Problems with my purple tang

[kita_katan]

Ok all I have been battling ich for the past few weeks in my tank, well the purple tang is now in perfect shape, no ich or anything and its appetite is unbelievable right now. He is starting to pick at my waving plops and my mushrooms. I feed him three to four times a day and I have put romaine lettuce and red algae strips to supplement him but he is still starting to pick at them once he has gotten better from the ich. Is there anything that I am missing or anything else I can do? I just got some very nice ricorida mushrooms and he is picking them right off of the rock, not eating them but just kind of messing with them. He seems to hate anything new in his tank right now so I have no idea how to combat this issue. I thought they were reef safe but now I am not to sure. Any help would be great!

Thanks!

[jdmcivicek9]

most of the time tangs will "pick" at things but dont actually hurt them...i would just give it time he should be ok...also they are one of the more aggressive surgeon fish's.

[Jsin]

My purple tang went thru a period were she would pick at some soft corals as well. I saw her do this . One time I added a nice large feather duster and she pulled the worm right out of the casing a day or two after I added it to the tank. I wish I had an answer as to what to do about this . I can tell you that almost three years later I have the same purple tang and she has not messed with anything else since that period. I have had a few feather duster worms since and she doesn't even pay them any attention.

[joeychitwood]

There is not much you can do about fish behaviors like this. Your options are to keep it well fed and wait it out, or remove it from your tank and adopt it out to someone else.

Tangs are generally herbivores, so I doubt your Purple tang is going to eat the corals. As mentioned above, it will probably pick for a while, then stop.

[rc02116]

It is unusual to hear a Purple tang picking on corals. Are you sure he is not trying to pick off some algea around the corals? What do you feed him daily? If he just recovers, you may want to soak seaweed in Selcon/Zoecon with some garlic as that may entice him enough to stay away from the corals. Also try to feed him a few times a day with a variety of diet (mostly seaweed and homemade food if possible). Purple Tang is herbivore and should not eat any corals...Mine never shows any interests in corals. Good luck!