Help, Flame Angel Eating Coral

FishinAround · 09/29/2007, 08:21 AM

I recently added a flame angel to my reef tank and he has taken a liking to my orange digitata coral. He doesn't seem to be eating anything else yet. If I had a choice I'd choose the angel over the digitata but my question is will he stop there. In other words if I go ahead and get rid of all the digitata will he then move on to the other corals? I've got some birdsnest, a couple types of brains, frogspawn, hammer, torch, along with a bunch of softies, zoas, shrooms, toadstools, etc., and a couple clams. What's your experience do they usually like one type of coral or if nip at one they'll nip at them all?

Craig Lambert · 09/29/2007, 08:56 AM

Eating it or mouthing it? They don't actually eat coral. Flame Angels constantly mouth everything. Rock, Corals etc. They don't generally damage corals, but it is possible. They will more likely cause limited polyp extension during daylight hours. The coral will then extend its polyps at night.

harryk · 09/29/2007, 09:14 AM

I second what Craig said. It will probably annoy the corals. I watch it and wait It might stop. After all it is an Angelfish, even though they say reef safe you never know. It might just pick on the digita. I added a Flame last night and am worried about the same thing. He's being chased by my tomini tang so i have to wait till the dust settles to see if it bothers anything

FishinAround · 09/29/2007, 09:14 AM

He seems to be eating it, he has picked the polyps completely off a couple branches of an orange digitata. The coral is completely bone (calcium) white. It sure looks like the polyps are completely gone.

09/29/2007, 08:21 AM	#1
FishinAround Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 208	Help, Flame Angel Eating Coral I recently added a flame angel to my reef tank and he has taken a liking to my orange digitata coral. He doesn't seem to be eating anything else yet. If I had a choice I'd choose the angel over the digitata but my question is will he stop there. In other words if I go ahead and get rid of all the digitata will he then move on to the other corals? I've got some birdsnest, a couple types of brains, frogspawn, hammer, torch, along with a bunch of softies, zoas, shrooms, toadstools, etc., and a couple clams. What's your experience do they usually like one type of coral or if nip at one they'll nip at them all?

09/29/2007, 08:56 AM	#2
Craig Lambert Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,897	Eating it or mouthing it? They don't actually eat coral. Flame Angels constantly mouth everything. Rock, Corals etc. They don't generally damage corals, but it is possible. They will more likely cause limited polyp extension during daylight hours. The coral will then extend its polyps at night. __________________ "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will spend all day in a boat drinking beer." Current Tank Info: 75G Tank, 29G Sump, 100lbs LR, AquaC EV-180, Iwaki MD-20RT return Tunze nano streams 4X54 t-5/Icecap Ballast & SLR's 2x110 vho actinic

09/29/2007, 09:14 AM	#3
harryk Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 262	I second what Craig said. It will probably annoy the corals. I watch it and wait It might stop. After all it is an Angelfish, even though they say reef safe you never know. It might just pick on the digita. I added a Flame last night and am worried about the same thing. He's being chased by my tomini tang so i have to wait till the dust settles to see if it bothers anything