Heniochus diphreutes Issue

[rstrann]

Mmmk. After having waited for quite some time for a juvenile hennie for my 120 gallon sps tank, I finally got one two days ago. Little guy is only a couple inches from nose to tail, and just a few inches tall. Eats voraciously. Was even eating frozen mysis in the acclimation tub before going into the display. As far as fish, I've only got a 4 inch hippo, a linneatus flasher wrasse, and a pair of horny ruby red dragonettes that constantly court. So day 1 with the hennie -no problems. Day 2 - nothing but problems. This guy has been gobbling up stylophora polyps like pez. Has also harassed my flasher wrasse, nipped at my clathrata, microlados, and nana, and even went dead after my freaking hermit crabs today. "Reef safe butterfly," my foot! Before anyone asks, yes, this is definitely a diphreutes and not acuminata, there's no question. I know every fish is an individual... However, my question IS whether anyone out there that's worked with this species before had the same experience in the beginning, and did it ever let up? Polyp extension is zero in my tank right now, and I'm so close to snatching him out of there...but if there's a chance it'll let up, I don't wanna pull the trigger prematurely. Thoughts? Give this guy a week or two, or yank him out asap?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Once a fish starts nipping it rarely gets better. Get it out.

 

[rstrann]

Welp...darn lol. I got him out tonight after the lights went out. He was infatuated with shredding my purple stylo, which I was starting to talk myself into being ok with... BUT, he just would not let up on some millies and a Miami orchid this afternoon, so yeah he's gotta go. Thank you for the input, eatbreakfast! Sometimes ya just gotta hear it from someone else to know it's right lol. Such a shame, too...I was really excited about trying one of these out.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Usually they are reef safe, but I guess your specimen didn't check the forums before he satarted eating corals.

 

[B-ridge]

That's what I read also. I was contemplating on buying 3.

 

[Areseebee]

Usually they are reef safe, but I guess your specimen didn't check the forums before he satarted eating corals.

Nothing worse than an uninformed fish.

 

[rstrann]

Just an update on him for posterity sake, I put him in an LPS dominant tank for the past few days. So far, no nipping. Strangely enough, he's not even nipping at the stylo in this tank. Wondering if my valentini taught him a lesson on how to nip without being caught lol. Kinda like prison being college for criminals