Bandit Angelfish Care
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Bandits
Bandits
Cooler water, my tanks run mid 60's to low 70's
Get a small one, less than 4 inches unless you see it eating.
Tank size does not mater, but bigger is better.
Food-anything they will eat at first. I feed flake mostly and some frozen brine.
The tank mates are butterfly's and tangs of similar size.
Obtain a 3 inch one in 8/2005 and a 7/8 inch (would not recommend that small) one 6/2008. The smaller one grew to 3 inches in 1 year and both were only fish in a 29g tank for the first year. Both are now at least 4+ inch and are in the same 55 g tank ( I need to move the fish to a bigger tank) with a vortec for high flow. I had a 3 inch one for a year that jump out going after food late one night and I was too tired to notice, thougt the fish was behind the rock, so make sure you have a closed tank....check out AqauaTouch.com if you want one that eats.......
Bandits
Cooler water, my tanks run mid 60's to low 70's
Get a small one, less than 4 inches unless you see it eating.
Tank size does not mater, but bigger is better.
Food-anything they will eat at first. I feed flake mostly and some frozen brine.
The tank mates are butterfly's and tangs of similar size.
Obtain a 3 inch one in 8/2005 and a 7/8 inch (would not recommend that small) one 6/2008. The smaller one grew to 3 inches in 1 year and both were only fish in a 29g tank for the first year. Both are now at least 4+ inch and are in the same 55 g tank ( I need to move the fish to a bigger tank) with a vortec for high flow. I had a 3 inch one for a year that jump out going after food late one night and I was too tired to notice, thougt the fish was behind the rock, so make sure you have a closed tank....check out AqauaTouch.com if you want one that eats.......
philter4
New member
I have kept one for several years and I agree with everything John says. I do not heat my aquarium and in the summer The tank gets into the 80's and I have not had any problems. I try to go to HI and dive with some collector friends at least once a year, the water temps there are in the 70's year round so a tank kept in the low to mid 70's should be perfect.
nonstopfishies
Member
At what depth are the temps constant in the mid 70's? These fish are deepwater species and very rarely are above 150 feet below the surface. So while you may have been diving in 70's water, the temps down there would be colder. I would say it's risky keeping them at the temps you do.
philter4
New member
Maybe mid 70's is a little misleading, and you are correct in the fact that the temps are cooler deeper but most of these guys are collected shallow as far as the depth for the species is concerned. Where I dive the depths are between 100 and 200 ft, we occasionally go to 225 or so, but I got temp readings from the mid to upper 60's up to 76 degrees on the last dive trip depending on where we are, on walls where the water is coming up from the deeper reef to the surface it is a little cooler. I only dive in HI for a month at a time but I have been there at all different times of the year including winter.
We normally dive the first dives deep, on the last trip we went to collect deep water anthias and crosshatch triggers but I didn't see a bandit angel that day. Fish between 3 and 5 inches are fairly common at a spot where I dive at around 125 ft, I see some on almost every trip to that area and I have brought several back with me. The one I have now has grown to about 6 1/2 inches and is in a friends tank because an illness keeps me from keeping up with a big tank, but he does not heat the tanks either. Here is a couple of photos of the deeper water fish that were collected on the trip I took in 2009, because of this illness I did not go in 2010 but I be there for most of month of November this year.
This guy (I think, it may be the wrong photo because that was 2 years ago) was caught in 73 ft of water on the 3rd dive one day and while that is not a common depth for them I have also seen them in 50 ft at the eastern end of the island.
The holding facility where I keep my fish is open to the air on 2 sides with big screened in walls and they do fine there as well, there are no chillers on the tanks and while I realize that they are not there for a long period of time lots of aquarists keep them in the 70's with no issues. I don't recommend keeping them in the 80's but I love deep water fish and everything I have I have collected myself. While diving in FL I collect banks butterfly, pygmy angels, several species of basslets, swallowtailed jawfish and deepwater wrasse like the lightning wrasses and I found that when the fish are healthy they are extremely adaptable where temps are concerned. I have been in the water where thermals have changed the temps by more then 15 degrees in about a second and the fish do not even change habits while it passes, after it goes by, which can be from a few minutes to not changing back by the end of the dive, they again do not even notice as far as I can see by their actions. Again, I am not recommending that it be done, just that in my case I find them far more adaptable then is believed and I have lots of different species for long time periods as examples of this.
michael_cb_125
New member
I have had a pair of small Bandits for over a year now and they are doing great. Here is a little background info on the fish and my system:
Tank-90 gallons
Water Temp- 65-72 depending on the time of year.
Lighting- Subdued LED
Feeding: Mysis, Scallop, NLS Pellets (their fav!)
