Training a reef-safe coral beauty?

[foshizzle]

I bought a 3" Tongan coral beauty 3 weeks ago that I hope to add to my SPS reef. He swims around constantly picking at the glass in the 30g quarantine tank. He seems to be maintaining weight though there isn't much to eat in there

Any tips on training these guys to eat prepared food rather than coral? Any indicators on whether or not I should risk putting him in the main tank?

I have been feeding red and green Seaweed Selects on a lettuce clip. It usually disappears after a day or two, but I have never actually seen him eat it?

 

[boilermaker1]

Mine tends to nibble at the glass, the power heads and the rocks, but with the exception of the occasional peck at a zoanthid, leaves the corals alone.
I put seaweed on a clip, and see it pick at it, they like to just pull at it in little bits and tear it off.
In addition, it eats anything I throw in there. Brine shrimp, F1 and F2 pellets, frozen brine shrimp, frozen F2, cyclopeeze.... Maybe I just keep it fed well enough that it leaves stuff alone.

 

[ACBlinky]

They don't typically bother SPS corals, it's the fleshy LPS and some softies like Xenia that they're known for eating. If your CB isn't taking any prepared foods, I'd give him some seaweed on a clip and see if he likes that. Mine LOVES two little fishies sea veggies (green). There are products like garlic and SeaChem's 'Entice' you could try on frozen or pelleted foods to encourage him to try those as well.
FWIW I don't think there's any way to 'train' an angel to leave corals alone once they develop a taste.

 

[foshizzle]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7432804#post7432804 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ACBlinky
FWIW I don't think there's any way to 'train' an angel to leave corals alone once they develop a taste.

yeah, I use "train" lightly. I'm just hoping to get him used to eating prepared stuff so he won't move on to corals.

So dwarf angels are mostly SPS safe?

 

[RichConley]

throw him in your fuge. He'll survive plenty long enough there while yo9u get him eating. That way hes also not looking for food with nothing but your corals around

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I don't believe you can "train" any Angelfish. They'll sample whatever they want to sample.
Keeping the fish well fed and in a large aquarium will help disperse any coral nipping.
You must decide whether or not to risk whatever invertebrates are in the aquarium to your Angelfish.
FWIW Coral Beauties are among the most reef aquarium compatible Angelfish. If it starts to destroy a coral or clam simply remove the victim... quickly.