Are Emperor angels SPS safe?

[McCrary]

I was wondering if an emperor angel would be SPS safe. I would love to have one and have always been unable because of my mixed reef. But my new 110 will be all SPS, do you think I could keep an emperor angel in the tank? I would raise it from a juvenile, would this help it be reef safe?

 

[Kent E]

Mine ate polyps when it was small. It no longer does. But I feed the tank heavily.

 

[drtango]

I did what you're considering, got a juvi and let it mature.

As an adult, it ate most of my mushrooms (not ricordia), leaves SPS alone except for a rare nip if I haven't been feeding well.

It's a great fish, but be warned it eats allot---which, with a good skimmer, benefits the SPS IMO

Note in the pic below the GSP are untouched, as it the plate coral. I wish it would mow down some of the GSP..

 

[McCrary]

It is good to hear that they don't pick at SPS heavily. I have always wanted one, but have been unable to have one. Do you know if the certain areas have brighter colors? For example, are ones from the Malidvies/Sri Lanka brighter than ones from the indo pacific?

 

[scumonkey]

You want one from the Red Sea...They are Hardier

 

[McCrary]

I am not as concerned with hardiness as I am with coloration. If the Red Sea Emperor was pretty as well as hardy then it would be great, but I have not seen ones from that area for sale. Where could I get one?

 

[drtango]

I like mine, but have no clue where it came from, got it at the LFS after watching it eat for a couple of weeks.

I've read the Christmas Island Imperator is the most colorful, but you'll pay... Marine Center can generally get anything you want but it will cost...

http://www.marinecenter.com/results.asp?t=keyword&k=imperator&executesearch.x=12&executesearch.y=8