Purple Tang eating zoas???

[RazorD]

So after being in my tank for a year, I'm noticing a rock covered with zoas all closed up and not looking good. Frankly, they appear to be close to death. Oddly, every single other coral in my tank is doing great (ex: torches, hammers, blastos, monti, leathers, mushrooms, etc. and tons of other types of zoas). Just these are on the brink of death (WWC Bloodsuckers - prolific growers in my tank usually). All of my parameters have been very stable and monitored daily. No new additions to the tank. It was driving me nuts. Then, I notice my purple tang picking at them.

I know this is uncommon, but does anyone else have a rogue tang eating zoas? If so, isn't it extremely odd that it's seemingly targeting this one specific variety?

 

[Euphyllia97]

Could it be that the tang is picking some algae growth on the zoas due to them being closed? Instead of picking the zoa polyps?

Do you feed the tang nori?

 

[RazorD]

Some pics taken a few weeks apart

 

[RazorD]

Could it be that the tang is picking some algae growth on the zoas due to them being closed? Instead of picking the zoa polyps?

Do you feed the tang nori?

it’s possible, but as best I could tell he’s picking on the zoas themselves. Yes, he’s in a tank with a few other tangs and they get a ton of nori (daily). I over feed the tank in general to avoid potential fish aggression.

 

[themcnertney]

I think something else is killing off your zoas and the tang is eating the algae from the dead coral.

 

[Euphyllia97]

it’s possible, but as best I could tell he’s picking on the zoas themselves. Yes, he’s in a tank with a few other tangs and they get a ton of nori (daily). I over feed the tank in general to avoid potential fish aggression.

I would dip the zoas and maybe frag the healthy looking ones and put them somewhere else.

could be zoa eating nudis killing the coral and you purple just doing its job and picking the algae.

 

[andrewkw]

Usually when you hear about a tang eating zoanthids its a hippo tang. That being said I don't think it's that uncommon for tangs to pick at corals. More then 10 years ago I had a purple tang that ate my very expensive elegance coral. I never would have believed it until I saw him swimming with a tentacle in his mouth. Sometimes they just develop a taste for corals. You may be able to combat this by feeding more, but there is a real possibility this will never stop. With that being said someone with an sps tank may be very happy to get a zoa eating purple tang...