Lemonpeel angel and clam

[breederforlife]

I just put my lemonpeel in my display tank 1 day ago and he has already started nipping at my clam!! The clam is now closed up and hasn't opened up for a few hours now.
What should I do? Will the lemonpeel just get tired of it and stop?
Thx
Alex

 

[Marshall O]

AFAIK, Lemonpeels are in the top two for "worst" reef dwarf angels as far as nipping corals/clams. This is not a case where it may or may not (like a Coral Beauty or Flame Angel). Unfortunately I don't think it will get any better. Choices are either to rehome the Lemonpeel or remove the clam (and any other corals you don't want to lose!).

 

[aqua_dog]

I would try to return it. IME even my flame picked at stuff to the point I had to get rid of him. The only dwarf angel Ive had that leaves everything alone is my coral beauty. I hear lemonpeels are bad nippers

 

[humaguy]

ime, most centropyge will pick at their mantles...sadly, you will have to pick one or move 1...

 

[Allmost]

give it time. ..

is the fish trained to eat frozen ?

usually when I put my angels in my SPS reef, they go to town of first week ... nipping corals and clams and ... then they calm down a bit, and eat more frozen, then sPS and clams as snack ...

I would give them more time, and monitor, if the clam seems to be dying, then put it in a breeder box ... and introduce again after a week.

given good water, a clam can handle some nipping.

how much corals do u have in the tank ? if not much, then it might be harder ... [more polyps, would mean the fish would eat less percentage of all polyps]


but yea, it will never stop fully....

 

[sandwi54]

Lemonpeel angels are, in my opinion, the #1 worst centropyge in a reef tank. That's why mine is staying in my 110g FOWLR instead of my 150g reef. You will probably want to remove the angel as it's most likely not going to stop nipping, and that will cause the clam to die.

It will be a good idea in the future to do some research on the fish you want to buy before buying it.

 

[snorvich]

The photosynthetic algae, called zooxanthellae contained in a clam mantle are irresistible to most Centropyge.

 

[ken6217]

I find that any of these fish could potentially be trouble no matter what the book says. All fish are individual. I have a large French and Goldflake in my tank and they are model citizens. I would say a French would be considered not a good reef fish.

My decision on putting a dwarf or larger angel in my tank is if I think the fish is nice enough that I am willing to take the risk. if it picks, then it picks. I got my fish.

Note that all of my tanks are SPS with very little anything else and so my risk is low.

Ken

 

[HumbleFish]

I would just get rid of the Lemonpeel now. Picking at a clam is just the beginning. He will probably start nipping at most of your corals and terrorizing smaller fish as he gets bigger.

I tolerate mine because the wife is so attached to it.