bellus angel?

[Mr.A]

hi, i was at my lfs today and saw a female bellus angel. I was just wondering if this was okay to keep in my 50 gallon reef. i know they are planktivores, but not much else. thanks

edit- my brother and mom also saw a 6-line wrasse there and loved it. a lfs employee said they are realatively peaceful but i had the impression they were devils in a tank or am i thinking of a 4 line wrasse. i also have a scooter blenny and mandarin and i thought that the wrasse would probably eat all of their pods right? and suggestions on this fish?

 

[Mr.A]

BUMP, need to know about this fish so i can get it tomorrow at 15% off.

 

[flashyleopard]

IMO, the wrasse is a bad idea, both b/c it will eat the pods the mandarin needs and b/c they can get aggressive later on. I would say that the Genicanthus angels would be bit cramped, but if there were any to be chosen, I think the bellus is the smallest. They have a habit of changeing gender though, so what you see and like today, could be less colorful and different in a few months. Why not get a pygmy angel instead?

 

[dones20]

once established six lines can be pretty agressive towards any smaller fish introduced after he has settled in....

as for the bellus what size is it id say depending on the size of the fish, a 50 gallon is not ideal for a bellus b/c they are pretty active fish and require ample swiming space....

 

[Mr.A]

right, so i kinda knew that the wrasse was out but just wanted to make sure. I dont really want to go with a pygmy angel because i dont want to take the risk with my corals. Also with the bellus, if it gets too big then i can return it to my lfs probably. will ask them tomorrow but they have taken lots of fish i have grown out like a blue tang. i would say the bellus is around 2-3 in.

edit- if i can return the fish, do you think i should get it?

 

[flameangel88]

A 50g is too small for a bellus as they grow to about 6" and they tend to swim the entire tank.

 

[flameangel88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13214645#post13214645 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mr.A


edit- if i can return the fish, do you think i should get it?

IMO you're better off with a different fish that you can enjoy for the long term instead of worrying and having to return it unless you plan to upgrade down the road. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Mr.A]

what other fish would you recommend?

 

[flameangel88]

Other than Genicanthus most angels are prone to nip on corals. I've watanabe, bellus and swallowtail from last Dec to this Feb and they grow pretty fast. I'm not sure about their behavior with other folks but all mine are pretty active and swim the entire tank all day long.

For a 50g I would recommend a royal gramma, chalk bass, flame hawkfish or carpenter's flasher wrasse.

 

[Mr.A]

well, i got 2 little bangaii cardinalfish today that are at most an inch long.