General Reef Safe "With Caution" Thread

[NeonRabbit221B]

Is it a fairly agreed upon idea that if a fish is well fed with a diet of his go to that he is less likely to munch away on our precious corals? My puffer seems to be that way. He even occasionally warns me with a spit of water when he is hungry then goes on the hunt.

The problem is the filefish is so small at this point that I cant see him from the couch to observe his habits. I have resorted to sitting on the floor in front of the tank like a weirdo.

 

[Gtinnel]

The problem is the filefish is so small at this point that I cant see him from the couch to observe his habits.

I've seen threads where people attached a cheap wyze camera to their stand so they can look at their tank from their phone. It seems like if you are sitting in your floor watching the tank that may be a good option for you. Assuming there is some easy way to mount it

 

[Vette67]

I bought a majestic angel a long time ago. It was a juvenile, still with the juvenile coloring. I had it for about 5 years, and it was a model reef citizen. Then once it got pretty big, closer to 5 or 6 inches in length, it acquired a taste for coral. Nothing changed in my tank, it was still well fed, as it had been for years, but one day it turned. I don't know if it was a part of growing up, but as much as it pained me, I had to rehome it. That was a cool fish in a reef, until it wasn't.. But the majestic angel, like most angels, is probably just not reef safe. You'll have to accept some amount of nipping, which will probably upset most corals, if you put one in a reef. But the majestic was supposedly the most reef safe angel, and mine definitely was for a while. Not the best picture....

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I bought a majestic angel a long time ago. It was a juvenile, still with the juvenile coloring. I had it for about 5 years, and it was a model reef citizen. Then once it got pretty big, closer to 5 or 6 inches in length, it acquired a taste for coral. Nothing changed in my tank, it was still well fed, as it had been for years, but one day it turned. I don't know if it was a part of growing up, but as much as it pained me, I had to rehome it. That was a cool fish in a reef, until it wasn't.. But the majestic angel, like most angels, is probably just not reef safe. You'll have to accept some amount of nipping, which will probably upset most corals, if you put one in a reef. But the majestic was supposedly the most reef safe angel, and mine definitely was for a while. Not the best picture....

Has to hurt just seeing that repeat nipping after years of good behavior. I wonder if there has been any studies on why it suddenly starts... Maybe its a tolerance to stinging cells? A change in biology?

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I bought a majestic angel a long time ago. It was a juvenile, still with the juvenile coloring. I had it for about 5 years, and it was a model reef citizen. Then once it got pretty big, closer to 5 or 6 inches in length, it acquired a taste for coral. Nothing changed in my tank, it was still well fed, as it had been for years, but one day it turned. I don't know if it was a part of growing up, but as much as it pained me, I had to rehome it. That was a cool fish in a reef, until it wasn't.. But the majestic angel, like most angels, is probably just not reef safe. You'll have to accept some amount of nipping, which will probably upset most corals, if you put one in a reef. But the majestic was supposedly the most reef safe angel, and mine definitely was for a while. Not the best picture....

This seems to be common behavior for angles. Reef safe while juvenal and then much less reef safe as adult. Same thing happend to me but with an Emperor. But he mostly goes after paulys and acans. Really anything orange .

 

[mcbdz]

Sadly have had to rehome a banner butterfly and a bicolor blenny do to just munching down on corals. Then this week had to pull my peppermint shrimp. He was good for a year and a half and went mushroom and acan crazy. I am adding to my fish stock now and having a really hard time. I did by a small one spot foxface(Have only had good luck with them) but looking at a niger triger I want SO BAD. Probable want though. I hurts my heart to pull a fish or loose a coral.

 

[mosertree]

I have a question on this subject. I recently notice that my Duncan was being harmed and then my sonic galaxea. My husband and I have seen our Jewel Damsel nipping at these areas and believe that he is the problem though most information about damsels say they are reef safe. What are your thoughts? In my tank I have the Jewel Damsel, 2 clownfish, 1 red dragonet, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 sand sifting starfish several hermit crabs and snails

This is how they look now:

And this is how they use to look:

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Do you dip your coral prior to adding? Its likely he is nipping at the algae growth on the stressed/dying frags. I wouldn't consider him a threat.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I have had a valentini puffer in my tank for about 2 years now and while he hasn't been perfect he generally hasn't touched corals. I have been dealing with a tank decline in the last month and have gone through my checklist of potential causes and have a pending ICP. I added a aiptasia eating filefish about 3 weeks ago from Biota and since then the decline has accelerated. Not sure if its the puffer or filefish (who is tiny) but this morning I woke up to a decimated chalice frag. Any tips to catch them in the act or rule out one vs the other. I have a hard time believing it was the filefish due to his size and the chalice was about the size of a quarter but I would hate to blame the puffer. Any tips?

 

[jaganshi066]

I hate how my favorite fish are Reef Safe "With Caution" but hate the heavy decision to either return the fish you have grown to love, curb the habits of nipping or watch a coral die. I would love to have an open discussion of very tough decisions you have made for either coral health or fish love. I don't have a complete understanding on why then nip at one species of coral over another and why fish with a long history of being an upstanding citizen suddenly goes on a feeding frenzy. For example my Valentini Puffer ate a whole acan about a month after I added him. I was deeply saddened at the time but only had the basic toadstools and gsp along with it and decided to keep him until I wanted a nicer coral. Today he is an upstanding reef citizen and hasn't killed anything in the last 6 months (even acans which I now love).... except every snail, hermit and maybe a light nip at anything new added. Its damage and replacement I am currently willing to accept.

