red sea regal angel's polyp picking preferences

[adrmd]

My red sea regal was behaving well for the first 6 mos in my reef then started to pick at my zooanthids and acros. He has left the blastomussa species and acanthastrea alone. Does anyone know specifically which polyps angels in general like or specifically the red sea regal. I would rather buy lps or sps that resist being eaten. One of my buddies said that some corals have natural protective mechanisms, like a slime coat that is not very tasty and thwarts their advances.
Any input would be great.

 

[Rossini]

I thought they just ate sponges and tunicates in the wild. All the wild ones ive watched in the red sea,never picked at corals,just at nooks and crannys in thew rocks where there were tiny sponges and tunicates.

My Red Sea Regal,destroyed my lovely open brain coral. Only by picking at it,not by actually eating it.

 

[EnderG60]

mine(well 2 of them actually) went after xenia and my open brain.

Full on ate the xenia and just pecked the brain.

 

[adrmd]

What's the difference between pecking at the open brain and truly eating it.? Interestingly, my Xenia are not being bothered at all, but the open brain was pecked/picked at/eaten to death.
Do you think each one is different?
When i first got mine I bought some carribean sponge for it to eat and it never did. Apparently they don't like sponge from the carribean.
My angel picke at and killed my clams really quickly. I even put the clams in a jar in the tank and saw the angel go inside the jar to pick at the mantle.
He doesn't seem to like my blastomussa though or the softies in the tank.
Thanks for the input
ADR

 

[Joao Monteiro]

With large angels in general, it depends a lot on the "taste" of each individual.

However, usually as regards eating, they prefer meaty LPS (like open brains), Zooas and some softies (xenias, some sarcophyton,etc). They´re normally doomed.

Clams.... I´ve seen/heard or read everything: being ignored, nibbled, picked at or quickly eaten. If they´re not ignored, at the end of the day, the result is the same. They die.

Very stingy LPS like (sorry for the use of latin names) Euphyllias and Galaxea are not bothered; closed brains are normally also left alone.

SPS´s normally not eaten (but there are cases) but nibbled. Usually not a major issue.

Gorgonians are usually safe.

But..it depends a lot on the genera and on each individual. Very difficult to have a rule. Nevertheless, it gets worse as they become adults and chanhe their feeding habits

 

[SDguy]

Regals in particular are well known for their taste for zoa's, IME. Usually decimating, not just nibbling.

 

[adrmd]

what really irks me is that the guy I trust the most at my LFS made it seem to me that they were one of the only reef safe angels... and decimating really is a good word for what I am seeing. Its really ****ing me off.

 

[Joao Monteiro]

I think it may be safe to say that "the only reef-safe angels are the Genicanthus spp." but...

 

[wayne in norway]

There is colossal amounts of info on this fish on the internet, but I gues you've learnt the hard . Acros is a bit of a surprise, but watch those lps ...... fish candy!

 

[Cody Ray]

If it starts nibbling feed him more, I treat fish like children, when they start putting things that don't belong in their mouth I put food in it so they don't feel the need to put other things in there

 

[adrmd]

I thought that if I kept him well fed they would not be interested in the corals, but it did nothing but increase my nitrates,which was not good either. I can't win. I love this angel,but he is precluding me from fleshing out my reef. I like a challenge and do want to have it all,but I just wish I knew which coral they don't like. Apparently he doesn't pick on my blastos, so I'm having fun shopping these. I want to try a blueberry gorgonian and hope you guys can give me some other ideas!!!

 

[adrmd]

The genicanthus spp is a great idea,but certainly aren't as spectacular in color as the regal.