Tang eating corals?

[melhe]

I got a vlamingi tang from LFS 4 days ago . He started to pick on a wellsophyllia from day one . Then fox face joined him . They finished whole wellso in two days . My tank maintenance guy said the coral must be weak . Usually tangs attack only weak or dying corals . LFS owner said he never heard tang eating corals . Anyway . I took the left over skeleton out yesterday. Guess what , today I saw him started to picking another wellsophyllia . Also most acanthophylia started to shrinking up too . I have those for a long time . yesterday the wellso being attacked today opened up huge . But today it’s all shrinked up . this vlamingi tang just keep picking on it . So far no flesh damage yet . Not sure tomorrow if he keeps picking .

anyone of you seen tang behave like this before ? Please advise . I can’t lose all meat / brain corals because of him.

 

[Derrick0580]

Buddy of mine witnessed his regal blue take a bite out of a raja rampage chalice. Although uncommon, it’s not unheard of.

 

[secret_reefer337]

My Gem and Achilles loves to snack on any soft corals once in a while. I hate them when they are doing that but have no plans of taking them out because they are my favorites.

 

[JCM]

I have never seen that before, that's unfortunate. It probably won't stop, better get him out of there.

 

[melhe]

My Gem and Achilles loves to snack on any soft corals once in a while. I hate them when they are doing that but have no plans of taking them out because they are my favorites.

Do u think if I feed them more could prevent they picking on others ? I think they developed the taste of them . They might keep going

 

[melhe]

I have never seen that before, that's unfortunate. It probably won't stop, better get him out of there.

Let me wait another day . It’s a beautiful fish . I had fox face for a long time . He never picked on corals before . I think once this vlamingi damaged flesh of coral . He joined the team really quickly .

for this 2nd wellso , only vlamingi is picking on it

 

[LPS Bum]

Yes. Tangs can go rogue, and no, they don’t only pick at dying corals.

I’ve had a Hippo Tang go after a Cynarina and a Trachy Brain. Both very fat and healthy. I had a Purple Tang go after one of my prized Acanthophyllia.

There’s no retraining a rogue tang. You just need to decide which you value more, the tang or the corals.

 

[bakbay]

My tang gang (yellow, purple, sailfin, blue, etc) and foxface bulldozed a whole zoas garden last weekend! I needed more room for SPS corals so that was free labor - lol.

I believe since I ran out of nori, they needed to munch on something! My thought is to keep them well fed and won’t touch your corals.

 

[exnisstech]

I got a vlamingi tang from LFS 4 days ago . He started to pick on a wellsophyllia from day one . Then fox face joined him . They finished whole wellso in two days . My tank maintenance guy said the coral must be weak . Usually tangs attack only weak or dying corals . LFS owner said he never heard tang eating corals . Anyway . I took the left over skeleton out yesterday. Guess what , today I saw him started to picking another wellsophyllia . Also most acanthophylia started to shrinking up too . I have those for a long time . yesterday the wellso being attacked today opened up huge . But today it’s all shrinked up . this vlamingi tang just keep picking on it . So far no flesh damage yet . Not sure tomorrow if he keeps picking .

anyone of you seen tang behave like this before ? Please advise . I can’t lose all meat / brain corals because of him.

Unless the fish ate that entire coral it looks like it's close to dead with very little flesh left on the skeleton.

 

[dedragon]

I had a blue hippo that liked to munch on my green slimer when I forgot to feed algae for a few days. Havent seen this happen with my fleshy corals though.

 

[secret_reefer337]

Do u think if I feed them more could prevent they picking on others ? I think they developed the taste of them . They might keep going

I am not sure about feeding them more because they have veggie clips and feed 3 times a day with pellets and one frozen. My Achilles used to pick on my Pink Nepthea before moving to Blue Kenya.

 

[melhe]

Unless the fish ate that entire coral it looks like it's close to dead with very little flesh left on the skeleton.

That photo I took on Friday . On Tuesday that wellso was completely open and beautiful. I was surprised they ate it that fast . When I took it out yesterday. No more flesh , only skeleton. They took chunks of flesh out when they bite .

one thing Bakbay might be right . I am concerned about po4 level . I didn’t feed them much nori . It’s 3 cubes of mysis everyday for entire tank . I took 4 tangs back on Wednesday. I guess that’s not enough for everyone

 

[melhe]

I had a blue hippo that liked to munch on my green slimer when I forgot to feed algae for a few days. Havent seen this happen with my fleshy corals though.

I’ll feed them more tomorrow

 

[melhe]

I am not sure about feeding them more because they have veggie clips and feed 3 times a day with pellets and one frozen. My Achilles used to pick on my Pink Nepthea before moving to Blue Kenya.

I thought Achilles is more aggressive than vlamingi . This one is very friendly with other fish. Just very focus on meaty corals

 

[melhe]

Yes. Tangs can go rogue, and no, they don’t only pick at dying corals.

I’ve had a Hippo Tang go after a Cynarina and a Trachy Brain. Both very fat and healthy. I had a Purple Tang go after one of my prized Acanthophyllia.

There’s no retraining a rogue tang. You just need to decide which you value more, the tang or the corals.

Did u get rid of the Hippo tang ?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

My huge dory nip on corals

 

[JGT]

Same here. Hippo picks on acans, Zoa’s and favias. I get the sense that it’s not because of hunger or a taste for them but more out of boredom. Gives him something to do.
I’ve moved my acans under my hammers so he can’t get to them and moved the favias a bit higher up in the tank since he tends to stay toward the bottom. This has helped. My hippo has all kinds of crazy antics which makes us laugh so I can’t get rid of him. I also add nori and romaine which gives him other stuff to pick on.

 

[melhe]

Same here. Hippo picks on acans, Zoa’s and favias. I get the sense that it’s not because of hunger or a taste for them but more out of boredom. Gives him something to do.
I’ve moved my acans under my hammers so he can’t get to them and moved the favias a bit higher up in the tank since he tends to stay toward the bottom. This has helped. My hippo has all kinds of crazy antics which makes us laugh so I can’t get rid of him. I also add nori and romaine which gives him other stuff to pick on.

I wish I can move those meat/ brain corals . When they expand . Almost dinner plate size , covered 50% of sand bed of the tank . No place to move them

 

[JGT]

Bummer. Decision time. Fish or corals. Ones gotta go.

 

[Seansea]

Nori. Twice a day. Will stop that. Tangs normal diet isnt corals but there is algae in their flesh. If they are not getting enough algae or seaweed they will find it somewhere.