Yellow tang munching on my zoas?!?!?!

[secretreefer]

Hey guys,
been having some issues with a couple PE frags that I have in the tank. They seem always closed. and i'm never home to observe the tank until evening. I've heard of yellow tangs eating the algae off the frag plug/disc that the zoas are on. So i was eating lunch in front my tank today (day off) and noticed a plug with about 10+ polyps of yellow mambas had fallen off my rack. My yellow tang was very fat (last fed yesterday morning, was gonna feed the fish after lunch) and watched him "pick" at the fallen plug. At first i thought he was eating the algae but then i see him/her pulling on zoa meat and moving the plug around. what the heck??!?!? went to the side of the tank and the whole back end of the frag was shredded and eaten. ...ok
1. I thought zoas were toxic/poisonous
2. Never heard of yellow tangs really eating it like a medium rare from steak Ruth Chris.

chime in if you've experienced this ferocity of zoa eating by tangs. ....

 

[KLR]

My Vlamingi Tang has straight up bitten and consumed tissue from chalices,favias,acroporas, acans, and zoas. This only occurs when I do not feed it enough though.

 

[el richie]

I had a yellow tang eat an acan and a crocea!!

 

[mfinn]

I've had a couple different tangs eat zoanthids. Not just pick at them, but consume 70-80 polyp colonies.
Once they get the idea that zoanthids can be eaten, they will always go back and get more.

 

[caudill187]

I've had a Purple Tang and a Blue Hippo decide they were going to munch polyps. My hippo tang did great for years until one day I looked up and he was swimming around with a colony in his mouth, shaking it like a pit bull.

 

[secretreefer]

thanks for chiming in guys. i've had yellow tangs for years and never had this happen. he/she is always well feed too so idk what made it go "Rogue". looks like i'll be removing it before purpleerkle (other purple tang) learns to do it also.

 

[hermesfansf]

I've had a Purple Tang and a Blue Hippo decide they were going to munch polyps. My hippo tang did great for years until one day I looked up and he was swimming around with a colony in his mouth, shaking it like a pit bull.

My black tang did the same thing. I am moving him to the big tank, hopefullly he is going to behave.

 

[secretreefer]

so something i thought that was uncommon seems to be common. tangs AREN'T reef safe.

 

[redemer123]

Tangs are constantly feeding in the wild and have a very high metabolism which is why they often come to fish stores very skinny, all fish are opportunistic feeders. With that being said, while its unlikely to happen im sure any fish could nip a coral. I have a friend who's yellow tang ate his LPS lol

 

[zero]

My tangs were doing ok when I was feeding them food and seaweed everyday until I stop feeding them seaweed and both of my purple tangs and the yellow tang clean out alot of my zoas/palys.

 

[CRW Reefer]

I have a tank full.of Zoas and tangs and I always see them licking at algae of new plugs or so I think. Might need to pay closer attention. Following to see how your scenerio develops

 

[hermesfansf]

Tangs are constantly feeding in the wild and have a very high metabolism which is why they often come to fish stores very skinny, all fish are opportunistic feeders. With that being said, while its unlikely to happen im sure any fish could nip a coral. I have a friend who's yellow tang ate his LPS lol

I actually had a Purple Tang long time ago. He nipped and ate the entire frog spawn in front of me.

 

[secretreefer]

aww man! don't say that! I have a beautiful ultra colony!

 

[hermesfansf]

aww man! don't say that! I have a beautiful ultra colony!

It was actually an Aussie neon green frogspawn. Tang is definitely not 100% reef safe.

 

[secretreefer]

sorry to hear that. ugh. 1 purple tang, 1 yellow tang (LA LAKER STYLE) going to a FOWLR tank.

 

[secretreefer]

updated bad news. I thought i'd try to do more feeding but yesterday I caught my PURPLE tang eating zoas!!! . GRRRRR!! dang yellow tang teaching others to eat zoas! ! well when the 180g comes down both will go to a new home.

 

[joshporksandwich]

I have 2 separate tanks with yellow tangs and they eat zoas but only dying ones. They leave the healthy ones alone. The other day i brought a rock with over 50 and like 10 looked brownish my tang ate them and left all the other ones alone.

 

[secretreefer]

that's very interesting. the rock i caught my purple eating was some dying smaller micro type zoas. BUT the yellow was caught in the act eating healthy PE's. :cry:

 

[hermesfansf]

I have 2 separate tanks with yellow tangs and they eat zoas but only dying ones. They leave the healthy ones alone. The other day i brought a rock with over 50 and like 10 looked brownish my tang ate them and left all the other ones alone.

It is too early to make a conclusion. I would wait and see.

 

[650-IS350]

Tangs can't be trusted with Z's and P's, Yellow , purple, blue it don't matter. They can be model citizens right now, but something inside them flips a switch and they will turn on them and pop and much on em like popcorn in a movie theater.