Miniature destruct-o-tron

[Jscwerve]

So, I've got a yellow clown goby. I HAD a green slimer frag, just like a 2" piece. The goby layed on, shook on, harrassed the thing until it was dead. No big deal, one little frag lost. It's the only one he's ever messed with or hung out on. I've got a bunch of other stuff in the tank including SPS, LPS and softies, again, never touches.

The other day I get one of the few "deals you can't refuse" and bring home a green Slimer colony that is pretty much as big as my head. About a foot across. Of course within seconds of my putting it in the tank, the goby is at it. Rubbing against it, laying on it, whatever it is that little gobys do to these things. He's pretty much not left it in the last few days except to feed.

Do you think a 1" fish is going to be able to kill this giant colony too? I really like the coral, and I really like the fish too, he's quite the character. Sometimes he thinks he's a tang because he'll hang out with them when they are grazing nori. He'll even swim around doing the tang rounds with them. Or he'll just do generally odd things that are funny.

Get rid of the fish (I'd rather not)? Frag the colony and keep half of it in a different tank and switch them out? See if he only kills a small part of the colony?

Any expertise?

 

[DCT326]

Well I don't know about expertise but I have been reading up on clown gobies to possibly get one for a nano tank. Anyway, from what I've been reading this is normal clown goby behavior. In fact LA recommends keeping them with branching corals because they are happiest when they have one to sit in. From what I've read larger colonies handle this fairly well, but smaller ones may be damaged (as happened with yours). That's a nice coral so I can understand why you'd be hesitant to risk it though.

 

[starkii]

In nature they strip parts of sps to lay their eggs and whilst having a pair may cause more problems a single individual may show the same behaviour as your seeing. Sometimes they annoy a small area only so just keep an eye on the little chap. Luckily a slime grows pretty fast.