Angels in reef tanks?

[frickenfragger]

I am about to transfer a 20 gallon and 55 gallon into a 90 and am working on a stock list. This will be a mixed reef tank. I see a lot of people with reef tanks and angels in them. What is the chance these angels will start eating coral (I am more into coral then fish)?

 

[jubjub]

flames and potters are the safest by what i've read...i've never had problems with either of my flame angels.....read regals are so so

 

[frickenfragger]

that is what i've read as well, coarl beauty about the same. I just want to see how many people have issues and how many don't and then weigh the options.

 

[jc16]

i've got a goldflake and regal they both don't touch any of my lps/sps except for my acans but to me i think it is worth the sacrifice. really depends on if you want to take the chance, it s hit or miss. i have seen some people keep some of the most unsafe angels in a reef just fine

 

[Western_reefer]

I have 2 Dwarf Angelfish in my 180 gallon. I have a Flame Angelfish and a Bicolor Angelfish. The Flame is aggressive toward the Bicolor every now and then, but nothing serious at all. The Bicolor actually likes to hang out with the Flame, but the Flame doesn't like it so much. lol They both do nip here and there on corals, but no serious damage is done to the corals. Just be careful as they are 50/50 with corals.

 

[fishyheaven]

i have a multicolor that does not touch anything. also i had a bellus and he was pretty reef safe.

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

lamark and coral beauty here. They nip but don't eat.

 

[frickenfragger]

Thanks for the responses, I am still undecided as before.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

They seem to be mostly safe, even if they pick here and there its usually not a big deal. Check the excel file near the end of this thread (needs to be updated)

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1661153&perpage=25&pagenumber=4

 

[Nor_Cal_Guy]

HAD a coral beauty in my 75g reef, in one afternoons time he ate a 7" Candy Apple Green plating coral, in one day! Watch out! I do have a juv. emperor in my reef now with no prob.

 

[Gold Fish]

flames and potters are the safest by what i've read...i've never had problems with either of my flame angels.....read regals are so so

I used to have a flame angel as well in a tank with a bunch of coral. no problems at all.

 

[scarolina01]

I have a pygme angel in my reef tank and he doesn't nip at anything.

 

[lilalove]

I had a flame for 3 years with no problems. Then one day it just started picking on a brain coral I had for even longer than that. When I figured out it was the fish and moved the brain to the 'fuge....it was too late and died. The flame has since perished due to a velvet outbreak. Now I have a potter's. It was fine up until a week or so ago, it started picking on a favia. I moved the favia to the fuge. Hope it recovers. It also nips the clam's mantle every now and then, but that's it. It eats cyano, so I dunno how much of the nipping is the fish looking for algae or that it has a particular taste for LPS. Good luck!

 

[Chooch1]

I have had an Indo Pacific regal for over two years that has become very nippy. I can't add any LPS corals or clams. It's killed Lobos and Acans. It's OK with SPS but will nip SPS if it gets really hungry. I recently added a Dendrophyllia that the regal has been nipping to the point that the polyps aren't coming out. My previous Red Sea regal was not nearly as bothersome to corals. As long as you have some way to remove the fish it might be worth the risk, depending on the species of course.

 

[MrTuskfish]

IMO & IME; this is the classic "its the individual fish" question. You pays your money and you takes your chances. Having to remove the wrong one from a reef always influences my decision.

 

[frickenfragger]

Thanks for all the responses! Being as I will take a nice acan over a nice fish I think I am going to pass on the Angel. Thanks again for all the experiences shared.