clarion angel

[cmlloveless]

I pretty much know just about every asnwer I get to this thread will be "With Angels it is always a hit and miss, some will eat everything some will not". However I will still ask it in the hopes that someone might actually have some knowledge on this particular species.

I will be setting up a 400-500g reef. It will be mainly "softies" and LPS corals as I do not like most of the SPS corals. I will possably have some montipora capricornis and some hydnopora though.

Would I be stupid to put this beatiful specimen (probably my most favorite of the angels) in this tank? And another questions that needs to be asked is what the care for species is? I could not find much on the web about this species and the search does not work on this forum.

 

[twon8]

you likely won't be able to get any for about ten years once the last few are sold, which should be pretty soon. it has been 10 years since they last were collected.

 

[cmlloveless]

Why is that?

 

[2dawghouse]

Dr. fosters and smith has them for $3,400 a piece, they had 2 of them. Gorgeous YES, reef safe NO! They are members of the Holocanthus family (which includes Passer,Queen, Blue Angels). Probably the most aggressive and least reef safe angels there are. I am in no way an expert on Clarion angels, but I have had a queen and a passer angel before (not at the same time) and they are aggressive and if the Clarion a cousin of theres is anything like them, then a reef tank is out of the question along with about 90 something percent of all other marine fish.

But if you do get one, pick one up for me too...I'll pay you back.

 

[twon8]

i've heard they are amongst the meanest of angels, much meaner than clown triggers

def not safe for a reef unless you want to buy corals as food.

live aquaria sold one so i'd bet the one they have is the last one left for sale in the country and will be so for a long time

 

[justcuz]

They are on the endanger species list also.

 

[cwoods8]

And if doesn't work out for ya........i'll be happy to trade ya my super exotic, highly sought after, one of a kind, always reefsafe......blue-green chromis! ............it's going to be hard for me to let go of such a fine speciman....for a stinkin Clarion......

 

[twon8]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12038879#post12038879 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by justcuz
They are on the endanger species list also.

no

 

[2dawghouse]

cwoods8, you have one of those rare chromis....I have a "Just off the endangered species list", only one in captivity, guranteed to turn heads and make you the envy of the reef central community...Royal Gramma.

Wanna trade?

 

[cwoods8]

:eek2: holy @#$%.........those still exist?! Man, my long lost search has come to a hault!

2dawghouse.....i'll even throw in a one of a kind......never to be found on the market again.......now get this.....An ultra-rare algae eating Astrea snail....

God Bless your Soul.

Royal Grammas are the new Clarions.......

 

[2dawghouse]

Dont tease me!...Oh this is to much to take...someone get my therapists on the phone, tell him I am cured for all my prayers have been answered.

The room is still spinning...

After you call the therapists, call 911 tell them to bring a defibulator.

 

[FishyMel]

It will be mainly "softies" and LPS corals as I do not like most of the SPS corals

Haha, I understand how you feel, I only like the lps and softies also, as far as I'm concerned the fleshy animals are much livelier.

As for clarions, I doubt it would work, better luck even trying something of the pomancanthus over any of the holocanthus.

 

[Dejavu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12038558#post12038558 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cmlloveless
Why is that?

Their are a few reasons why they are not collected very often. One is the area that they are collected from an island off mexico which is ~400 miles from the main land. Thats and long boat ride! Two permits are hard to get. There is a military base on the island which alos limit collection.

 

[cmlloveless]

What Island? What military base? I might be able to get a hook up!

 

[twon8]

Clarion Island, Mexican garrison there.

 

[Dejavu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12046494#post12046494 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cmlloveless
What Island? What military base? I might be able to get a hook up!

Even if you could get on the island, you would still need the permits. Many have tried and all have failed.

 

[cortez marine]

"MANY HAVE TRIED...ALL HAVE FAILED."


Uh uh...not exactly true...
I just brought back a huge load....certified and permitted by the Mexican govt. and then verified by USFWS and sold em all in 10 days.
Steve
Cortez Marine
clarionreef@aol.com

 

[triggerfish1976]

Wow. Another "reef Safe" angel thread that pretty much goes off topic :lol:.
As you stated in your original post angels are hit or miss. Some specimans will eat corals some won't and as for Clarions, I would say they are actually one of the better of the Holacanthus but that isn't saying much.
If you want to keep one in a reef here are a few things I have learned over the years about angels and corals that might help you:

1. Keep the fish well fed.
2. SPS are a better option than LPS. The fleshy tissue of most LPS is very appetizing to angels especially Scolymia, Favia, Acans, Euphyllia's, Micros, Lobos, Cynaria - basically all of the popular LPS whereas SPS are not as appealing. Generally SPS only get picked on if they are stressed (see # 4).

3. Soft corals especially leathers and Coralimorphs (mushrooms) are generally safe but polypy corals like Cloves, Zoas, Palys, Anthelia, Xenia, etc. are lunch. If you stick to the more toxic softies you should be ok.

4. Keep your corals healthy. An unhealthy coral especially SPS and LPS produce excessive slime coats which is a natural diet of many angels so the fish will be more likely to pick if the coral is not happy. Unfortunetly the coral will continue to be stressed if it is being picked on which leads to the death of the coral.

I personally haven't had a Clarion in a reef but I know someone who has one and its been in an SPS dominated tank for several years and it doesn't hurt the corals.
I kept a passer in my mixed reef tank with Softies, SPS, and LPS and he was pretty safe except for the occasional nipping of an Acan I had but he didn't do very much damage.

 

[craiglanda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12039276#post12039276 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cwoods8
:eek2: holy @#$%.........those still exist?! Man, my long lost search has come to a hault!

2dawghouse.....i'll even throw in a one of a kind......never to be found on the market again.......now get this.....An ultra-rare algae eating Astrea snail....

God Bless your Soul.

Royal Grammas are the new Clarions.......

Send me $3400 and ill send you not one but TWO royal grammas

 

[hoosierpat]

I used to volunteer at the Shedd Aquarium and they had a clarion(probably my favorite angel) that lived in a holding tank back by where I did a lot of my work. It was housed in probably a 250 gallon container with a lot of live rock, tons of xenia, several quadricolor anems, and some other random corals. I never really watched it to see if it ate anything but it didn't do enough damage to prevent everything from growing.

That being said, they aren't cheap fish and it would be a shame to have to pull it out of your tank and get rid of it when they are so hard to get in the first place. So I think the answer would be that you would be better off getting it its own home where you wouldn't have to worry about it eating anything other than what you wanted it to.

I heard through the grapevine that they are going to be allowing more collection of these fish sometime soon but maybe Cortez Marine could elaborate on that.