Gem Tang nipping at SPS coral and Wellso???

[RedSea500MaxS]

Do Gem Tangs pick at tips of SPS and wellsophylia?

Mine is.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

No experience with them personally, but that's a tough pill to swallow with the pricetag. What's your feeding regiments? Fish that are fed more often tend to leave corals alone more as well. Some are unavoidable. But man, that's tough.

Mind sharing a pic of the beautiful villain?

 

[RedSea500MaxS]

No experience with them personally, but that's a tough pill to swallow with the pricetag. What's your feeding regiments? Fish that are fed more often tend to leave corals alone more as well. Some are unavoidable. But man, that's tough.

Mind sharing a pic of the beautiful villain?

Sure thanks for asking...here is the Gem Devil. And my Botchies are all coming over thinking I have food. Pigs.

I feed my tank frozen (1 cube mysis with algae) daily in am, then 2" x 3" piece of Seaweed Nori in afternoon. Then add pellets a couple times a week with garlic. Also I add Coral Amino to saltwater I used to melt frozen for corals and fish.

3 small/medium tangs
4 small Bartlet Anthias
3 Medium Borbonius Anthias
2 Small Clownfish
1 Royal Gamma
4 damsels
Inverts
RBTA

I am afraid to overfeed...is this enough? I struggle with NO3 and PO3.

Skimmer
Algae Refuge
Apex DOS 2-Part
Trident
Marine Block

 

[RichtheReefer21]

@4FordFamily ever heard of this?

 

[Billldg]

I have 3 tangs also, a LT Tang, a Gold Rim tang, and a Tomini tang. I feed them 2 3x3 sheets of nori in the morning, and when my N03 is low I also feed them 2 3x3 sheets of nori in the afternoon. Tangs naturally graze for algae. Then I also feed then frozen in the afternoon also. It sounds like they need more Nori to graze on.

Oh, forgot to say I have them in a 120 gal tank.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Sure thanks for asking...here is the Gem Devil. And my Botchies are all coming over thinking I have food. Pigs.

I feed my tank frozen (1 cube mysis with algae) daily in am, then 2" x 3" piece of Seaweed Nori in afternoon. Then add pellets a couple times a week with garlic. Also I add Coral Amino to saltwater I used to melt frozen for corals and fish.

3 small/medium tangs
4 small Bartlet Anthias
3 Medium Borbonius Anthias
2 Small Clownfish
1 Royal Gamma
4 damsels
Inverts
RBTA

I am afraid to overfeed...is this enough? I struggle with NO3 and PO3.

Skimmer
Algae Refuge
Apex DOS 2-Part
Trident
Marine Block

That seems like plenty. Do u rinse the mysis cubes first? They are known to have heavy po4 concentrations in the freezing agent/gel they use. I had po4 issues as well until I start doing that. Drastic difference in 2 weeks once the skimmer caught up and i wasnt putting anymore in..

 

[4FordFamily]

This is not normal behavior, but it's also not undocumented for zebrasoma genus tangs to nip coral. I've never experienced one that did this, and I've kept several for about 15+ years. My current Gem tang is a bit of a jerk to other fish but leaves coral alone. I've heard of multiple purple tangs, one yellow that did this over the years on here. However, I would say its a very low risk even with purple tangs.

Also, the past two years I hardly have much "good coral" to speak of in this tank anyway, so who knows LOL

Regarding your issue, I doubt it will "stop". Things you can try are to feed more, more nori available for grazing. It's possible that it thinks it's picking at algae in-between coral, but more likely that it's just being a pain. Sometimes they'll pick at small inverts within coral also.

How long have you witnessed this? Any real damage being done?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a gem and he couldn't care less about coral. That's weird and I assume you have observed it actually eating coral?

I would as 4Fordfamily stated add sheets of nori in several places, try a mirror for a few minutes as a distraction, turn lights off when it does it or isolate it in a acclimation container for a short time out.
That's too bad as they are gorgeous and I have a similar patterned occupant being marine betta.

 

[RedSea500MaxS]

That seems like plenty. Do u rinse the mysis cubes first? They are known to have heavy po4 concentrations in the freezing agent/gel they use. I had po4 issues as well until I start doing that. Drastic difference in 2 weeks once the skimmer caught up and i wasnt putting anymore in..

I used to wash my frozen food I know remember years ago! I forgot that. Thank you!!! Man getting old I guess.

 

[RedSea500MaxS]

I have a gem and he couldn't care less about coral. That's weird and I assume you have observed it actually eating coral?

I would as 4Fordfamily stated add sheets of nori in several places, try a mirror for a few minutes as a distraction, turn lights off when it does it or isolate it in a acclimation container for a short time out.
That's too bad as they are gorgeous and I have a similar patterned occupant being marine betta.

This is not normal behavior, but it's also not undocumented for zebrasoma genus tangs to nip coral. I've never experienced one that did this, and I've kept several for about 15+ years. My current Gem tang is a bit of a jerk to other fish but leaves coral alone. I've heard of multiple purple tangs, one yellow that did this over the years on here. However, I would say its a very low risk even with purple tangs.

Also, the past two years I hardly have much "good coral" to speak of in this tank anyway, so who knows LOL

Regarding your issue, I doubt it will "stop". Things you can try are to feed more, more nori available for grazing. It's possible that it thinks it's picking at algae in-between coral, but more likely that it's just being a pain. Sometimes they'll pick at small inverts within coral also.

How long have you witnessed this? Any real damage being done?

I took the $1500 piece he was hitting out, and its in display (coral only tank improving by the day)....all the tips were nipped. Weird I know. I had a Blue Tang also start...he is gone! My Gem stays..I hope.

I sat and watched him...it was like nori...he could not swim. by it without stopping and nipping. Rotten little bxxxxxrd. LOL.

So far nothing else being nipped now??? Trying to keep his belly little more full too.

Thanks

 

[RichtheReefer21]

I used to wash my frozen food I know remember years ago! I forgot that. Thank you!!! Man getting old I guess.

Too much to remember in this hobby. Ha

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Sounds like you got a tasty coral there