blue face angel thread

[onereefnotenuf]

I purchased a 4"blue faced angel last night. I put it in a 55 gallon tank that has 65 lbs of live rock 50 lbs of live sand, a 40 gal long sump with a seaclone 100 skimmer and an emporer 400 filter. the return pump from the sump is a rio 2500. and the only other inhabitant is a bi- color blennie. this tank has been set up for 2 1/2 months. I know they are finicky eaters but this fish ate a little last night. the problem is i mixed formula one, formula two, marine cuisine, hikari brine shrimp and frozen krill before i introduced it into the tank so i am not sure what he ate.

does anyone have any suggestions or tips on keeping this fish?
i know a 55 isn't going to be big enough when the fish gets 8-9 inches, but i will put it in my 125 reef then(after i remove some of the most vulnerable corals).
thanks
mike

 

[hdtvguy]

Try fresh clams or mussels from you grocery store. He should go after that.

 

[Rogger Castells]

Mine eats everything but he likes to pick on the veggies that i place on a clip for the tangs

 

[zfunk007]

We just got one into my store a few days ago and he eats spectrum pellets along with just about every other "Formula" food we have.

 

[hlama]

get some gracilaria. its great for their health and they love it. its like $3.50 a handful at the LFS here.

 

[Sloppy Joe]

Just an idea. Give him a few days to adjust to his surroundings and work up an appetite. I would not start throwing all kinds of food at him as you could foul the water and add another stressor to an already delicate fish. I am know guru on angels but I have a lot of experience keeping Majestics (Navarcus). First thing I would go for is mysis shrimp soaked in garlic. Shut off your any intakes to give him a chance to feed without competing with a filter. Go for live brine after that and the soak bio pure angel formula in garlic and he should take off from there. GOOD LUCK!

 

[onereefnotenuf]

blue face

blue face

tonight i fed him marine cuisine only. He tore it up. Ironically the first fish listed on the package as a reccomended "consumer" is (you guessed it) blue faced angel. my only concern about this food is that it doesn't seem to have any sponge in it. I have a small sponge growing in my reef tank that i can move over, but i don't want to go overboard if he is eating well now.I know from my first post it sounded like i fed him a bucket full of food but, i mix all that up for my reef tank and just gave him a small amount of what was left.
i am trying to post a picture which i think i will have handled by tomorrow.
thanks for all the input. If someone has some pictures i would love to see them.
thanks,
mike

 

[danfishman]

They are the best fish, I just love mine. I have never seen a juvenile refuse food and are very hardy. I have had mine for awhile (1.5-2 years) and have seen his transformation from juv to adult. Here are some pics;

Juv. Pic

And about 5 months ago,
Head on

Side On

Old Full Tank Shot

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

Beautiful tank and fish Dan, that blueface is awesome.

 

[dvmsn]

I had one several months ago. He ate everything and was healthy as a ox. Unfortunately, he also ate sps and clams. The prettiest fish I have ever kept. I tried to talk my wife into settting up a fowlr just so I could keep this guy. She said no.

 

[hlama]

I had one several months ago. He ate everything and was healthy as a ox. Unfortunately, he also ate sps and clams. The prettiest fish I have ever kept. I tried to talk my wife into settting up a fowlr just so I could keep this guy. She said no.

aahhh, man. ok my advice dont ask. next time tell her. say honey most guys have dogs i want this fish. besides we can use the extra tank. we can get some of those fish you wanted before now. and we bonded honey, taking him back would be like throwing out a piece of my heart. i promise i will clean up after him and this guy hardly ever barks. it wont be that much money we dont need the special lighting or anything. hehehe.

 

[dvmsn]

I told her I would add a boxfish. No go.

 

[Sicklid]

I would just do it, and then tell her. My Blueface loves Spectrum and Formula 1 pellets. I also feed him krill and mysis. He is a bully, but he is the king of the tank.

 

[Julio]

blue face are very hardy fish and gorgeous, they are even reef safe to some extend

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

She said no.

Sure she did. A wise man once said, "It is better to beg foregivness than to ask permission." Chance favors the bold!

 

[hlama]

"It is better to beg foregivness than to ask permission."

never heard that before i like it. 110% agree.

 

[jsisler]

I've had mine 10+ years. He eats everything under the sun. My only issue is that he still gets spooked easily which disturbs the rest of the tank sometimes at feeding. Also the spot abot his caudal fin has all but disappeared. Strange.

 

[C-Water]

Mine eats nearly everything that is offered and has grown several inches. A great fish indeed!

Over the years, I have kept several blue-faced. I feel the key is to give a variety of small portions of food and provide several good hiding places/caves. Once they start to pick at a offered food, try feeding that food more often in small amounts.

 

[Kent E]

any updates?

 

[eng55]

When I got my blue face he wouldnt touch any food for like the first few days. Then he started munching on the nori sheets when I would feed the tangs. Now he will eat anything in the tank. Definitely my favorite fish now and has a healthy appetite. He will be alot happier once I get him over to my 125 that is cycling. I always build a cave in my tank which he claims as his place to sleep in.
Good luck with the angel
E