Nipping or eating?

[Yehuda Dana]

My tank is SPS dominant reef tank, and even though I am holding two angels in it (both are captive bred) - Regal angelfish and Majestic angelfish.
‏
I noticed that they tend to pick which coral to nipping on by one of the two:
1. Corals that releases mucus while being feed.
or
2. Corals that have damaged tissue.

That cause me to wonder if they nip on the coral's tissue, or actually eats the mucus...?

Is this mucus contain the zooxanthellae itself?

 

[vetteguy53081]

My tank is SPS dominant reef tank, and even though I am holding two angels in it (both are captive bred) - Regal angelfish and Majestic angelfish.
‏
I noticed that they tend to pick which coral to nipping on by one of the two:
1. Corals that releases mucus while being feed.
or
2. Corals that have damaged tissue.

That cause me to wonder if they nip on the coral's tissue, or actually eats the mucus...?

Is this mucus contain the zooxanthellae itself?

May be nipping especially if the coral contains polyps
It will happen also during feedings as fish are after the food and not coral

 

[i cant think]

My tank is SPS dominant reef tank, and even though I am holding two angels in it (both are captive bred) - Regal angelfish and Majestic angelfish.
‏
I noticed that they tend to pick which coral to nipping on by one of the two:
1. Corals that releases mucus while being feed.
or
2. Corals that have damaged tissue.

That cause me to wonder if they nip on the coral's tissue, or actually eats the mucus...?

Is this mucus contain the zooxanthellae itself?

If they were eating coral, chances are you would notice the skeleton getting smaller but if it just looks to be the coral isn’t growing as fast and loses polyps then youll find it’s just nipping.

 

[Yehuda Dana]

Sorry for the silly question -
but how can I tell if the angels nipping only on damaged tissue corals?
Or the angels nipping is actually the reason why the corals are damaged...?

The pick and nip on specific corals, which all of them damaged.
All other corals seems to be healthy.

 

[Yehuda Dana]

"Spying" these angels for few days, I strongly believe that they are nipping "already damaged" corals and not the healthy one.

I am a bit confused if to take the angels off the reef tank, or not...
Please share your opinion

 

[i cant think]

"Spying" these angels for few days, I strongly believe that they are nipping "already damaged" corals and not the healthy one.

I am a bit confused if to take the angels off the reef tank, or not...
Please share your opinion

I wouldn’t, if they’re only nipping the damaged coral then that may say something about that coral not doing so well in your tank.

 

[Yehuda Dana]

I wouldn’t, if they’re only nipping the damaged coral then that may say something about that coral not doing so well in your tank.

Right.
But still, if I want the damaged coral to recover well and fast (initial damage root cause was fixed) I need these fish to stop nipping it...

 

[i cant think]

Right.
But still, if I want the damaged coral to recover well and fast (initial damage root cause was fixed) I need these fish to stop nipping it...

In that case, you’ll have to pull the trigger and vote fish or coral unfortunately.

If you have a second tank you can always take the coral out and try to help heal them in that second tank.

 

[Yehuda Dana]

In that case, you’ll have to pull the trigger and vote fish or coral unfortunately.

If you have a second tank you can always take the coral out and try to help heal them in that second tank.

Trigger pulled...
Fish will be out

Thanks a lot