Known species to nip at SPS' polyps

[jda]

Peppermint shrimp can/will too, just like the emeralds. Other than the obligate coralivores, I personally (just my opinion) don't think that most of the fish, emeralds or shrimp are looking to eat coral. However, they will not starve. Can you blame them? Here is the typical scenario - fish is fine, fish grows, after a while fish starts to pick on stuff. Or - algae problem, emeralds eat the algae, no more algae, emeralds eat some coral. The likely scenario is that the food has not grown to accommodate the growth, or food has disappeared.

There are tons of successes with all kind of suspect fish working out perfectly fine - anecdotally, the one common denominator seems to be massive amounts of food, as in enough food the fish and inverts are quickly growing.

 

[rlpardue]

I have a cherished pair of Ecsenius Ops (yellow-eyed combtooth blennies) that is getting a little annoying. I just added my SPS collection to the new upgraded tank and was horrified to see that the cute little blennies sit on my frag rack and peck at the polyps...We'll see if I can find a solution but right now I'm considering banishing them to the refugium. It sucks because I really like the fish - one will change color and do courting displays, and they hang out together all day.

 

[Allmost]

only 100% reef safe fish, is anemone fish / clown fish ....


all others may develop a taste for corals.

some higher percentage like angels, some lower like tangs or snails.

very interesting stories though ! some fish can be ........s
lol

 

[OKDOHK]

No one has mentioned emerald crabs, the beloved member of most clean up crews and savior from bubble algae also in some tanks has been known to go for SPS polyps. I have heard of/seen/owned emerald crabs that had a taste for SPS. Do a youtube search and there are some videos on there of such.

Note, some people think that all of the instances where "reef safe" critters become "unsafe" is because their diets/food source are not substantial enough and the SPS colonies they go after are in fact unhealthy and dying already. I am NOT in this camp of thinking.

I don't think all instances are caused by diet. But I am definitely in this camp.

 

[redcable]

One thing I see here, wrasses do not attack SPS. No documentation on that, I think....

 

[sahin]

One thing I see here, wrasses do not attack SPS. No documentation on that, I think....

I have a McCoskers Wrasse...very nice safe with SPS. :fun2:

 

[hollback]

I had a matted filefish (aiptasia eater) decide to start eating SPS polyps along with my duncan colony.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Bicolor Blenny is worse than an Emperor Angelfish for nipping IME.

Get rid of it.

 

[Biocubehqi]

All our animals love on a reef, therefore they eat the reef :fun2:

 

[rad1687]

Orangespot filefish loved my red planet and sunset monti

 

[Dog boy Dave]

All my fish have learned to eat almost anything soft. Tangs, Rabbit Fish and all my Angels. However, while they all nip and mouth the SPS and some eat substantial parts of them, the tank is large and the corals adjust well to the constant trimming. A lot of it depends on the animals you want to keep and the size of your tank. The LPS and soft stuff is much more vulnerable to grazing than the SPS. Most of your so called nippers do quite well in an SPS only tank if the tank and corals are large enough.