End of The Fish Stocking Road / Large Angels

[SMS76]

Matt, I think you'll be happy with the majestic. I love the activity, coloration and personality mine has.

I second that.

Maybe Shoeib can comment on the growth of his Majestic, as he's had his longer. I've had mine a couple months, and he doesn't appear to be growing quickly. Certainly nothing like the hippo I had a while ago. That one I could really see growing. This one seems to be a much slower grower.

Nate

My majestic is with me for i think few months now and i hardy see much growth (except he is much thicker now.. ). I think they are one of the smaller angelfish for their group. He is around 3-3.5" in length. I think they max out in our aquaria around 10-11". They are also not active swimmer and i think they should be fine in your 90 for atleast few years. I searched a lot on web before i got one. From what i read from different sites and members who kept them, they grow pretty slowly and they are very long lived in aquaria. They are pretty shy at first and they thrive in your tank if he is the boss in the tank.
I had powder blue which i got rid of it before i intorduce Majestic as i wanted to make sure that majestic will be the boss in the tank and he is. Still he darts in his cave every time it see any unusual movement by other fish or some body (other then me ...he knows i provide food to him ) approaches the tank. They are wimp for angels i guess.

If you keep SPS then you don't have to worry much about them. On RC many people have keep them successfully with SPS.

 

[Matt L.]

That's awesome information. From where did you acquire your Majestic? I would very much like to come by and see your Majestic, perhaps this weekend or the next?

Matt

 

[SMS76]

That's awesome information. From where did you acquire your Majestic? I would very much like to come by and see your Majestic, perhaps this weekend or the next?

Matt

I got it from Scott and Ray. It was part of group order. Let me know when you would like to come. I will PM you my phone number and directions.

 

[~Flighty~]

I very much agree with the problem with keeping some of these fish is aggression of tankmates. I can't tell you how many times when I was researching Copperbanded Butterflyfish I heard people say that they were impossible to keep healthy and alive, yet others had had success with them for years. The common denominator was tankmates. People with tangs or angels couldn't keep the CBB alive even after a long thorough acclimation. I've heard stories of CBBs doing fine for years, then getting reoccurring ick and dying. Often those people will say they coincidentally added an aggressive fish or had one grow large enough that it started picking on the CBB.

Reading between the lines it seems to be a similar issue with the regal. They sound very shy by all accounts. Good nutrition is another problem with them, but the commercially available angel foods are getting better and better.

I have seen a few really healthy specimens at the LFS. One was at Aqua Addicts that I am kicking myself for not buying. He was fat behind the head area and was bright, eating well and curious right after acclimation. I do agree that specimens with juvenile coloration are rarely seen in the US.


(copperband butterfly for anyone who searches for info in the future)

 

[Matt L.]

Anyway, I personally do not believe that regal angels are as difficult to feed as people would like to make it out to be. Given properly care and environment, regal angels should be able to thrive in captivity. By saying that I mean ample space, low competition/stress, and lots of live rocks to graze upon. ..

Its nice to hear such optimistic accounts and stories of what works and what doesn't instead of blacklisting the fish alltogether,

Matt

 

[Matt L.]

I got it from Scott and Ray. It was part of group order. Let me know when you would like to come. I will PM you my phone number and directions.

Scott and Ray???

Anyhow, I got your directions and phone number. Will you be around at 1:00PM on Sunday? I have to go up and help Greg move his tank. I would come back down to Somerville via Saugus,

Matt

 

[Matt L.]

....I can't tell you how many times when I was researching Copperbanded Butterflyfish I heard people say that they were impossible to keep healthy and alive, yet others had had success with them for years..... People with tangs or angels couldn't keep the CBB alive even after a long thorough acclimation.

That's an important factor for me too If I could keep it, I feel the Regal would be a better fit for the CBB and the peaceful nature of my tank, although accounts of Majestics bullying seem the minority (unlike Emperor's, Queens, etc.), especially when introduced on the younger side.

Still, my CBB is sufficiently bold enough that it ever so mildly bullies my flame angelfish and my two clowns, although the clowns are more suicidal when it comes to going for the food (the CBB is more likely to back off before a head on collision, which has occurred multiple times when the CBB and a clown charge for the same piece of food).

BTW, Cindy, what are you now feeding your CBB? My CBB is still on the new side, just passing the first month. I feed mainly selcon soaked frozen brine (Hikari), but would like to vary the diet more. It will also take Mysis, but spits out part.

Matt

P.S.: I like your lighting system, with the 6.5k bulbs. I thought I was the only one doing the 6.5k's plus a blue source (for me, a 20k bulb). The corals just seem to love the 6.5k so much more than the 10k's I had before.

