Coral/Emperor angel...any luck or advice? Thanks!

[Dee12Dee12]

I'm upgrading from 55g to a 210g and im in love with the emperor angel, but I also want to keep a reef tank. Am I doomed for failure? Has anyone had any success keeping this angel with their corals. If not which angel whould be best suited for a reef system? Thanks guys.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

welcome to reef central!

if you do your homework it's possible but you MUST get informed before attempting this IMO- use search engine.

research compatibility, imperator etc.

if not well fed any captive Emperor can become stunted. (Not pretty!)

210 is minimum size aquarium for an adult Emperor IMO.

 

[Dee12Dee12]

Thank you so much for your reply and picture! I've been doing some research lately. I would have went a little bigger on the tank but I got an unbelievable deal on the 210g. I guess minimum is better than not big enough. Thanks Gary!

 

[iLLwiLL]

I have a juvi 4" emperor angel in my 180 with a bunch of leathers, euphilias, and an RBTA. so far, so good, hasn't even touched zoas yet. I did clear out all my acans, open brains, and other fleshy non - stinging LPS.

~Will.

 

[bryan007]

I've had Emperors in my RT for years. IME as long as they are well fed you should be ok with SPS. Mine have nibbled on occasion but only rarely. They are more inclined to try LPS than any other from my experience.

 

[Dee12Dee12]

Thanks for the reply illwill

 

[wdt2000]

So far so good. I really wish it would eat the anthelia Nips at some SPS but no real damage.

 

[StripestheEel]

At the end of the day, IMO the best way to limit coral nipping is keep it well fed and to purchase a juvenile.

 

[Dee12Dee12]

So far so good. I really wish it would eat the anthelia Nips at some SPS but no real damage.

Nice tank. What size is it and what kind of lighting are yoy using?

 

[wakeboardgeek]

Does the length of the tank matter? Would a 5'x30" tank be OK or do they need at least a 6' tank?

 

[Jhockey]

I'd say bigger then a 6ft tank. A full grown emperor will be too big for a 210g. I think a 8x3 foot print is needed.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Does the length of the tank matter? Would a 5'x30" tank be OK or do they need at least a 6' tank?

60" x 30" could work IMO.

Keep in mind there's more to the equation than aquarium size- I've seen this species stunt in 1,000 gallon aquariums as well as 6 x 2 180's.
Diet and water quality is extremely important!

"Junior's Reef"

 

[Mrbeachbum2]

Beautiful specimen!

 

[michealprater]

To be on the safe side, I would say expect any large angel to wipe out a couple corals, but it is possible to have them in a reef.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I'd like to remind people that my posts in this thread are in regards to one specific Angelfish species: the Emperor.

Very important:

Always conduct research down to specific species. Avoid generalizations if possible.

 

[sTefaniA]

I'd say bigger then a 6ft tank. A full grown emperor will be too big for a 210g. I think a 8x3 foot print is needed.

I agree. I wouldn't keep them in anything below 300g. But I prefer to keep a fish in a tank double the size they need, then in just the minimum.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

in a reef aquarium

in a reef aquarium

with the associated surface water flow and aquascape Pomacanthus imperator tends not dwell in the top 1/3 of the aquarium but rather down near the bottom.
This is why aquarium footprint is more important than total gallonage of the aquarium when giving a recommendation for the species.
Imps aren't the swimmers that many fishes (such as Naso spp. Tangs) are.

A 'bolt hole' (or cave) should be provided.

If fed properly this species will rapidly outgrow a small aquarium so (for many reasons) it's best to have a large enough aquarium prior to purchasing the fish.

 

[michealprater]

I apologize for my generalization. I own a adult emp about the size of yours. I keep him very well fed, my footprint is 8ft by 2ft. I have seen him enjoy several zoas, and his behavior is very similar to the other large angels I have, Blueface, majestic and regal. I am just saying, there is certainly some corals you can keep, and some you cant. Every single individual fish is different, you certainly cannot make generalizations that one emperor will be exactly the same as another. Have you ever lost any coral to yours?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I haven't lost any corals to this particular fish.

I have lost corals to different Angelfish species in the past so I somewhat learned what to avoid: especially the fleshy "open brain" type corals (Cynarina, Scolymia, etc.) although there's been a Symphyllia in my aquarium with "Junior" (my Emperor) since day one. (I aquired this fish as a late stage juvenile/emerging adult).

I have zooanthids. I've never seen Junior even bat an eye at them. (The shrimp's cleaning station is directly above patches of zooanthids in my aquarium.) My Emperor (and all Angelfish in general IME) are prone to pick at unhealthy corals, although if mine gets overly hungry he'll go straight for terminal polyps on my healthy stag Acropora. He'll also nip at my gigantea carpet anemone if the Clownfish's guard goes down.

 

[michealprater]

My blueface just stares at my RBTA until the maroon notices! LOL