Flame Angel and LPS Corals

[MGR201]

Although almost everyone on this blog has at one time or another noted that all pygmy angels come with the risk of coral nipping, I couldn't resist the urge to acquire a magnificent Flame Angel for my BioCube 29. Unfortunately, after about a month of living peacefully among my acanthastria and small favia frags, this little angel has apparently acquired a taste for favia and mercilessly chomps at one of the smaller frags, causing it to recede and wither. I would like to keep both the angel and some LPS in my tank and would like to hear about any possible solutions to this situation short of removing either the fish or the corals.

Thanks!

 

[Joker4132]

Besides creating an eggcrate cage over your corals to prevent the "nipping", there is pretty much nothing you can do.

 

[seldin]

One thing may help. I have had a blenny, munch on an LPS, and finally realized that it was the location that annoyed him. Seems, he wanted to claim that for his territory. So possibly moving the coral or your rocks around may help.

If that is not possible, it is time, to move the fish out, and that is a pain...

Some people have had luck with fish traps. I have no experience with them.

 

[rookie07]

nothing you can do....short of allowing the angel to pick at what it wants, eventually leaving only the corals it wont eat. It will eat one thing and then another until it has eaten all of the corals it likes in your tank. It wont stop with the favia being eaten now, once that is gone another coral is next.

If you use a fish trap, try placing some live rock from your sump or another system(instead of food) in the trap, that "dirty" rock from another system will be enough to get the angel into the trap.....hope that makes sense

 

[bigdog1428]

nothing you can do....short of allowing the angel to pick at what it wants, eventually leaving only the corals it wont eat. It will eat one thing and then another until it has eaten all of the corals it likes in your tank. It wont stop with the favia being eaten now, once that is gone another coral is next.

If you use a fish trap, try placing some live rock from your sump or another system(instead of food) in the trap, that "dirty" rock from another system will be enough to get the angel into the trap.....hope that makes sense

so rookie,,,why would putting a rock from another system into the trap help catch the fish ,,why would the fish think the rock is dirty ?

 

[albano]

so rookie,,,why would putting a rock from another system into the trap help catch the fish ,,why would the fish think the rock is dirty ?

I would think he's referring to rocks that haven't already been 'cleaned' by the angel (still have something to 'pick' on)

 

[MGR201]

One thing may help. I have had a blenny, munch on an LPS, and finally realized that it was the location that annoyed him. Seems, he wanted to claim that for his territory. So possibly moving the coral or your rocks around may help.

If that is not possible, it is time, to move the fish out, and that is a pain...

Some people have had luck with fish traps. I have no experience with them.

It seems that placement indeed made all the difference. I have moved the offending favia frag and the angel has reduced his predations. The frag isn't all that happy yet and remains severely shrunken but I am trying to nurse it back to health and it isn't being eaten anymore.