Angelfish in SPS dominated tank...?

[Acrotrdco]

We all know angelfish aren't really reef-safe, but recently there're more and more hobbyists from our local reef club adding angelfish to their SPS tanks, from flame angelfish to juvenile emperor, juvenile semicircle and now even adult emperor angelfish.

Most of these angelfish are first quarantined and fed with pellets for 1-2 weeks until they readily accept pellet food prior to introducing them into the tank, but there's still no guarantee they won't nip on corals.

Their theory of adding angelfish to SPS tank is that, the challenge of keeping SPS is diminishing as newer technology becomes available, and angelfish are simply some of the best looking fishes that one could add to a RT.

More over, SPS are now growing relatively fast in our RT, and as long as they are healthy it won't bother them a lot even if the angelfish nip on them occasionally.

What would you think? Is this some sort of taboo that these folks are venturing into or you think it's actually a good idea?

 

[n0rk]

I think it's good encouragement to keep on top of husbandry and keep livestock happy and healthy (corals and fish)... besides, as you said, they're some of the nicest looking fish in the sea so a nip here or there isn't going to end the world...

 

[gasman059]

Have you been living under a rock?

J/k its been going on for a while in this hobby.

No real issue as long as your tank is kept fed and healthy.Tons of threads regarding this.

 

[3.99AfterTaxes]

I'd like to add that it's a bit of a hit and a miss with any of the reef fishes that have "personality" (tangs, triggers, angels, etc). Sometimes you get angels that are model citizens, sometimes you get one that just won't leave your prized corals alone despite all your efforts.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

I have had the same flame angel since 2008 and I have always kept it with acros. It is currently in my 100g propagation system with mostly sps corals. I have never seen it nip at any corals. However, my foxface eats short skirt zoanthids and my blue hippo tang picks at wellsophyllias and trachyphyllias.

 

[JG1]

Be prepared to lose a lot of polyp extension if you put angels in your tank

 

[wdt2000]

I have had an emperor in my SPS tank for a while now with no problems. I wanted it to clean up some soft corals, but no luck.

 

[RealReef7]

Be prepared to lose a lot of polyp extension if you put angels in your tank

i would never put an angel in a sps tank, after my blue girdled angel. I think there are a plenty of other good looking sps safe fish out there.

 

[richierich2000]

what about a rusty or potters angel?

 

[HerbieK]

I have a bunch of angels in my 180 SPS reef. I have a Regal, which is the most well behaved of my angels. My Flame angel and Lemon Peel are pickers, but they nip here and there and usually just get some slime off of the corals and nothing more. Need less to say, I don't have much PE, but that is the price you pay for angels.

BTW, I have a Hippo tang that likes to pick on my blue/green tenius, and a Powder Brown (aka Gold Rim) tang that nips at the tips of frags on my rack. Also had a powder blue that did the same thing.

I have a large pink tail trigger that is mostly a model citizen that leaves my corals alone and never picks on anything.

It is really hit or miss with each individual animal. Like I said, I have a well behaved angel and trigger, and a couple of coral picking tangs (they ain't supposed to do that!).

Well, that's my story, and I'm stickin' with it.

Herb

 

[rholguin]

Imo angels just have so much personality. To me they are just some of the most appealing fish there is. I have a sps dominated tank along with clams. I currently have a pair of flamebacks, a pair of porters, a pair of multi bars, and will soon have a blueline and to top it off a devlicis butterfly. Aggression is very, very minimal. As far as nipping its also extremely minimal and no harm is caused to the corals. I do feed on the heavy side as I think full stomachs will keep them from nipping more frequently.