How do I tell nipping from destruction?

[itz frank]

I got a Kleini Butterfly for aptasia control. He's doing well. Too well. I see him cruising around nipping everything in sight.

The aptasia is disappearing. But so it my polyp extension and a few of my corals aren't missing chunks but their tips do look a little ugly.

How do I tell if he's doing serious damage and stopping growth or effecting health of my sps?


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[jda]

Any type of nipping will inhibit growth a bit - even a pesky flame angel will hurt a bit but a lot of people can live with that. If you are missing tissue, then that is pretty bad.

You are going to have to get rid of the Kleini eventually, so you might as well start on a plan for your aiptasia control in the future. You cannot simply just wait until they are all gone and then get rid of it because they will come back since there are always some tiny ones hiding out somewhere. I have found peppermint shrimp quite effective when they are larger and the aiptasia are smaller. Copperbands have worked for me too at about a 50% rate and they have otherwise been great reef citizens. Getting either now could get them some time to get up to speed while the Kleini is still working.

Good luck.

 

[codydemmel4]

i am in this same boat with you. I have a regal and emporer angelfish everything was great but i noticed last week my PE was not near as good. well I worked from home yesterday and saw both multiple times nip/destroy the tips of some of my acros.

especially ones that have a yellow tip, so unfortunately I think I am going to have to get rid of them even though they are probably my top 2 favorite fish. I have too much into my SPS to let them destroy them and I now see tissue missing on some.

 

[Randy27]

I agree. most of the time with angels/butterflies, you have to choose between good coral polyp extension/growth and your fish. Tough choice!

 

[itz frank]

I'm ok with losing PE. I'm not ok with losing Coral


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[codydemmel4]

I'm ok with losing PE. I'm not ok with losing Coral


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yeah if he is picking at it now, i bet he will pick at it worse enough to lose a coral.

i noticed PE loss but now I noticed big tips of my one favorite coral missing and now it has no PE and looks like sh** so I am taking the emporer out tonight (he i sonly a juv too like 4-5 inches can only imagine the impact when he is full grown), putting him in a sump area I have which is actually pretty big around 36 inches x 24 inches till i get my 8 foot tank setup that will be all flowr (hoping by next week)