Tangs eating brains

[Darbex]

I had a Blue Hippo tang that I got rid of because it killed one of my brain and started on another one. Well this weekend my new Powder Blue began attacking my brain corals so I thought I had better get him out or remove the brains. So I put my fish trap in to get them used to it in the tank. Anyone that knows me knows I feed a lot of food in the tank so I couldnt figure out why with all of that food he would be hungry enough to attack them. Was it out of boredom or was it because the slime was a delicacy to him. I feed nori sheets as well but I never saw him eat any. Well I got the idea that maybe he isnt eating it because there are 4 other tangs in the tank and they mess with him. So I decided well lets put two sheets in on opposite ends and see if that is the problem. So yesterday I did that in the morning. When I got home last night my brain corals were open and all of the nori was gone. I watched him last night to see if he would attack the brains, but at no time did he even go near it. I dropped in one sheet of nori so they had something to graze on overnight. What I saw may have proven what I was thinking. The powder was not eating the nori primarily because he was being chased off. As I watched he would go near it and then dart off as my largest yellow tang chased him this happened a few times. Then he finally got a bite to eat when the yellow was in another part of the tank. But he took off when he was spoked by the baby yellow, he appeared to realize that it was the baby and went back for more and got a bite off before the large yellow came back in which it chased him away. I will continue to feed to separate sheets of nori and update to verify that this is in fact the solution to a nibbling powder.

[johnnymisty]

I hope that solves it that powder blue is a beautiful fish

[myjohnson]

Told you it was b/c of the food!

lol, good idea on two nori sheets. I would have given up and took out the brains.

[sunkenmetal]

zombie fish

[rage]

Sounds like my sailfin tang.
He would guard both sheets of nori at opposite ends of the tank.
When you don't see him in the video, he is busy rushing to the other end of the tank to guard the other sheet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFfZNtNxps

[Darbex]

Took the brain out of QT last night which was just a fish trap since it was opening back up again. Well this morning he started at it again he would eat some nori and then turn around and go after the brain. I put it back in the fish trap so I got to decide whether to keep the brain or the powder.

[johnnymisty]

That powder blue is saweet is keep that over the brain imo

[Darbex]

Yeah but my only concern about that is what if the powder goes after my acans or chalices after all the brains are gone. Is it better to remove him now and save myself the hassle later or roll the dice and hope he only like brains.

[johnnymisty]

Id leave the brain in quarentine for a week or so and see if he goes after the acans I'd grill him if touches the chalice though

[rage]

Yeah but my only concern about that is what if the powder goes after my acans or chalices after all the brains are gone. Is it better to remove him now and save myself the hassle later or roll the dice and hope he only like brains.

You want to trade for a sailfin tang? It does not touch any corals at all.

[Darbex]

Did some research and I read that almost all tangs are capable of going rouge on some LPS the meatier the better and the less sting too. What I have read is that if a tang happens to eat the "feces" of an LPS or when its excess sliming because of damage that is when they find out that its tasty and will begin to munch on it. Though its not 100% that they will but its increases the likelihood. They can also learn this habit if a fish is introduced into a tank that has the habit of doing it already. After reading this I know precisely when the powder went roguy. The brain coral in trouble had a coral fall on it a few weeks ago. When I moved the coral off of it it secreted some excess slime probably to protect itself. Well right at that moment the powder came around and ate some of it that floated off. Ever since then he has been nipping at that brain and primarily only that one the other brains have been open the entire time even after I have removed that brain from his reach.

[Darbex]

You want to trade for a sailfin tang? It does not touch any corals at all.

No thanks not a big fan of them.

[CRUSHER]

sell the brain and put in a fake one

[Totenkampf]

fake! nooooooooooo! lol

[reefling]

How about a fake tang? I still say grill him. Lol I like my Lps more than my fish.