Fish nipping acro:(

[chineseknife]

For some reason after getting home tonight, while eating dinner I noticed not only both damsels, but my new male clown and my regal tang nipping at my purple prostrata.
After closer inspection I noticed half the colony is white, mostly near the base, and the fish are eating either the tissue, or something else.
Anyone ever seen or heard of something like this before?

 

[cloak]

Atmosphere might be wrong for the coral. Is it a FOWLR?

Just a thought.

 

[BangkokMatt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13130064#post13130064 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cloak
Atmosphere might be wrong for the coral. Is it a FOWLR?

Just a thought.

How can it be a FOWLR if the fish are nipping at his corals! Can you elaborate on 'atmosphere'

 

[snorvich]

Sounds as if the coral died and the fish were cleaning up.

 

[stunreefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13130203#post13130203 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
Sounds as if the coral died and the fish were cleaning up.

That was my first thought as well.

However once one fish sees another doing something, they might try it too (like little kids). It would suprise me if this were the case here, because you mention clowns and damsels. I have seen regal tangs pick on anything and everything so thats not suprising. I also had a Starki damsel a while back that nipped here and there at SPS poylps, nothing devastating though. I have seen clowns move around new frags/corals that have been placed into their territory, but actually eating a healthy coral I am yet to witness.

 

[chineseknife]

Thanks for the replies so far.
This is a 90g full blown mixed reef. My routine hasn't changed in years and I assure you my "atmosphere" is right, considering a bta split twice in the past few months, a growing clam, and coralline like crazy.
Bulbs are a bit old, but nothing else seems affected, yet.

 

[ozadars]

My longnose butterfly and fairy wrasse eat the corals if their tissue is ripping off but do not touch the healthy ones.

 

[cloak]

So the atmosphere WAS wrong for the coral.

What happened?

Xenia is tricky...

 

[chineseknife]

Xenia isn't my issue.

 

[cloak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13135209#post13135209 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chineseknife
Xenia isn't my issue.

It is mind stew though...

 

[Slakker]

Do you have any/a lot of other SPS in the tank?

 

[chineseknife]

yes, there are other sps, but mostly non-acros, like pavona, hydno, montis, etc....

Harlequin shrimp wouldn't cause damage like this would they?

 

[Leopard Man]

My damsels did that when my some bits of my stags RTNed. They just cleaned up the dead bits, and didn't eat the healthy parts.

 

[chineseknife]

update:
R.I.P Purple Prostrata, one of my fave pieces!