Who Keeps Coral eaters, in there SPS tanks.

MammothReefer · #1 01/10/2007, 04:02 AM

I'd love to one day have an sps tank that thrived so much I could keep a pair of Oxymonacanthus Longirostris

I've seen 1 tank with one, there has to be others out there? If so any pictures, and how quickly did it munch threw you acropora? Were you corals able to heal and grow quicker then it could them?

(and before you post yes yes I've heard the speech..this isn't the place for it. I don't own one now and don't have plans to until my corals are killing each over a lack of space. Which is a ALONG ways away in my size tank.)

dippin61 · #2 01/10/2007, 08:36 PM

even if you did, your sps/acros wouldnt make it long. they feed exclusively on acropora polyps.

that fish would eat faster then the corals can grow.

MammothReefer · #3 01/10/2007, 08:51 PM

You sure about this?! What are you basing this comment on, first hand experience?

I've seen some tanks with them and from what I understand they aren't HUGE eaters, and havne't seen anybody complain a Filefish wiping out an entire heavily populated tank.

...I'm hoping once I get a fully packed 225 gallon tank, with 50-100 thriving acros. I should have enough for a couple small fish...but 1 step at a time... first get my tank packed with 50-100 thrivring acros

atzak · #4 01/10/2007, 09:24 PM

good luck, I have similar ambitions, once my kids get to be teens and can fend for them selves, I'm getting me a polar bear. Actually I had a princess parrot in my reef for about 4 years with no problems

gskidmor · #5 01/10/2007, 09:31 PM

I kept a coral eater in my sps tank - a lemon peel that stopped eating his flake food as soon as he got a taste of my sps's polyps. He got quickly evicted.

I just google'd that fish, that is a nice looking one!

Dustin · #6 01/10/2007, 10:16 PM

I put four orange spot filefish in a pretty big tank, around 2500 gallons. They started picking polyps off the corals almost instantly. In about a week they almost killed several large colonies. They never stop eating until its time to find a spot to sleep at night. I had always wanted to keep that fish, I figured the damage wouldnt be that bad.
I wound up catching them and moving them to another tank where I feed them colonies of acropora for a week or so. Once the coral looks like its about to melt down entirely I move it to a different tank where it can recover for a while. Then the next one goes in. . .

LobsterOfJustice · #7 01/10/2007, 11:13 PM

There is one in the 20,000 gallon tank at Atlantis Marine World. www.atlantismarineworld.com

dippin61 · #8 01/11/2007, 06:20 PM

australian museum fish site

http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fi...sh/olongir.htm

and

http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary...ry.php?id=6559

Quote:

Feeds exclusively on Acropora polyps. Feeding takes place throughout the day becoming less towards the evening (Ref. 46144).

Justjoe · #9 01/11/2007, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LobsterOfJustice
There is one in the 20,000 gallon tank at Atlantis Marine World. www.atlantismarineworld.com

I'm up to six right now, looks like two mated pairs, and two loners, but at times all six will hang out. They will readily accept some prepared foods, smaller mysis and cyclops, but even with these foods, they still graze throughout the day. I've even seen them pick some New Life Spectrum pellets, but this is not the norm. I thought they were picking on a leather coral but they were picking out some pellets that sank to the coral.
Rotating acros is probably the way to go with them in a smaller set up.
Joe

MammothReefer · #10 01/11/2007, 07:35 PM

I've been talkign to somebody else whom has been keeping them. Hopefully he will chime in he has one in a 500 gallon I believe, and suggested alot of pocillipora. Which makes sense it's a quick growing coral, and has a very dense polyp population ..
but..if dustin was having troubles.. in a 2500 w/4 I'm not sure my 225 can support 2 when it's fully stalked with sps.

LobsterOfJustice · #11 01/14/2007, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Justjoe
I'm up to six right now, looks like two mated pairs, and two loners, but at times all six will hang out. They will readily accept some prepared foods, smaller mysis and cyclops, but even with these foods, they still graze throughout the day. I've even seen them pick some New Life Spectrum pellets, but this is not the norm. I thought they were picking on a leather coral but they were picking out some pellets that sank to the coral.
Rotating acros is probably the way to go with them in a smaller set up.
Joe

Eh, I was close

Good info.