Powder Blues love T's Torch

[Gary Majchrzak]

so far I know of two Powder Blue Tangs with an unusual attraction to T's Torch. My PBT is one of the two. 'Blue' ignores all my other torch corals (and other Euphyllia for that matter) and only sucks on the T's torch tentacles.
Very strange.

Anybody else have this going on in their aquarium?

 

[JVManlius]

I've had a powder blue for about a year in my tank with 4 heads of todd's torch. He doesn't seem to even notice the torch. Does your Blue actually nip at the tentacles? How does the torch react? Very strange in deed. Maybe he's just bored.

 

[wetbehindears]

Mine did as well

 

[Kent D.]

I have heard Sohal's to do this but not Powdered Blues......feed them more Algae sheets and see if that helps more...

 

[wetbehindears]

Nope its isn't a feeding issue. I have a naso and a mimic in my tank the naso is a very active fish and a big eateter so I feed alot and frequently I have a timer in am for pellets and then around 12 I feed a rather large sheet of seaweed ( naso is growing fast and always eats) and then I feed a large variety of frozen foods w garlic and various added elements.
And then at night I fee my colony or sun polyps and he would steal alot of food from them.
But yet he still eats corals.
I also always keep a decent size macro algea that Tangs will eat growing in the display

It isn't an under feed issue

From my experience. Powderblue not reef safe at all.

 

[Kent D.]

I thought I would just suggest it. Most likely it is not feeding or diet since I am sure Gary feeds them properly. Many tangs are grazers.....and not everyone feeds properly.

 

[Kent E]

I haven't had a problem... yet... gulp.

 

[Jacwil]

I haven't had a problem... yet... gulp.

Same here!!!

 

[JVManlius]

I think I will do my best to keep my powder blue well feed. Hopefully, he will never develop a taste for my torches. I suspect that once they think of the torch as food. It won't look pretty.

 

[ReefDreamz]

Nope its isn't a feeding issue. I have a naso and a mimic in my tank the naso is a very active fish and a big eateter so I feed alot and frequently I have a timer in am for pellets and then around 12 I feed a rather large sheet of seaweed ( naso is growing fast and always eats) and then I feed a large variety of frozen foods w garlic and various added elements.
And then at night I fee my colony or sun polyps and he would steal alot of food from them.
But yet he still eats corals.
I also always keep a decent size macro algea that Tangs will eat growing in the display

It isn't an under feed issue

From my experience. Powderblue not reef safe at all.

Good point

 

[acdraindrps]

I would like to add that no tang is truly "reef safe"

Gary - How come its T's torch, and not Todd's?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I would like to add that no tang is truly "reef safe"

Gary - How come its T's torch, and not Todd's?

legend has it that Todd got his torch from Tom

 

[acdraindrps]

T Squared torch.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

"Blue" was lucky that I kept him during the aquarium switchover earlier this year. His time just might be running out.

 

[Kent E]

I'm curious if is has to do with the size of fish compared to size of tank. Gary, is your PB getting really big?

Is the other one big as well? Or in a small tank?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

mine is small. I believe the two sexes of Acanthurus leucosternon (Powder Blue) are different sizes. I don't think sex or size of the aquarium has anything to do with the unnatural attraction between T's Torch and Powder Blue.

It might be the color. Or flavor. Something is up for sure, though.

 

[Kent E]

Do powders have the desire to re-aquascape tanks like hippos do?

Mine can move the largest corals... it can be fist size, inserted into a divot, and it will get it out of there if it disagrees with the artistic statement.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

my (large) hippo tang was very destructive compared to this powder blue.

Currently.... the PBT on T's Torch is the worst fish-on-coral infraction happening in my aquarium right now.

I don't think it's happening because the PBT is hungry.