my GSM is nipping corals ... AGGRESIVELY

duncaholic · 11/09/2010, 08:50 PM

IDK what started him/her off. this clown has been in my 75g for over a year and is about 2 years old total tank time. It killed its GBT by constant beating, now it will pick out my corals one at a time and nip off the polyps until the entire colony is dead. I wasn't sure who was doing it until today when I witnessed it pluck the end of a torch's tentacle off cleanly. Upon closer inspection it's clear that dozens of tips have been nipped within the last 48 hours or so. a monti, candy cane, clove polyp colony, and a toadstool have all had similar wipe outs averaging 3-4 days to total destruction. I can't catch him easily ... or probably not at all without a total take down, so hopefully someone out there might have some 411 on how to discourage this behavior. I know it's a longshot, but any help is appreciated.

Colin · 11/10/2010, 04:38 AM

Get a very small fishhook, either without a barb or file the barb off. Bait with something tasty and catch her and send her to the LFS. It actually works very well.

--C

duncaholic · 11/11/2010, 10:10 AM

well catching him is one way to go, and thanks for the tip on the fish hook, but I'm wondering if anyone might have insight as to the cause of the behavior and some way to curb his destructive nature??? forgot tank stats so here they are.
75g mixed reef
256w th50 w/moonlights
lots of corals
1 GSM
1 yellow tang
1 blue tang
2 B/G chromis
1 six line
1 bangaii
1 randall's goby

nitrates +/- 20 ppm
nitrites barely ever detectable
ammonia bareley ever detectable
tank temp 76F
PH arouind 8.2 although PH varies day to day, but Alk is good.

Sugar Magnolia · 11/11/2010, 10:16 AM

Actually, at this age, it's a her. I recently had to remove a wrasse from my tank. The fish hook didn't work. The fish figured it out after barely being hooked. My next try was getting a 2 liter bottle (remove the label) and cutting off the top. I inverted the top and stapled it in place, then submerged it. I squirted some thawed mysis in there and watched. The wrasse was very interested, but wary. I left the room and came back five minutes later and the wrasse was in the bottle.

Hold back on feeding for a couple of days to get her pretty hungry and she should go right in the bottle for the food.

Edit - I have to add that after cutting off the top, I also had to cut off a portion of the pouring spout to accomodate the size of the fish.

scubasteve06 · 11/11/2010, 11:02 AM

Sugar Magnolia's way of catching the fish is the tried and true fish trap method that works without stressing out the fish too much by hooking it barb or not. Most maroons are pretty aggressive anyways and I've heard of them completely rearranging a tank to their likings even after taking them out for a while and then putting them back in at a later date. They aren't very nice fish in my book when it comes to personalities.

11/09/2010, 08:50 PM	#1
duncaholic Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Jacksonville,FL Posts: 263	my GSM is nipping corals ... AGGRESIVELY IDK what started him/her off. this clown has been in my 75g for over a year and is about 2 years old total tank time. It killed its GBT by constant beating, now it will pick out my corals one at a time and nip off the polyps until the entire colony is dead. I wasn't sure who was doing it until today when I witnessed it pluck the end of a torch's tentacle off cleanly. Upon closer inspection it's clear that dozens of tips have been nipped within the last 48 hours or so. a monti, candy cane, clove polyp colony, and a toadstool have all had similar wipe outs averaging 3-4 days to total destruction. I can't catch him easily ... or probably not at all without a total take down, so hopefully someone out there might have some 411 on how to discourage this behavior. I know it's a longshot, but any help is appreciated. __________________ too many tanks to list

11/11/2010, 10:10 AM	#3
duncaholic Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Jacksonville,FL Posts: 263	well catching him is one way to go, and thanks for the tip on the fish hook, but I'm wondering if anyone might have insight as to the cause of the behavior and some way to curb his destructive nature??? forgot tank stats so here they are. 75g mixed reef 256w th50 w/moonlights lots of corals 1 GSM 1 yellow tang 1 blue tang 2 B/G chromis 1 six line 1 bangaii 1 randall's goby nitrates +/- 20 ppm nitrites barely ever detectable ammonia bareley ever detectable tank temp 76F PH arouind 8.2 although PH varies day to day, but Alk is good. __________________ too many tanks to list

11/11/2010, 10:16 AM	#4
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Actually, at this age, it's a her. I recently had to remove a wrasse from my tank. The fish hook didn't work. The fish figured it out after barely being hooked. My next try was getting a 2 liter bottle (remove the label) and cutting off the top. I inverted the top and stapled it in place, then submerged it. I squirted some thawed mysis in there and watched. The wrasse was very interested, but wary. I left the room and came back five minutes later and the wrasse was in the bottle. Hold back on feeding for a couple of days to get her pretty hungry and she should go right in the bottle for the food. Edit - I have to add that after cutting off the top, I also had to cut off a portion of the pouring spout to accomodate the size of the fish. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

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11/10/2010, 04:38 AM	#2
Colin Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 848	Get a very small fishhook, either without a barb or file the barb off. Bait with something tasty and catch her and send her to the LFS. It actually works very well. --C

11/11/2010, 11:02 AM	#5
scubasteve06 Jeeper Reefer Join Date: May 2010 Location: Clemson, SC Posts: 1,171	Sugar Magnolia's way of catching the fish is the tried and true fish trap method that works without stressing out the fish too much by hooking it barb or not. Most maroons are pretty aggressive anyways and I've heard of them completely rearranging a tank to their likings even after taking them out for a while and then putting them back in at a later date. They aren't very nice fish in my book when it comes to personalities.