Klein Butterfly and Acros

[Waterbury Guy]

I put in a Klein 6 months ago or so to clear up Apstasia, worked great. But now I see him nipping at my Acros. I've lost 3-4 beautiful pieces and looks like three more are on the way out. They turn completly white over the course of about two days, and then they are gone. What I can't be sure of is if he is nipping them when they are on they way out, or if he is killing them.
1) could he kill them this fast?
2) Does anyone one about Klein's eating Acros?

Frustrated and sad!

 

[jimroth]

What I heard was that klein's are reef safe -- unless they're not! One of my local LFS's has a sign telling people they don't eat coral, but even the employees there warn people off.
I think this could happen with any fish that has that potential to start eating coral. My friend had a rabbitfish that suddenly ate all his zoanthids. Spend an hour observing the tank, watch what the butterfly does. It sounds like if you want to keep acros anymore, you need to find a way to remove the kleini from your system. Coral eating butterflies eat coral constantly, it's like corn on the cob to them.

 

[Sardaukar]

You need to provide us with more details. I would try to spend a good hour or two watching the tank and the klein's behavior. Plenty of fish will nip at SPS and as long as there are lots of SPS and the fish are being fed well, the nipping usually just results in reduced PE. Is the fish just cruising and taking the occasional random nip or is he stopping and really tearing at the sps?

 

[Burlingtonz]

I had a Kleins which ate LPS corals Brains were the corals of choice. The didn't see him picking at SPS. I would agree to watch your DT until you asee for sure if the Kleins is acually picking at the SPS. Otherwise you have perhaps otherissues which are causing your SPS to die off. It should take you long, Butterflies do pick all the time. Same as Tangs picking at LR.

 

[Sardaukar]

I would also post this in the SPS forum.

 

[stunreefer]

Many fish will nip at corals on there way out, or just in general. If you're losing multiple colonies quickly as mentioned there's something else going on.

 

[Sardaukar]

Many fish will nip at corals on there way out, or just in general. If you're losing multiple colonies quickly as mentioned there's something else going on.

Yes, my gut reaction to the situation as described is that you are having some RTN caused by some other event and the butterfly is just taking advantage of the dieing coral tissue and grabbing a free meal. Klein's can nip but are not obligate coralivores and I wouldn't expect them to be nipping SPS's colonies to death.