I obtained both of my fish as juveniles one was 2" and the other a hair smaller. They both ate upon acclimation and have been growing steadily over the last year.
~Michael
Tank-90 gallons
Water Temp- 65-72 depending on the time of year.
Lighting- Subdued LED
Feeding: Mysis, Scallop, NLS Pellets (their fav!)
I obtained both of my fish as juveniles one was 2" and the other a hair smaller. They both ate upon acclimation and have been growing steadily over the last year.
~Michael
nonstopfishies
Member
Maybe mid 70's is a little misleading, and you are correct in the fact that the temps are cooler deeper but most of these guys are collected shallow as far as the depth for the species is concerned. Where I dive the depths are between 100 and 200 ft, we occasionally go to 225 or so, but I got temp readings from the mid to upper 60's up to 76 degrees on the last dive trip depending on where we are, on walls where the water is coming up from the deeper reef to the surface it is a little cooler. I only dive in HI for a month at a time but I have been there at all different times of the year including winter.
We normally dive the first dives deep, on the last trip we went to collect deep water anthias and crosshatch triggers but I didn't see a bandit angel that day. Fish between 3 and 5 inches are fairly common at a spot where I dive at around 125 ft, I see some on almost every trip to that area and I have brought several back with me. The one I have now has grown to about 6 1/2 inches and is in a friends tank because an illness keeps me from keeping up with a big tank, but he does not heat the tanks either. Here is a couple of photos of the deeper water fish that were collected on the trip I took in 2009, because of this illness I did not go in 2010 but I be there for most of month of November this year.
This guy (I think, it may be the wrong photo because that was 2 years ago) was caught in 73 ft of water on the 3rd dive one day and while that is not a common depth for them I have also seen them in 50 ft at the eastern end of the island.
The holding facility where I keep my fish is open to the air on 2 sides with big screened in walls and they do fine there as well, there are no chillers on the tanks and while I realize that they are not there for a long period of time lots of aquarists keep them in the 70's with no issues. I don't recommend keeping them in the 80's but I love deep water fish and everything I have I have collected myself. While diving in FL I collect banks butterfly, pygmy angels, several species of basslets, swallowtailed jawfish and deepwater wrasse like the lightning wrasses and I found that when the fish are healthy they are extremely adaptable where temps are concerned. I have been in the water where thermals have changed the temps by more then 15 degrees in about a second and the fish do not even change habits while it passes, after it goes by, which can be from a few minutes to not changing back by the end of the dive, they again do not even notice as far as I can see by their actions. Again, I am not recommending that it be done, just that in my case I find them far more adaptable then is believed and I have lots of different species for long time periods as examples of this.
Great info. Definitely something I am interested in doing. I assume you are going through a business there that is allowed to collect and send them back home? Nice pics too!
nonstopfishies
Member
That makes more sense I suppose. Ya, probably don't want you taking their business.
philter4
New member
I do dive with a friend who has a business sometimes, but I also have my own license to collect in HI and there are no rules as to bringing legal fish back, you can buy fish while there and bring them back or with an aquarium collectors license catch your own.
you don't need a license to take anything, unless you are commercially collecting. The license just allows use to use smaller sized cross nets. I think the legal size is 1 inch, anything smaller you need the license.
the only other rule is only 5 gallons of dry beach rock above the tide line and sand per person per day.
great info everyone, I really enjoyed those pics as well
the only other rule is only 5 gallons of dry beach rock above the tide line and sand per person per day.
great info everyone, I really enjoyed those pics as well
philter4
New member
You do need a permit to collect any aquarium fish, the only difference between recreational and commercial is the number of animals you can collect and if you are commercial you have to report your catch. Here is regulation number 7 from the licensing website copied and pasted from this link:you don't need a license to take anything, unless you are commercially collecting. The license just allows use to use smaller sized cross nets. I think the legal size is 1 inch, anything smaller you need the license.
the only other rule is only 5 gallons of dry beach rock above the tide line and sand per person per day.
great info everyone, I really enjoyed those pics as well
hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/licenses_permits.html
.
7) Aquarium Permit - required for any person to use fine mesh net for collecting aquatic life for an aquarium. Report required if commercial. No fee. HRS 188-31. Available online or from DAR offices.
There are also size and bag limits, as far as I know for a recreational license allows for only 5 animals per day and I don't know if there is a multi day limit as well, for instance in FL there is a 20 per day limit of any aquarium animal (fish or invert in total) and you are only allowed a 2 day limit on what you have in your possession at any one time, so if you are collecting for your home aquarium and you are staying for a week, you can still only have 40 individual specimens at any one time. That means if you have 30 fish at your hotel and you collect 11 more you have just broken the law. I am not sure what HI multi day limit is or even if they have one.
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nonstopfishies
Member
Thanks for the info.
