Lemon Peel and Acans

[roadkeel]

This morning while the lights were still in the sunrise phase I was checking my tank a good once over and I saw my Lemon Peel Angel nipping/pecking at my 2 largest Acan colonies. Once the LP starts nipping is there anyway to get them to stop? Or should it come out to save my Acan colonies? I have several new frags of Acans that keep getting knocked off where I place them and I suspect the LP is to blame for those as well.

 

[Waters]

Unfortunately once a fish starts nipping at coral, it will usually continue. You can try feeding more but IMO nothing helps. The fish will probably have to be removed.

 

[Humblefish]

Unfortunately once a fish starts nipping at coral, it will usually continue. You can try feeding more but IMO nothing helps. The fish will probably have to be removed.

+1 For some reason, the yellow dwarf angels (Lemonpeel & Bicolor) seem to be the worst when it comes to coral nipping. However, it's a chance you take mixing corals with any dwarf angel.

 

[roadkeel]

I knew there was a chance it would nip at the LPS (Acans). And I will admit up front I am not very good with coral families but if I move my Acans into my cube is there anything else the LP would nip at? I have Zoas, a Torch, Xenia, a couple of Kenya trees and some Armor of God palys. I also have a large brain coral, which I think is in the LPS family, but I have not seen the LP nip at it. The last couple of weeks I had a small hair algae bloom and I thought it was due to me feeding too much so I cut back to feeding the fish every other day. So I have probably caused the LP to start nipping at the corals due to it being hungry.

And here is your laugh for the day. I really would like to do a big water change so I could start feeding more often but it is 6* here this morning and my water source to my RODI unit is frozen. And I live in the south, how you guys who live where there is real winters do it, I admire you. Hopefully most of you have a water source that is not subject to freezing. I just didn't plan on it getting this cold...

 

[Humblefish]

I'm surprised it hasn't gone after your zoas & palys already. I've had a Lemonpeel in 150 gal mixed reef for I guess 3 years now. It eliminated all the zoas I had in the tank, and then started in on the euphyllia and a large toadstool leather. 2-3x daily feedings seems to have helped with the nipping, but I still can't keep zoas, acans, blastos, candycane in my tank. :sad: My Lemonpeel has grown quite large (for a dwarf angel) and is very aggressive. Sometimes it will even mess with my Powder Blue Tang. :fish: The only thing that keeps this fish in my tank is my wife. :argue:

 

[roadkeel]

Your last statement is very true in my household as well. But after my wife saw the LP nipping at the Acan colony today she said if he is going to do that he has to go. She has really turned into a coral person. We can't go to the LFS without her buying a new coral of some type. But my LFS will take the LP back and exchange it for another fish (I really need a Diamond Watchman Goby, as my sand is really nasty) or some more corals. My LFS currently has some beautiful clams so I am trying to steer her away from those.

 

[Humblefish]

Lemonpeel will definitely nip at a clam. My advice is to build a fish trap and get him out ASAP. Before your wife changes her mind. :wink: My wife keeps telling me how "gorgeous" our Lemonpeel is, with her "pretty blue 1980s style eye shadow." :xd:

 

[roadkeel]

My Lemonpeel has the same markings. At night under the blue lights it looks like it has headlights with the blue eyeshadow glowing. The only was I would consider a clam would be if we were trading the lemonpeel for a clam.

 

[roadkeel]

Humblefish, what do you feed your Lemonpeel? I have been feeding Ocean Nutrition Formula 2 flakes, and alternating it with a mixture of Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef flakes. With the Prime Reef flakes I also mix Southern Delight Nano Krill. I also feed LRS twice per week.

So I fed all the fish this morning and was feeding the Ocean Nutrition flakes and I noticed the LP was not eating any of it. So I tried the Formula 2 flakes and it still would not eat. Then I took some pieces of a garlic seaweed sheet and ground it up very fine and it still did not eat. But he is fat and looks very healthy.

I removed all of my Acans last night and relocated them to our cube until I could get a fish trap to catch the Lemonpeel. (having to order one online) But after I fed this morning and it did not eat, I was thinking maybe I am not giving it the proper diet and I am the cause of it nipping at the Acans..

 

[Humblefish]

She pretty much eats everything. When I first got her, she didn't eat for nearly two weeks. What finally got her going was this stuff: Frozen Fish Food for Saltwater Angelfish: Hikari Mega-Marine Angel

Mine seems to especially love live blackworms and LRS Reef Frenzy. If you get really worried about him not eating, try feeding a littleneck clam (from the grocery store.) I've also read they need more nori than most other dwarf angels.

 

[Humblefish]

Here's another favorite: San Francisco Bay Frozen Angel & Butterfly, Frozen Fish Food for Sale Online | PetSolutions

I feed her that when the nipping gets bad. :bigsmile:

 

[roadkeel]

Thanks. I will see if I can find some of either type. Now I am having second thoughts about removing it. Maybe if I was giving it all the proper food it wanted it might not nip at the Acans.

Last night after we removed the Acans it expressed it's displeasure for over an hour. It turned over frags plugs of zoas, our Torch and it even attacked our green bubble tip anemone a couple of times. The Lemonpeel was not happy at all..

 

[Humblefish]

Thanks. I will see if I can find some of either type. Now I am having second thoughts about removing it. Maybe if I was giving it all the proper food it wanted it might not nip at the Acans.

Last night after we removed the Acans it expressed it's displeasure for over an hour. It turned over frags plugs of zoas, our Torch and it even attacked our green bubble tip anemone a couple of times. The Lemonpeel was not happy at all..

Honestly, I'd get rid of it. I would if my wife would let me. Even with 2-3x daily feedings, I can't keep zoas, acans, blastos, candycane in my tank. If you keep it, you will get very limited as to which corals you can keep or your tank will eventually become FO.

 

[ca1ore]

LemonPeel is a stunning fish, but really not reef safe. Also can get quite aggressive. Good for a FOWLR.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

For the most part when keeping nippers with corals the fishes will dictate what corals you can and cannot keep. IMHO/IME they should never be attempted with frags of any kind, don't add them until your frags have grown into colonies. Frags don't do well getting nipped even here and there, while a healthy colony can take it in stride.

For some reason, the yellow dwarf angels (Lemonpeel & Bicolor) seem to be the worst when it comes to coral nipping. However, it's a chance you take mixing corals with any dwarf angel.

:thumb:

There's a six year old lemonpeel in this reef. As you can see it's more a less a mix of soft corals that it will nip at but not devour.