what they do unfortunately. Sucks because theyre one of the most attractive fish

Flippers4pups · Jan 8, 2017

Centropyge are well known to flip a switch and start this behavior. Some take sometime and others right away.

You will have to remove and re-home it.

As much as I love them, I'll probably never own one again, at least not in my current SPS/LPS tank.

Vaughn17 · Jan 8, 2017

Pygmy angels have a reputation for picking at corals, and acans and other brain corals are some of their favs. Meeting your Flame angel's nutritional requirements is important for the fish's health and may lessen its appetite for coral. Are you feeding it any algae?

AllSignsPointToFish · Jan 8, 2017

Build yourself a trap out of egg crate diffuser and get him out of there. It's really the only option. I have a gorgeous flame angel living in my sump right now for the same reason :/

Flippers4pups · Jan 8, 2017

Vaughn17 said:
Pygmy angels have a reputation for picking at corals, and acans and other brain corals are some of their favs. Meeting your Flame angel's nutritional requirements is important for the fish's health and may lessen its appetite for coral. Are you feeding it any algae?

In my past experience with them, once they go rogue, it's over. I've tried everything known to man to stop them. Once they start, nothing worked.

Out they came. Never again.

Bauyer9 · Jan 8, 2017

Usually everything is fed a good diet, algae included. But as I stated in the original post, this last week I fed strictly NLS pellets, and I think that's what did it. I don't know if I'm willing to see if his normal diet diffuses the nipping or not. Luckily I don't have too much invested in coral, but still more than enough to be concerned about. I may feed his normal diet for a few days and see if anything changes, unless everyone thinks it would be best to remove/re home him either way....

AllSignsPointToFish · Jan 8, 2017

Bauyer9 said:
Usually everything is fed a good diet, algae included. But as I stated in the original post, this last week I fed strictly NLS pellets, and I think that's what did it. I don't know if I'm willing to see if his normal diet diffuses the nipping or not. Luckily I don't have too much invested in coral, but still more than enough to be concerned about. I may feed his normal diet for a few days and see if anything changes, unless everyone thinks it would be best to remove/re home him either way....

I hate to say it, but I don't think you'll see improvement.

Bauyer9 · Jan 8, 2017

Ok, thanks for the quick help guys. I just mixed up some water in a 5 gal bucket, in the morning I'll try and catch him and hold him in that until I can get to the LFS.

becks · Jan 9, 2017

My coral beauty is reef safe, well he was kind off. When my Acan fell off a rock and landed on the sand bed he would nip at it, once I moved my Acan back on the rock he completely ignores it.

Stigigemla · Jan 9, 2017

It is normal that fishes try corals when they miss some essential food. (in their opinion)
I had a few surgeons and a Siganus vulpinus in my big tank for many years. When I didn´t give them their weekly part of nori they shaved off my flake Montiporas. Just add a sheet of Nori in the tank and the corals had a calm week. The Nori was eaten in 1 or 2 hours.

There is just one question left: Did I learn to give Nori to save corals or did the fishes learn how to get a favorit food?

I would try some other foods. Maybe Nori or copepod flakes

AllSignsPointToFish · Jan 9, 2017

Stigigemla said:
It is normal that fishes try corals when they miss some essential food. (in their opinion)
I had a few surgeons and a Siganus vulpinus in my big tank for many years. When I didn´t give them their weekly part of nori they shaved off my flake Montiporas. Just add a sheet of Nori in the tank and the corals had a calm week. The Nori was eaten in 1 or 2 hours.

There is just one question left: Did I learn to give Nori to save corals or did the fishes learn how to get a favorit food?

I would try some other foods. Maybe Nori or copepod flakes

Well, when someone finds this miracle food, please share it with us! I feed mysis, brine, plankton, cyclops, chopped squid, fish eggs, blood worms, mussel, krill, super carnivore mix, coral cuisine, prime reef, formula one, nori, and a variety of pellets and flakes on a regular basis, and nothing stopped the angel from nipping!

