Corals that can survive my jerk dwarf angels?

[itgoeson]

So I have a pair of coral beauties. They’re captive bred and seemed to be fine with the softies I started out with ... but then I started adding LPS, and they started eating them. I love the fish - I have thought about rehoming them, but I want to try to work around them first.

Their MO is to patrol the tank and pick at flesh or tentacles whenever they see them extended. Which results in the coral retracting to protect itself again and again until after a few days they are constantly retracted. They then recede and die.

Eaten / sensitive to being picked at:
- Hammer
- Zoa
- Duncan
- Acan
- Candy Cane
- Favia

Spared / don’t seem to mind being picked at:
- Blasto
- Scoly
- Ricordea
- Red mushrooms
- Hairy mushroom
- Toadstool leather
- Purple gorgonian
- Clove polyps
- RFAs
- BTA

Any suggestions on other corals that may do well cohabiting with these not so model citizens?

 

[El_Negrito]

Following. Very interested in the answer to this. Always thought Dwarf Angels would eventually nip at corals.
Would love to have a Flame Angel, but also want corals.

 

[jaxteller007]

We recently added a coral beauty to our tank and our one coral which is a branching Duncan. We added the coral beauty towards the end of the day and dimmed the lights almost completely before then so the Duncan would retract for the night. Then we went lights out for 24 hours. Coral Beauty hasn't nipped at the Duncan at all since and it's been about 3 weeks. Doesn't seem interested in it even when it's tentacles are extended.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

That's a beautiful reef!

 

[austibella]

We recently added a coral beauty to our tank and our one coral which is a branching Duncan. We added the coral beauty towards the end of the day and dimmed the lights almost completely before then so the Duncan would retract for the night. Then we went lights out for 24 hours. Coral Beauty hasn't nipped at the Duncan at all since and it's been about 3 weeks. Doesn't seem interested in it even when it's tentacles are extended.

I have a coral beauty and a flame angel. never touched any coral. I do cut up fresh fish, shrimp, mussels , cyclop. fish eggs, oysters etc. And add reef chili. And other brands then I switch off. I breed brine shrimp. Rotifers and copepods. and phytoplankton so I think they are happy with their food and dont mess with the corals..

 

[rhastareefer]

When I see guys have success with Angels in a reef, they're usually added to a VERY large tank with some very large colonies already established. Gives them a variety to pick at and since the corals have enough mass to gain some velocity to their growth, they can outpace the pecking and heal up quickly. Small colonies and frags won't put up with much stress before giving up the ghost. Nice tank, by the way.

 

[pcon]

Great Macna talk on the topic:

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Great Macna talk on the topic:

Good lecture! Very informative.

 

[salty150]

Strong Intermittent Flow – Strong random currents keep fish constantly moving and forced to focus on their surroundings and positioning. Not only is this good for your corals, it gives Angels less of an opportunity to “study” a coral before taking a bite.

Varied Diet – A well fed Angel is less likely to taste a coral. Just as important as the amount of food, is the type. Frozen foods are best, also look into Selco to supplement. Feed them 3+ times a day with a balanced diet of meats and greens. Angels can suffer from HILLE and blindness if nutritional needs are not met. Nori (Dried Seaweed) is also great “entertaining” food and a few brands even offer Angel formula frozen foods incorporating sponge to mimic their natural diet.

Dither Fish - A well stocked tank (appropriately stocked) is a social tank. Angelfish are very intelligent and love to be the boss of any reef aquarium. By having other fish that can cause annoyances such as Chromis, Anthias, Tangs (in appropriate sized tanks), Butterflies and other Angels, it will keep them on there "toes" as off your corals.

 

[kyleinpdx]

pick up some hard stuff

• favia/favites
• platygyra
• leptoseris
• cyphastrea

you can still add some color and texture without having polyps they can nip.

edit: I see you have favia on your list, that surprises me a bit, mine havent been too "nip-able"

 

[itgoeson]

Thanks, everyone! Lots of excellent advice here, and the MACNA video was great. Will be trying a lot of this!

 

[itgoeson]

edit: I see you have favia on your list, that surprises me a bit, mine havent been too "nip-able"

Good point... I do fear that my LPS problems may not be all due to my angels. I have a small Favia frag that is receding. I have seen the angels nip at it, so I was assuming that they were damaging it in some way, but it does seem kind of unlikely. I just put it under a little plastic cage to see if protecting it helps or not.

 

[Mattdavid121]

Following. Very interested in the answer to this. Always thought Dwarf Angels would eventually nip at corals.
Would love to have a Flame Angel, but also want corals.

I’ve had a flame angel and Pygmy in my tank and they have never touched a coral. It’s hit or miss, they are well fed I guess I’ve been lucky. Also, it’s an SPS dom tank with a frogspawn.

 

[Mattdavid121]

Following. Very interested in the answer to this. Always thought Dwarf Angels would eventually nip at corals.
Would love to have a Flame Angel, but also want corals.

I’ve had a flame angel and Pygmy in my tank and they have never touched a coral. It’s hit or miss, they are well fed I guess I’ve been lucky. Also, it’s an SPS dom tank with a frogspawn.

 

[Ike]

pick up some hard stuff

• favia/favites
• platygyra
• leptoseris
• cyphastrea

you can still add some color and texture without having polyps they can nip.

edit: I see you have favia on your list, that surprises me a bit, mine havent been too "nip-able"

Meaty and brain like LPS are usually the first targets> I'd also like to add, it's quite common for these fish to leave corals alone for months, or even years, on;y to eventually nip on them. There is no such thing as a reef safe angelfish genus or species, Genicanthus comes close, but they often nip eventually as well, and seem to like clam mantles.

 

[Ike]

Good point... I do fear that my LPS problems may not be all due to my angels. I have a small Favia frag that is receding. I have seen the angels nip at it, so I was assuming that they were damaging it in some way, but it does seem kind of unlikely. I just put it under a little plastic cage to see if protecting it helps or not.

Favids are some of the favorite targets of angels and open brain type corals are usually the first target. Your problem is VERY likely the angels.

 

[sfin52]

If a toadstool is left alone I would look at other leathers like a finger or the neon nepthea. Give you color and height

 

[See Gee Sea]

That’s a nice tank! I have a captive bred beauty and recently added LPSs including acans, a Duncan, and a torch. Doesn’t touch them or the softies. The LFS recommended feeding it red algae and go easy on the protein to keep them off the corals. Mine still passes on but is learning to eat green just now but loves pellets and frozen brine too.

 

[Pistondog]

Following. Very interested in the answer to this. Always thought Dwarf Angels would eventually nip at corals.
Would love to have a Flame Angel, but also want corals.

Started with blue spotted puffer and others in fish only tank. Decided to add corals. Different fish, maybe helpful?
Palys work. Pipe organ, bubble coral, had zoanthids til they were discovered. Sun coral, xenias. And my hammers were there before the toby which he hasn't touched.
Ended up slaving a 11 gal waterbox to same fuge, so we can have 'nicer things.