 

[~Flighty~]

Mine mostly eats the center out of the large mysis. I figure it is spitting out the shell the same way we eat shrimp. I do mash up the mysis with selcon and cyclopseeze sometimes. I'm not sure how much extra nutrition that gives it, but it makes me feel better.

 

[Fingolfin]

Its nice to hear such optimistic accounts and stories of what works and what doesn't instead of blacklisting the fish alltogether,Matt

A professor of the tropical aquarium of the museum of Zoology in Nancy, France has documented the angel/butterly in captivity. According to his account, he has kept Regal angel in captivity for more than 16 years. He attributes his success to providing plenty space, good water quality, and catering to the individual dietary requirement.

As it is today, we as hobbyists have a lot more knowledge/resourcest better equipment than that french professor had 16-20 years ago. If he could do it, there's no excuse for us not to duplicate his success.

Wasn't just a decade or so ago most folks said it wasn't possible to keep SPS in captivity?

 

[Cliff Tishler]

Not sure if anoyone mentioned the December/Janiary issue of Coral Magazine? In it is an excellent article on pygmy angels and it discusses pygmys versus the larger angels.

Also, I just finished reading, "Butterfly and Angelfishes of the World" by Dr. Gerald Allen. Pretty good book on the subject and available from the BRS lending library. I recall that many Angels' (Queen/King Angel, et al) natural food in the wild are sponges, tunicates, hydroids and bryozoans (sp). of course they also eat algae. So, according to some people if you want real longevity with some of these Angels they need some of their natural diet.

In keeping with what Paula said above, the Genicanthus, are an interesting class of Angels. The smaller ones, I believe, are the Zebra Angel and the Masked Angel fish. Both max out at about 8 inches compared to 14-18" for many of the other species. These particular Angels are not as brilliant in their color but beautiful none the less. Also, I think there are hugh color differences between adult males and females. FWIW

 

[NateHanson]

I recall that many Angels' (Queen/King Angel, et al) natural food in the wild are sponges, tunicates, hydroids and bryozoans (sp). of course they also eat algae. So, according to some people if you want real longevity with some of these Angels they need some of their natural diet.

I agree. I think keeping these angels well fed, and including large angel formulations (with sponges) is important to keeping them healthy and happy. The majestic is not known to eat SPS, but for what it's worth, I slacked on my feeding regime a few weeks ago, and he started snacking on one staghorn. The habit never expanded beyond that particular colony, but needless to say, I'm more careful now about making sure he get's his mysis and sponges regularly!

Nate

 

[SMS76]

Scott and Ray???

Anyhow, I got your directions and phone number. Will you be around at 1:00PM on Sunday? I have to go up and help Greg move his tank. I would come back down to Somerville via Saugus,

Matt

That should be fine. Also not sure if Greg mention or not but he also has bigger Majestic.

 

[Fingolfin]

I'm more careful now about making sure he get's his mysis and sponges regularly! Nate

And most importantly, omega-3 fatty acid.

 

[NateHanson]

Matt, I got mine from Aqua Addicts. It was tanked for a week and eating very well. They get them very occasionally, as well as regal angels.

 

[Moe_K]

7 years ago I bought a 8" Chaetodontoplus Conspicilatus from Randy Walker of Marine Center. I spent $1,500 and got the words from Randy that Conspicilatus is generally difficult to feed in captivity, kind of like Regal angel. For the first 3 weeks it touched nothing I put into the tank. Then one day I decided to try clams(those whole clams with shell you buy from the seafood section in the Star Market), then it ate it. However it still didn't eat anything else. A month went by, I tried something different: soaked nori in the clam juice then fed the angel with the nori. It worked. After it got used to the nori, I started wrapping formula food in the nori(kind of like sushi) then tried it on the angel. It worked as well. 6 months later, it accepted anything I put into the tank. In retrospect, if the angel had had other more aggressive tankmates, it might not have made it at all. For the longest time it was the only fish in that 150 gal reef tank of mine. But I eventually lost it 3 years ago, due to my own ignorance.

Holy schmokes! I thought I'd never hear of anyone owning a conspiculous angel. Too bad it perished. Did you get any pics of it, by chance?

 

[Fingolfin]

Holy schmokes! I thought I'd never hear of anyone owning a conspiculous angel. Too bad it perished. Did you get any pics of it, by chance?

I only have film photos. It perished about 3 years ago before I got digital cameras. I actually gave 2 of the photos to 2 local fish stores, one to Chris of SeaWorld, Salem NH and the other one to Barry of Fintastic fish of Plainville.

My Conspicilatus angel wasn't reef safe. It consumed LPS with pleasure. It, however, touched neither SPS nor soft corals at all. I can confidently say that if had not been for my ignorance, my Conspicilatus angel would be still alive and kicking now. And that would make it 7+ years in captivity. Of course, it's a moot point.