do you think you can turn a non reef safe fish into a reef safe fish?

[jenreef]

do you think you can turn a non reef safe fish into a reef safe fish by feeding it multiple times a day. i heard if you feed a non reef safe fish well it will not pick at your corals. do you think this theory is true?

[jdareef]

You will never be able to take away the fish's natural instinct to feed on it's natural prey (coral in this instance), but some people get away with keeping non-reef safe fish (a good example is angelfish) in a reef tank by suppressing their appetite with multiple feedings a day. But most of the time they are just keeping the fish from completely wiping out their colonies and instead just taking a few nips every so often, so little that it goes relatively unnoticed. But, just because other reefers get away with things like that doesn't guarantee a newly introduced, say, angelfish won't decimate your entire zoa colony overnight even though you already gave him a heavy feeding earlier that day.
Joseph

[M3Shark]

I second jdareef. With a big strong NO. You will never be able to fully take away a fishes appetite for whatever it is that makes them non-reef safe. Their natural instincts to eat their natural food will always be present.

[mike_cmu04]

No it will go to eating things in your reef tank that it will in the wild there is no changing.

[jenreef]

the non reef safe fish i am wondering about are:
dwarf angelfish- flame angel, potters angel
butterfly fish- copperband butterflyfish, moorish idol

i don't mind a little picking here and there at the corals. but i wouldn't like a fish to destroy the hole coral or make a coral so mad that it dies

[jdareef]

I have always stayed away from any type of angel in a reef tank. Better safe then sorry is what I think. If you can find a copperband that is EATING, and you feel that you can tend to it's every finicky need, then I'd say give it a whirl. I have kept them successfully with no problems, but again, that doesn't mean that they won't nip at polyps. I've never had the guts to try a moorish idol.
Joseph

[Shaun Mars]

I guess I got lucky with my singapore angel fish. it doesnt even look at the corals (unless this type is usually reef safe?)

[gildorph]

Don't forget to include fish to fish differences, even of the exact same species, which also add to the unpredictability of what will happen in your tank. So be weary on relying too heavily on the success of others with a particular species, especially when those reviews are mixed (like they generally are with the 2 fish you asked about).

I have 2 dwarf angels (flame/CB) in a mixed reef 180 without any real problems. I see them nip occasionally but they seem to nip everything out of natural curiosity. Some may find that alone unacceptable but it works in my tank. I feed my tank frozen food once daily and also feed algae once daily.

HTH

[jdareef]

Don't forget to include fish to fish differences, even of the exact same species, which also add to the unpredictability of what will happen in your tank. So be weary on relying too heavily on the success of others with a particular species, especially when those reviews are mixed (like they generally are with the 2 fish you asked about).

I have 2 dwarf angels (flame/CB) in a mixed reef 180 without any real problems. I see them nip occasionally but they seem to nip everything out of natural curiosity. Some may find that alone unacceptable but it works in my tank. I feed my tank frozen food once daily and also feed algae once daily.

HTH

+1 forgot to mention that. Very true statement.
Joseph

[jthomas]

I feel my copper buterfly is more reef safe than some of my tangs, but I think i'm very lucky

[NYCBOB]

flame and coral beauty r reef safe for the most part. i hv one od each in my two reef tanks. it has never touched any corals, whether it was sps, lps or softies.