Difference between biting and nipping?

[humboldt reefer]

So I got this cool little singapore angel that loves to pick on my sps. It looks like he is actually trying to rip the polyps off. Is this what is refered to as nipping? How long can a coral take this? Its picking at my acro's, monties, porites, basically everything. He occasionally picks at the rocks but wont take food and am having a hard time getting him out. I'm thinking of baiting him with some zoo's and a trap. Any advice or suggestions?

Ryan

 

[beeker]

no corals can take it over a long period of time it will put too much stress on the coral causing PE to be slim to none after awhile.

i had a damsel in my 20 gallon that nipped at my sps, needless to say i removed him the week i noticed he was nipping and all my corals actually look better since they aren't disturbed as often and so they are able to grow faster.

 

[RichConley]

Thats not nipping, thats biting.

Nipping is different, and less of a problem. The confusion in terms makes angels seem much worse than they are.


Sounds like you got a bad on though.


As to corals not being able to survive being nipped, I disagree. One of the guys near me had a 110g set up for years with an Orange spot file, and his SPS had no PE, but grew very fast, and were always heatlhy. Its in a 400g now, and doesnt cause as much trouble as far as I know.

 

[Charlie Davidson]

On the deltec forum, Alantis Aquariums has a "deltec Tank" posted . I am in that shop 3 times a week, staring at this display. He has had a few angels that nip/bite his corals. Many times removing large areas of polips. Once the fish is removed the corals seem to recover quickly.
Seeing this I still would not put an angel in my sps tank.