Flame angel nipping zoas

[fiji4118]

Hey all. So grabbed some sweet CARs from Aquatic Art on Friday. Dropped them in my frag rack and my stupid flame decides they look like nipping. OUTSTANDING. I have 20 different types of zoas and he doesn't touch any of them but these look good. Took them out and gave them a quick RX dip and then mounted them in the tank away from the rack. Angel hasn't touched them since. Think they will reopen? Been 2 days and they are all still closed up. Hate to have a 6 head frag melt away.

Thanks!

 

[djkms]

Not to state the obvious but if you are afraid of losing the CARS why would you put them back in your tank when you witnessed your flame angel nipping at them?

 

[fiji4118]

Great obvious question Kris. I hoped that by moving them he would leave them alone. Doesn't bother any others so had my fingers crossed. Can't believe he is zoa specific. And so far no nipping

 

[djkms]

lol, sorry, not trying to be a jerk. Its been one of those days. Angels are sneaky. Just because you have not witnessed it again doesn't mean its not happening. IME once a fish gets a taste of corals they will continue to nip. GL

 

[fiji4118]

Didn't take it that way at all. It is a good question. I just figure that if I have 20 different colonies why would it be specific to the CARs? Seems unlikely. IF they don't open up then I'll have to give them to a friend to see if they open in their tank vs mine. My other is a fowlr and I am sure that those fish would love to feast on some zoas. But back to the real questions, ASSUMING that the angel is not nipping them how long should I wait for them to come back out before I dronp them in another tank? Don't wnat to stick them in my sump, don't think the compacts will be good enough

 

[sinister]

CARs seem to close very slowly, and open even slower. I had a ****ed off CAR, and it took 6 days to open back up... but he did!

 

[djkms]

Most the nippers I have dealt with tend to target certain colonies while leaving others alone. If it were me and they didn't open up within 24 hours I would probably take them to another tank. Like sinister said though, some zoas can take a few days to open but in your situation you did witness nipping.

 

[fiji4118]

Good calls All around. I'll see what they do and then move them if they don't open soon.

 

[Haulin Oates]

I think my coral beauty is the one who's been eating my alpha omegas... Same story... All other colonies are fine, but anytime I add alphas, boom, gone in a day or 2...

 

[fiji4118]

I think my coral beauty is the one who's been eating my alpha omegas... Same story... All other colonies are fine, but anytime I add alphas, boom, gone in a day or 2...

Is your cb eating them down to nothing or do they just stay closed until they melt?

 

[Haulin Oates]

1st attempt they disappeared overnight... I had a Koran, and a questionable star fish... Both of those left and second try they closed after day one and stayed closed for 3 days, until I came home late and found an emerald choking down on them. Emeralds gone #3 lasted 2 days on the frag rack, then when I placed them in their spot they closed up and lasted about 3 days until they melted away... That's when I saw the cb hovering around them.

 

[fiji4118]

Interesting. Mine still look ok, just closed.

 

[sinister]

I'm not far from you. (actually very close ) If you need to hide the zoas for a little bit to see if they open up again, only the hermit crab comes near my CAR.