Hippo Tang Ripping Apart Duncan?!

[jah-hoeva]

Any idea why my juvenile hippo would start ripping tentacles off my Duncan colony? Never seen this behavior before. She don't seem to eat them, just pulls them off and spits them out.

Im beyond pissed.

https://youtu.be/9_PBCydKdzg

 

[Chris A.]

Might look like food to it

 

[reefstarter]

hippo tangs will eat ZOAS and other soft or LPS corals from time to time

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Fish are individuals. I have a royal gramma who eats shrimp...

 

[jah-hoeva]

I was worried about the flame angel. Then tonight we watched the hippo just ripping tentacles and spitting them out. She did not even eat them. I wanted to feed her to my magnifica.

 

[this is me]

Hmm...From what I can see in the video, it doesn't seem the hippo tang is doing any damage to the duncan at all. If it constantly nipping, the duncan should be all closed up. I don't see any issue based on what I can see in the short video.

 

[Bao]

I don't see any serious nipping from that video. Maybe some food stick to the Duncan and the Tang just ate it?

 

[jah-hoeva]

She would not do it once I pulled out the phone. We watched her pull off 8 consecutive tips (small pieces) one after the other. Just would bite off a tiny piece, spit it out, and do it again. Could see the pieces floating around the tank. Never seen or heard of this behavior before.

It does not seem to mind that much. I think it closes up a lot more when my shrimp goes dumpster diving in it, but I'm not sure what to do short of pulling her.

I will keep a closer eye on her later and see if it continues. I will try to document it better.

 

[this is me]

If it does continue, it goes to show that no single specie of fish is truly reef safe. I've had a sailfin tang went after my acans before.

 

[freakit]

My hippo does this to Xenia sometimes. I think he does it to keep it away from growing too close to his sleeping space.


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[jah-hoeva]

My hippo does this to Xenia sometimes. I think he does it to keep it away from growing too close to his sleeping space.
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Maybe that is it. She sleeps in my purple stylo colony which is not far from this Duncan colony.