Will tangs eat acans??

[tc269]

I have had some acans in my system now for quiet some time and they are growing and doing great. I recently added some new acans and they were slowly recedin in different spots. so I transfered those acans into my buddys system and now the ones i have had for a while are looking bad. I noticed my blue regal tang hanging out by them and what looks like he is biting them but never get to see the whole action. do tangs like the blue tang aquire a taste for acans??

 

[tc269]

its a blue hippo tang

 

[softiegirl]

You can never really tell. Every fish is different. Are you giving him any vegetation at all? Tangs are pickers in general, if there isnt enough for him to pick at on the rocks, and maybe some seaweed every day, he will look for something else tasty! My blue hippo tang developed a taste for zoas after I had him about 3 months. Unfortunately... he had to GO!

 

[reefsandrotts]

my purple tang will eat them,he munched all my sps and zoos.

 

[JR's Reef]

its a blue hippo tang

Then I would say its a good chance. Ive seen many that eat LPS over the yrs.

 

[tc269]

well guess its time for dora to go than I just did for sure now watch him munch on some acans. stood way away from the tank and its the first thing he did was go after my acans. Nothing like 100$ meal. dang even I dont eat that good!!

 

[revhtree]

Yes my purple tang decided to eat acan lords as well. Took me a couple days but I caught him! LOL!

 

[Fishcrazy06]

Wow thats a bummer. Never heard of it either. Wonder if its something they do when not fed enough or don't have a strip of veggie to munch on? Glad I overfeed :P

Eric

 

[tc269]

i over feed for sure.. and there is aways algea strips in the tank.

 

[revhtree]

On a side note I have had several tangs take a liking to lps or zoas.

Regal
Purple
Powder Blue
Salfin

 

[kass03]

I have a hippo that liked to take bites out of my acans also. It used to pick on my clam all the time to but I moved the clam and it stopped biting it.
I finally moved the acans to my nano.
I also feed nori every day.

kass

 

[Znut Reefer]

It does happen. I had a couple convict tangs go after my acans. I had to remove the fish. And they were well fed. Tangs are pretty well known for being nippers. They never fill up always looking for food.

 

[wschang812]

my purple tang and powder blue love nipping at the acan tentacles. they swear its a worm or something

 

[amore169]

Also my purple ate most of my zoas a while back.

 

[Sikryd]

Are all these tangs that are eating stuff that is normally not part of their diet being fed a varied diet, at least 2x a day?
Just curious, since we collect these animals, put them in a cage, then feed them a ton of mysis once a day, then wonder why they are exploring around for different types of food through out the day.
I'm sure there are rogue ones, just like anything else.

I'm just wondering from the long time reefers if this is normal, or more of an unusual thing.

 

[tc269]

i feed once a day usually a mix of spiritula brine shrimp and mysis. and also every day put in some algae strips. mine was doing well not picking on anything had him for over a year and now that he is big he is nipping. maybe something like angles tend to eat polyps and other foods as they get bigger.

 

[Hypertek99]

I can tell you a hippo tang will definitely eat acans and micros. This is from experience.

 

[Dooly]

+1

I had an evil hippo that took chunks out of my acans

 

[Sikryd]

I can tell you a hippo tang will definitely eat acans and micros. This is from experience.

I have heard the same thing before. I have also watched one (10") pick up clams and move them since it didn't like it by its "hideout". Of course nipipng the mantle in the process. More of a territorial thing with the clam I think.
I have heard hippos can be a little ravenous when they get bigger.

 

[mikedelgado]

I am pretty sure that I taught one of my hippos to eat acans cause I was feeding the acans with the lights on.I moved the offender to a different tank w/o acans. No more target feeding lps with the lights on for me.