Genicanthus melanospilus, Japanese Swallow Angel

[thetonyage]

i am setting up my 150 gal mixed reef and i would really love to add a pair of these guys to it. does anyone have any experience with them? any information would be appreciated, as i dont want to make a bad stocking decision.

 

[SDguy]

I've had a pair of them (Blackspot swallowtail, BTW, not Japanese... ) for about 3 years now. What would you like to know?

 

[thetonyage]

I've had a pair of them (Blackspot swallowtail, BTW, not Japanese... ) for about 3 years now. What would you like to know?

anything really, are they really as reef/coral safe as ive read? peaceful toward other fish? (i have a sailfin tang, are they super timid?) are they prone to certain health problems like ich, etc.? i dunno...anything you could think of that would help me give them a good home. thank you

 

[SDguy]

Mine have been totally reef safe. The female does make target feeding LPS impossible though. They eat anyhting I throw in, from frozen to pellet to flake.

Mine are very peaceful, but don't get harassed by either my tomini or powder blue. I never had health issues with mine, but have seen many with swim bladder issues, especially the large males.

My male, like many in captivivity, lost some of its vibrant male colors. He still courts the female every night though.

 

[thetonyage]

first i want to say thank you for the response and experienced info. do you also know of a quality dealer i could get a pair from? there is a pair on divers den right now but my tank wouldnt be ready for another few weeks, and neither of my LFSs can order them for me.

 

[SDguy]

They frankly are one of the more common genicanthus species avaialble, so I'm sure you'll be able to find one again, once you are ready, from a quality vendor like LA.

 

[SDguy]

Here's a thread I had with Frank Marini regarding the male's color...
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic87614-12-1.aspx

 

[thetonyage]

thats a pretty interesting thread, nice pictures of those beautiful fish. have you tried maybe putting mesh around the overflows to catch any spawn? itd be cool if they reproduced.

 

[SDguy]

No I haven't. While I guess it's possible I've missed the spawn, more than likely I think there just hasn't been any, since the female is always so disinterested.

 

[jd474]

I only have a male, but he is a model citizen, and like the other Genicanthus, is an excellent fish.

 

[38bill]

I have a female and she's been a great fish for several years now. Not too bossy but she will push other fish around a little if she thinks they need it. Nothing thats really a problem, just a little "get out of my way" kind of thing. I also have a smaller Belus female and they are just fine together.

 

[Phyxius]

I have 2 females in my 210g but wanted a male/female mix. Got a great deal on a small one that I couldn't pass up(was a little sickly but fine now) and a larger one. They are perfect tank mates, don't mess with any of the corals at all and both can be hand fed. They eat ANYTHING I put in the tank. Some do have swim bladder issues like mentioned so be on the lookout for that when picking some out. A LFS here gets them in quite frequently but its more females to males.

BTW: I also have a larger sailfin tang and they get along fine

 

[bradleyj]

I have a female along with a female bellus, female watanabie. Never touches any coral.