Gold Blue Benny vs Millipora

[yikai]

Depends on location and fish density and SPS as well.

Obligate feeding butterflies don't eat all SPS indiscriminately but peck on specific types. Milliepora are not so much targeted at.

If you notice acropora colonies, especially tabling acros, their polyps are usually kept. Except for deeper within the colonies where fishes cannot reach. Acropora are food and shelter for juvenile and adult butterflies and almost always swarming with fishes.

[tench1]

Thanks to both experts, we now have better understand of the relationship between SPS and various fishes.

Is there any websites or material that shows the relationship between various butterfly fishes and their unqiue taste of sps?

[yikai]

There are many websites and books that will give a full list of butterflies that are obligate coral eaters. That means they eat nothing but corals. And usually SPS. With time and experience researching, you'll know which species to avoid.

Fishbase is a good place to start. It gives a full list of all species and the will list the SPS eaters

[cedricang]

One more observation : most pigmy angels are usually 'SPS safe' on one condition - that water quality are at acceptable quality such that SPS are not stress or when RTN or STN occurs.

I have been keeping bi-colour, flame, multicolour, coral beauty, flame back, golden etc with no issues with SPS at all. The only time where they start showing interest is where a particular SPS's health is deteriorating, and when STN or RTN occurs, these angels may turn on SPS and start nipping on the SPS tissue (which apparently is a food source to them ).

Hence i believe that when SPS is healthy, the chemical slime serve as a protective coat to ward of most fishes (and most angels) but when the coating is loss, leaving the tissue that's where all hell break loose.

Note : However I have an exceptional experience with Ebli's angel which start to attack most of my SPS the moment it was introduced in the tank., even though the corals are healthy and no other fish is interested in SPS. But I cant conclude on that incident if Ebli is one of the exceptional angel that is definitely 'non SPS safe' ( because i would never get another Ebli in my life time )

[yikai]

cedric EXCELLENT observation.

corals become a beacon for angels and butterflies when they are injured and dying. in the wild most corals are left alone unless dying.

excellent 2nd observation.

the whole family of dwarf angels can be split up into two major groups.

group centropyge and group xiphypops.

all members from group "centropyge" are not reef safe and will eat corals. eibli, lemonpeel etc all belong to this group and they are very picky and nippy.

group xiphypops are reef safe and have adapted to eating a wider variety of food, mostly algae.

each group will have it's own members inside and knowing this will help you choose reef safe dwarf angels!

[cedricang]

Lemon, you are the man.

My observation is a painful lesson of over 8 years (slow learner) , you have helped to wrap it up with a cool few sentences

Well, seems like the "mystery" or misconception of whether angels are 'reef safe' is now clearer than before.

I have now learn something new from Lemon - group centropyge (non reef safe) and group xiphypops (reef safe) ...woohoo

damm i still dunno how to pronounce those two scientific names haha

[yellowtang]

Lemon, you are the man.

My observation is a painful lesson of over 8 years (slow learner) , you have helped to wrap it up with a cool few sentences

Well, seems like the "mystery" or misconception of whether angels are 'reef safe' is now clearer than before.

I have now learn something new from Lemon - group centropyge (non reef safe) and group xiphypops (reef safe) ...woohoo

damm i still dunno how to pronounce those two scientific names haha

I prefer a litmus test. My newly bought angels ( if i do ), will be put in Dr Ced's sps tank for a month to determine whether they are angels or devils in disguise. Thanks in advance , Ced.

mike

[cedricang]

I prefer a litmus test. My newly bought angels ( if i do ), will be put in Dr Ced's sps tank for a month to determine whether they are angels or devils in disguise. Thanks in advance , Ced.

mike

No problem Mike, for you i will do it