Clownfish Eating Coral

[StartingATank]

So, I noticed one of my corals bleaching, and decided to move it. But, I watched the tank for a bit and saw one of my clowns biting the Coral. Is it eating the Coral and that what I thought the bleach marks were, or is it cleaning the Coral. I am genuinely baffled.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

hmm never had a clown eat coral. sometimes they will bite one to try and move it around. #reefsquad

 

[Crabs McJones]

What was the coral.

 

[tbrown]

So, I noticed one of my corals bleaching, and decided to move it. But, I watched the tank for a bit and saw one of my clowns biting the Coral. Is it eating the Coral and that what I thought the bleach marks were, or is it cleaning the Coral. I am genuinely baffled.

Sometimes Clownfish will go and "suckle" torches, anemones, and hammers etc. when they're being hosted. Not sure why, but I'm assuming that the biting you're see is potentially just that. As @Crabs McJones asked though, what type of coral is it?

 

[Kasrift]

Sometimes Clownfish will go and "suckle" torches, anemones, and hammers etc. when they're being hosted. Not sure why, but I'm assuming that the biting you're see is potentially just that. As @Crabs McJones asked though, what type of coral is it?

Spot on. From what I've read, they "suckle" to build up immunity to the nematocysts. As you stated they will do this to anemone "like" corals as well that they deem home worthy.

 

[StartingATank]

Well, the Coral is a burning banana stylocoeniella

 

[tbrown]

Well, the Coral is a burning banana stylocoeniella

Interesting. What light and flow is the Burning Banana in? I've killed mine 4 or 5 times (the same one... ) and it keeps coming back again. They're a fairy hardy coral.

 

[StartingATank]

I have it in pretty high lighting, and the flow I would saw is medium

 

[Rocks reef]

If it's bleaching it may be getting too much light. Burning banana stylocoeniella prefer about 50-100 PAR, so 'low' light. You are more than likely nuking it, hence its bleaching.

 

[StartingATank]

Yeah, I'm gonna move it later today, as I am busy this morning.

 

[BryanM]

What's your feeding routine like? Anything that isn't getting enough food will start doing bad things eventually.

 

[StartingATank]

I feed a block of frozen mysis spiraluna for my royal Gramma, 2 clowns, 2 springeris, and tomini Tang every other day. In between those days, I feed pe Mysis pellets, about 5-6 per fish

 

[tbrown]

Styloconiella usually feed off of the fine particulates in the water column and nitrates and phosphates.