Will they stop eating corals/killing shrimp?

mraafat · #1 08/10/2006, 02:18 PM

I have two questions, that are related so let me give you some background info. I recently began stocking my 120g and added a lemonpeel dwarf angel, yellow tang, and a springeri psuedochromis. At that point the lemonpeel started to nip at my corals, and really did a lot of damage to my zoos (wierd because they are suppose to be toxic). I also know that some aren't reefsafe, but I wanted to know if he was going to nip at corals no matter what, or will he get used to me feeding him and stop bugging my corals. Is it possible the tang did this, as he is a grazer? I really like the lemonpeel and would hate to see him go, but corals are more important.

My other major question is that I added a scarlet shrimp shortly after those fish were introduced. I noticed that as soon as I added it the psuedochromis picking at it, and the very next day it was gone. I assume he kiled it; now will he continue to do this or also adjust to my feeding? Because once again, I really would like to have some shrimp in my tank. He will have to go too if he can't behave himself, but I hate to get rid of them and hope they will just adjust.

clkwrk · #2 08/10/2006, 02:20 PM

Dwarf angels are know to munch on coral polyps. Sorry to say once a niper always a nipper.

RichConley · #3 08/10/2006, 02:28 PM

"Is it possible the tang did this, as he is a grazer?"

Did you actually see the lemonpeel doing it, or are you just assuming? Its totally possible that the tang did it, although a little less likely. I've seen plenty of tangs (especially yellows and sailfins) that eat corals, even some hippos

Sk8r · #4 08/10/2006, 02:34 PM

You can't de-train a fish that's discovered a food source that has no penalty.

clkwrk · #5 08/10/2006, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mraafat
At that point the lemonpeel started to nip at my corals, and really did a lot of damage to my zoos (wierd because they are suppose to be toxic).

I would say he saw the lemonpeel eat some zoa's

My bicolor angles favorite food was zoanthids

falconut · #6 08/10/2006, 02:36 PM

As far as the shrimp goes. If you added a small shrimp and the pseudo did this, then maybe a bigger shrimp may work. If it was a big shrimp, then I don't think they'll work together.

clkwrk · #7 08/10/2006, 02:41 PM

A coral banded shrimp can put up with bossy fish .But they can have their own quirks too.

mraafat · #8 08/10/2006, 03:47 PM

The shrimp was roughly an inch and a half. So it was medium, but on the smaller size. I did catch the angel nip at the corals, but I am afraid that the tang might have learned it from him (monkey see, monkey do). My zoos are on small frag rocks that is set on top of the reef, and then I find them on the bottom so someone picked at them, unless a clumsy snail knocked it over. I was inquiring about the tang because he seems to graze a lot more than the angel, so he has more of a chance of hitting it.

aquaman222 · #9 08/10/2006, 04:18 PM

Quote:

At that point the lemonpeel started to nip at my corals, and really did a lot of damage to my zoos (wierd because they are suppose to be toxic).

Not all zoos are toxic. I had a regal tang that mowed through patches of green zoos. I got rid of him. Real shame too, because he was huge. About 10" SL. Beautiful fish with perfect coloring that was a very intense blue. I would say tangs are usually the culprits of munching on zoos.