Angel eating Zoas

[ALang]

Question: I have bought a few pieces of Zoanthids. The polyps have been disappearing. After extensive looking and paying lots of frustrated glaces into the tank, I saw my 5" yellow-tail Indian Angel picking viciously at them! I've move the pieces around, trying to confuse the fish, and feeding him nori seaweed. Has anyone heard of angels developing a taste for the zoas?

[fkshiu]

Angels in a reef is pretty much russian roulette.

Not much you can do about it now that he's acquired a taste for zoas except remove him.

[burrows14]

Zoa's are part of a Angels natural diet. They also will munch on a majority of
LPS and clams/

[Lance]

Yup, it's the sad truth. Angels & Butterflies are some of the most beautiful fish and everybody would like to keep them but they aren't reef safe. If you want a reef safe Angel, (most of the time), try a deep-water like a Lamarck`s or a Watanabei.

[naesco]

Originally Posted by ALang

Question: I have bought a few pieces of Zoanthids. The polyps have been disappearing. After extensive looking and paying lots of frustrated glaces into the tank, I saw my 5" yellow-tail Indian Angel picking viciously at them! I've move the pieces around, trying to confuse the fish, and feeding him nori seaweed. Has anyone heard of angels developing a taste for the zoas?

As everyone posted they are angel food together with almost any other coral you buy.
If it is your intention to keep corals return the angel to the LFS (they should have told you they eat coral) and get a credit.

It is a good idea when you are a new hobbyist to ask questions here before you buy.
By doing so you avoid unnecessary fish and coral death and tank problems.

[fkshiu]

Yup, genicanthus angels (like Lamark's and Wantanabei) are the ONLY reef safe angels around.

[Wayne]

Originally Posted by naesco

As everyone posted they are angel food together with almost any other coral you buy.
If it is your intention to keep corals return the angel to the LFS (they should have told you they eat coral) and get a credit.

It is a good idea when you are a new hobbyist to ask questions here before you buy.
By doing so you avoid unnecessary fish and coral death and tank problems.

OR

Remove the corals and just have a fish only tank. Depends on what you are more attached too.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by fkshiu

Angels in a reef is pretty much russian roulette.

Not much you can do about it now that he's acquired a taste for zoas except remove him.

Agreed.

[ALang]

Thanks everyone. The fish in question does not bother anything else. At least I don't think... I've had it for about 3 yrs and he's always been good. So I cannot keep zoanthids, too bad. But I'll be keeping a close eye on him from now on. Another bad snacking habit, out he goes.

[marie]

Or you can have both and just hope the corals learn to live with being constantly pruned....I have 4 non reefsafe angels and an sps tank