Blueface and coral... Pomacanthus xanthometopon

[RSnodgrass]

Having a hard time getting reliable info on this subject and searching has not yielded much value.

In a Green, Yellow, Red ranking (relative to the species) if you have knowledge on the matter... please no regurgitated opinions. Help categorize the probability of decimation by the fish. Emperors are likely very similar.

Green (odds in your favor)
Yellow (50/50)
Red (good as gone)... IE: zoa, acans

Branching SPS
Encrusting Montipora
Favia/Favites
Chalice
Pectina
Gonipora
Galaxea
Blastos
Acans
Hammer/Frogspawn
Torch
Zoa (any exceptions)
Paly (any exceptions)
Clove
Rhodactis
Discosoma
Ricordia
Yuma
Green Nepthia
Tan Nepthia
Tan Toadstool long tentacle
Green Toadstool
Other leathers
GSP
Zenia

Really appreciate it.

 

[NatD]

I can’t speak to ALL of those various corals, but my blue face made quick work of all polyps. Did not touch Euphyllia.

 

[RSnodgrass]

Appreciate that input.

 

[RSnodgrass]

What I'm finding so far...

Branching SPS
Encrusting Montipora
Favia/Favites
Chalice
Pectina
Gonipora
Galaxea
Blastos
Acans
Hammer/Frogspawn
Torch
Zoa (any exceptions)
Paly (any exceptions)
Clove
Rhodactis
Discosoma
Ricordia
Yuma
Green Nepthia
Tan Nepthia
Tan Toadstool long tentacle
Green Toadstool
Other leathers
GSP
Zenia

 

[RSnodgrass]

Bump

 

[pcon]

Some updates from my experience with bluefaces in client tanks and friends. Blue faces are pretty notoriously bad, I have heard of them taking out bubble tip nems after they split. Navarchus are similar in appearance but I have had much better experience with them and generally better reputation.

Branching SPS
Encrusting Montipora
Favia/Favites
Chalice
Pectina
Gonipora
Galaxea (lime, not 50/50 but less than hardy SPS)
Blastos
Acans
Hammer/Frogspawn
Torch
Zoa (any exceptions)
Paly (any exceptions)
Clove
Rhodactis
Discosoma
Ricordia
Yuma
Green Nepthia
Tan Nepthia
Tan Toadstool long tentacle
Green Toadstool
Other leathers
GSP
Zenia

But this is all conjecture and not totally representative of reality. In reality it always comes down to the individual fish and circumstances. I have most of these corals in with butterfly fish which I would expect to be as bad as a blue face without issue. I am a huge fan of this MACNA talk for just general advice on the subject:

 

[OrionN]

I don’t know but @alton have experiences with them. I am not sure that you can easily put a color chart like that. There are always individual fish that is a terror while other of the same species is not.

 

[RSnodgrass]

Really appreciate the replies, I now remember that talk and will certainly be watching it again. I do realize a color chart is a bit over simplified however necessary however to start somewhere for me.

One I forgot to ask is a colt coral? It's over generalized as a leather but obviously a different texture then most.



My thought is that after 20yrs in the hobby and with a full blown 300 currently (first one with a controller) it's time to mix it up.

There will now be coral I simply shouldn't waste time chancing regardless of the individual or put in another system like the blasto going for a gajillian dollars a head. Others I'll pair back and see what happens like the 80 forestfire mushrooms or 30 ricordia. Others still that I'll leave alone except for distributing frags to friends.

Oddly the GSP is the one I might be saddest to loose if it goes for it right away or some day!

 

[RSnodgrass]

Disregard the colt question, got my answer that it's a high success rate.

 

[alton]

Adults and sub adults safe with frogspawn gsp Kenya trees mushrooms and torches with no issues with Sps. Every juvenile I owned destroyed Sps colonies. Most angels will pick on stuff with little or no harm. The juveniles I tried kept picking until the coral was dead

 

[RSnodgrass]

Adults and sub adults safe with frogspawn gsp Kenya trees mushrooms and torches with no issues with Sps. Every juvenile I owned destroyed Sps colonies. Most angels will pick on stuff with little or no harm. The juveniles I tried kept picking until the coral was dead

I was able to find an old thread of yours with links to a few other helpful articles.

Couple clarifying questions to quantify your experience with them.
When you say juvenile vs sub adult... about how large are we talking? Many are able to change to adult coloration at 2-3".

You mentioned trying to get a pair going... how many juvenile specimens did you end up trying before and/or sub adult/adult?

I was originally going ot target a 2-3" specimen...

 

[RSnodgrass]

I had a golden dwarf for awhile which was relatively well behaved. Eventually removed it because I sold the male potters which apparently had been keeping it in check/occupied. After the potters was gone it easily became the worst fish I've ever owned.

I have to assume a healthy amount of aggression has an influence on these fish not over staying their welcome.

 

[Nilo]

Adults and sub adults safe with frogspawn gsp Kenya trees mushrooms and torches with no issues with Sps. Every juvenile I owned destroyed Sps colonies. Most angels will pick on stuff with little or no harm. The juveniles I tried kept picking until the coral was dead

Same experience. Have a 2.5” juvenile right now and it keeps picking at sps polyps and not much else. Ignores zoos, palys, euphyllia, elegance, gorgonians, cyphastrea, leathers, etc. I wonder if they outgrow their love for sps when they’re bigger with bigger mouths.

 

[RSnodgrass]

Here's an update on my Blueface...
When in my "acclimation chamber"

After two days in there I released it and saw almost zero aggression even from my Achilles.

I have had to remove one coral so far, a Ultron Favia with 17 heads as it became a bit of a target.

It's nipped for the past couple weeks on nearly every coral except zoa, ricordia, bounce, various mushrooms, gsp, weeping willow toadstool, and colt. Some of these I'm sure will be decimated sooner or later (zoa).

What it has nipped at are green nepthia, nearly all other favia, setosa, montis, acros, & chalices.

Most of the attacks are clearly related to its swimming patterns. I moved a larger raptors peace favia and the nipping stopped. It's caused very little damage to any other coral as it's solely targeted the polyps.

The most attacked coral is a large (mini basketball sized) space invader pectina. It definitely takes it down to the bone but never concentrates on one spot so the bare spots are usually healed a day or two later.

Feeding quite a bit, nori sheets are easily the best way to occupy it.

 

[RSnodgrass]

Update: 3.5mo later.

It routinely eats on my large space invader pectina leaving bites down to the bone but the pectina is healed by the next day to two in most cases. Surprisingly to me it rarely retracts anymore when this is happening.

It has nipped at nearly everything as previously mentioned but nothing is damaged or gone. It will nip at any coral I zap with my majano wand. Zoa on only picked on if I do this and frankly I was hoping it had eaten them by now. Careful what I wish for I guess!

Still a fairly reclusive fish if anyone is by the tank most of my fish will scoot him away casually. I think this is in part why more devastating coral attacks haven't occurred. Having nori in the two little fishes clip helps because it has to eat slow and distracts for a decent portion of the day between auto feeds and later after frozen blend.