I Think I Have a Big Angelfish Problem!

[AKL1950]

I’ve been wondering why my Zoa’s keep closing up all the time and don’t seem happy. I think I’ve found the answer. Pictures are of one of my small Frag colonies. First two pictures are last month. Third picture is yesterday. The hole in the middle is not closed up polyps. It is missing polyps. They are completely gone. I think I can see on the left side of the hole a partial polyp. It looks like someone ate out the middle.

The list of suspects is pretty small. I have a male and female pair of Bellus Angelfish. The other fish are tangs and chromis. Also one skunk shrimp, two PinCushin urchin and snails. I’m thinking the angelfish are guilty. Not sure which one. Guess it might be time I went fishing for angelfish. I really don’t want to have to relocate them, but I can’t let them destroy all my Zoa’s. Any suggestions?

 

[Cichlid23]

I would be very surprised if it's the angels. Any other angel maybe but any angel from the genus genicanthus is generally 100% reef safe. Maybe someone out there has had different experience that could prove me wrong, but from what I've read and the many many angelfish I've owned, they are reef safe.

 

[maroun.c]

I would watch the tank from far to observe If they are the real culprits. If they are they would have finished that frag in one session I would say. I've had many genicanthus angels in my tanks and never had any issues with them, except for one that nipped on a single euphilia (could have been that that euphilia was dying as it didn't touch any thing else.

 

[AKL1950]

There in one blue leg crab that hitchhiked in months ago. It was very tiny then, but has upgraded its shell quite a few times. When I see it, it’s always going after algae. That’s the last possibility.

 

[LiamPM]

Like others have mentioned id also be having a good look at the tank over the course of time before going fishing - Just seems a little unlikely its them. They tend to be pretty reef safe with very few reports saying otherwise and the kicker for me is that once a fish takes a liking to a coral, its rarely just a nibble like that when it comes to angelfish.

You say you have tangs. What ones? Its not uncommon and is actually more common than most would believe for Regal tangs to take chunks out of coral, often zoas. Definitely calls for a few hours tank watching one night before acting.

 

[AKL1950]

Like others have mentioned id also be having a good look at the tank over the course of time before going fishing - Just seems a little unlikely its them. They tend to be pretty reef safe with very few reports saying otherwise and the kicker for me is that once a fish takes a liking to a coral, its rarely just a nibble like that when it comes to angelfish.

You say you have tangs. What ones? Its not uncommon and is actually more common than most would believe for Regal tangs to take chunks out of coral, often zoas. Definitely calls for a few hours tank watching one night before acting.

The Tang squad consist of Purple, Powder Blue, Hippo and Tomini.

The only fish I have seen stop real close to, or right over the Zoas, is the female Bellus. I have never seen her pick at then, but it’s hard to tell from a distance. The tangs graze around all the corals, but never seem to pick right at them. Having said that, the last fish to go in the tank was the male Bellus. It was after his introduction that the Zoas started staying closed a lot.

 

[LiamPM]

The Tang squad consist of Purple, Powder Blue, Hippo and Tomini.

The only fish I have seen stop real close to, or right over the Zoas, is the female Bellus. I have never seen her pick at then, but it’s hard to tell from a distance. The tangs graze around all the corals, but never seem to pick right at them. Having said that, the last fish to go in the tank was the male Bellus. It was after his introduction that the Zoas started staying closed a lot.

Id try to set a few hours in front of the tank at a distance and see what you can see then - Every chance nothing but its the only real way to spot it. I just wouldnt act too hastily without seieng it as it may well be the wrong one.

As far as guessing, seeing as you have a hippo (Regal) i know where my money would be bet on - Its actually pretty common compared to what most think. Ive had a few myself go rogue and know of a few others personally that have too - Thats without the internet recorded ones.

 

[AKL1950]

Id try to set a few hours in front of the tank at a distance and see what you can see then - Every chance nothing but its the only real way to spot it. I just wouldnt act too hastily without seieng it as it may well be the wrong one.

As far as guessing, seeing as you have a hippo (Regal) i know where my money would be bet on - Its actually pretty common compared to what most think. Ive had a few myself go rogue and know of a few others personally that have too - Thats without the internet recorded ones.

Interesting. I didn’t know that about Hippo Tangs. I’ll watch as much as I can. May get me a security monitor for the tank. That way I can record while I’m not where they can see me.

 

[Arom81]

I Have a female spotbreast that has been in my sps dominant tank for around 6 months. i only have 3 acan colonies about palm size but i've noticed that one is now 90% skeleton. Just recently caught her hitting it like a buffet.

 

[LOONEBIN]

I would have to agree its the Hippo tang. Mine will also go rogue from time to time. I have witnessed it going after my acan (it almost ate the entire colony over the course of a few days). I have also observed it break the tips of a few acros off and carry snails and hermit crabs around the tank, then randomly drop them.

 

[AKL1950]

I may have fixed my problem. When I noticed there was bright green algae under the Zoa polyps, I thought the tangs might be going for the algae and the Zoa’s are just in the way. I gave all my Zoa colonies a hydrogen peroxide bath. That removed all the algae and their rocks are clean now. No one has been picking at them since. May have to do that every few months, since it will grow back, but I would rather do that than watch my Zoa’s disappear.