Now I am faced with a similar dilemma after adding one of my favorite fish, a CB Aiptasia-eating filefish and about 24 hours later he ate a polyp of my favorite leather. Its a shame these fish are a dice roll and any hungry fish often gets passed from owner to owner until a accepting owner or death. I am going to watch it play out for now but would love to hear any sad stories, comeback kid stories and accepted risks or limits on what you can put in your tank.

Any advice on reducing nipping habits for specific fish would be great. My puffer stopped taste testing corals once I regularly started giving him frozen clams and replenish the dwarf ceriths he snacks on. He is great until I stop my heavy feeding habits.

Pictures welcome. Here is the tiny leaf dude

Everyone says dwarf angels are with caution but I’ve had both of mine for over a year and they never touched a coral, I think feeding a few times a day is they key!

 

[jaganshi066]

RSWC is a marketing-friendly way of saying 'Not Reef Safe'
If I want a 'RSWC' fish, I like to find out if its issue is eating coral or inverts. If its a coral eater then its definitely a no-go... Even if they cooperate at first they can suddenly change and develop an appetite for them.

That’s any fish though even the ones that say reef safe, so rswc, or if it says reef safe doesn’t matter if that’s the case

 

[saltyfins]

I hate how my favorite fish are Reef Safe "With Caution" but hate the heavy decision to either return the fish you have grown to love, curb the habits of nipping or watch a coral die. I would love to have an open discussion of very tough decisions you have made for either coral health or fish love. I don't have a complete understanding on why then nip at one species of coral over another and why fish with a long history of being an upstanding citizen suddenly goes on a feeding frenzy. For example my Valentini Puffer ate a whole acan about a month after I added him. I was deeply saddened at the time but only had the basic toadstools and gsp along with it and decided to keep him until I wanted a nicer coral. Today he is an upstanding reef citizen and hasn't killed anything in the last 6 months (even acans which I now love).... except every snail, hermit and maybe a light nip at anything new added. Its damage and replacement I am currently willing to accept.

Now I am faced with a similar dilemma after adding one of my favorite fish, a CB Aiptasia-eating filefish and about 24 hours later he ate a polyp of my favorite leather. Its a shame these fish are a dice roll and any hungry fish often gets passed from owner to owner until a accepting owner or death. I am going to watch it play out for now but would love to hear any sad stories, comeback kid stories and accepted risks or limits on what you can put in your tank.

Any advice on reducing nipping habits for specific fish would be great. My puffer stopped taste testing corals once I regularly started giving him frozen clams and replenish the dwarf ceriths he snacks on. He is great until I stop my heavy feeding habits.

Pictures welcome. Here is the tiny leaf dude

our file fish, has been the perfect fish. eats everything we throw in to feed, even nori. Never have caught him eating anything other than what it should, not saying it hasnt...but havent caught it happening.

 

[Bridgerdean]

My file fish loved to eat Zoas.

 

[mosertree]

Do you dip your coral prior to adding? Its likely he is nipping at the algae growth on the stressed/dying frags. I wouldn't consider him a threat.

I did dip the coral. My whole family is in love with this fish. He is very active and regularly comes to the glass to watch people. But if he is going to be a jerk to my corals he may have to find a new home. In your opinion is there any chance that he will change his mind and leave them alone

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I did dip the coral. My whole family is in love with this fish. He is very active and regularly comes to the glass to watch people. But if he is going to be a jerk to my corals he may have to find a new home. In your opinion is there any chance that he will change his mind and leave them alone

I don’t think he is nipping the coral but rather the algae growing in the skeletons. You likely have another issue causing tissue recession you need to address. Keep the fish, I don’t think he is your issue

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Everyone says dwarf angels are with caution but I’ve had both of mine for over a year and they never touched a coral, I think feeding a few times a day is they key!

Some fish move into coral when they reach adulthood. I really hope my puffer wasn’t the culprit in my case. I had a coral angle beauty that I got that was full sized and didn’t touch anything. Then he got too close to a powerhead...

 

[jaganshi066]

Some fish move into coral when they reach adulthood. I really hope my puffer wasn’t the culprit in my case. I had a coral angle beauty that I got that was full sized and didn’t touch anything. Then he got too close to a powerhead...

Awww can I ask what brand the power head was

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Awww can I ask what brand the power head was

Sure but I couldn’t tell you because it was a cheap Chinese hunk of junk that also caused me a tasty electric shock. Buy quality PHs

 

[jaganshi066]

Sure but I couldn’t tell you because it was a cheap Chinese hunk of junk that also caused me a tasty electric shock. Buy quality PHs

Oh wow I’m sorry but even quality ones have issues. I heard of mp40s and mp60s killing fish but the lost notorious one is the Nero 5 which had so many complaints of fish dying that they made a fish guard. It killed a few of my fish

 

[Topekoms]

Sadly, it seems like almost none of the livestock sellers care that much about their livestock or customers. They will gladly sell someone an expensive flame angel and tell them 'uhh, yeah it should work' when they know it wont. They sell countless mandarins/dragonets knowing almost all of them are going to die in a few weeks. Not much better than the stereotypical used car salesman IMO

That's not always true I have kept many dwarf angels with no issues with coral