Michael E. · Jan 9, 2017

Bauyer9 said:
I purchased a Flame Angel from Divers Den, went through the whole TTM and quarantine. He's been in my display tank for a few weeks now, and the last week some corals have been closed up. Specifically my acans. Today I caught him nipping (quite aggressively) at a few of my corals, leading me to believe he's the culprit. Exactly A week ago I started feeding NLS pellets strictly to get him and the rest of my fish on pellets in case of vacation etc. This is the same time noticed the corals closing up. Towards the end of the week he was eating them but I could tell he wasn't convinced. Not like the mysis. I'm wondering if that may have something to do with it? Should I continue with the mysis and see if he stops nipping the corals? Do I have other options? I'll take any advice I can get. Thanks - Brandon

They love Acans! Mine nipped at all of mine. No specific amount/type of food stopped it. I eventually just had to get rid of the fish. Sadly, because it was definitely my personal favorite.

AllSignsPointToFish · Jan 9, 2017

Michael E. said:
They love Acans! Mine nipped at all of mine. No specific amount/type of food stopped it. I eventually just had to get rid of the fish. Sadly, because it was definitely my personal favorite.

I know the feeling

Bauyer9 · Jan 9, 2017

Sad day, I brought the Flame Angel to the LFS. Hopefully someone else will enjoy him, ich free, worm free, healthy as can be!!. My acans have been shriveled up for a week now, don't seem to have lost any color, should I expect to see them returning to normal? I removed the flame last night and they appear to be in the same shape as of tonight.

AllSignsPointToFish · Jan 9, 2017

Bauyer9 said:
Sad day, I brought the Flame Angel to the LFS. Hopefully someone else will enjoy him, ich free, worm free, healthy as can be!!. My acans have been shriveled up for a week now, don't seem to have lost any color, should I expect to see them returning to normal? I removed the flame last night and they appear to be in the same shape as of tonight.

They will get better quickly. Just leave them along long enough to realize they're not going to be picked on.

Michael E. · Jan 17, 2017

Bauyer9 said:
Sad day, I brought the Flame Angel to the LFS. Hopefully someone else will enjoy him, ich free, worm free, healthy as can be!!. My acans have been shriveled up for a week now, don't seem to have lost any color, should I expect to see them returning to normal? I removed the flame last night and they appear to be in the same shape as of tonight.

Just a little updated on my Acans that were violated by my Flame Angel....

My acans were growing well and had actually spread over the plug. When i put the flame in, he pretty much had his way with everything. One head was completely down to the skeleton. The other was also almost completely gone. Both heads were showing skeletons. Since removing the flame, one head has started to come back. Its taken almost a month, but the progress is really starting to show. Point being that those little corals are capable of recovering from what i perceived as a lost cause. Good luck!

Viracon13 · Jan 17, 2017

Glad the corals are coming back. I'm on my 3rd Flame Angel now. First one loved Zoas. Second one loved SPS. I removed both from my tank within a couple days of adding them

Third one has been in my tank for a year or so. Still a model citizen, so far...

Saltyanimals · Feb 21, 2018

Older thread but will try.

I was lucky with my firsf flame that didn’t nip. He went carpet surfing so ordered a replacement.

Anyone know how to test for reef safeness while it’s in QT? I don’t want to just offer a variety of coral to DT to see what it does as this might be “training” it to eat offered food. Any ideas how to test?

AllSignsPointToFish · Feb 25, 2018

Saltyanimals said:
Older thread but will try.

I was lucky with my firsf flame that didn’t nip. He went carpet surfing so ordered a replacement.

Anyone know how to test for reef safeness while it’s in QT? I don’t want to just offer a variety of coral to DT to see what it does as this might be “training” it to eat offered food. Any ideas how to test?

It's hit or miss...unless you want to put corals in the QT to find out!