I think folks are focusing a bit too much on the language of what was said rather than what was actually
said. Many of us have been around the hobby long enough to know that the Genicanthus angels have been touted as reef "suitable."
From all the research I've ever done on these fish, including the good folks at Reef Keeping Magazine, WetWebMedia, and here, this has been the case. I'm just trying to help make people aware that sometimes the given "good bet," isn't always so.
I actually think the Genicanthus Lamarck is a wonderful fish- mine has certainly calmed down quite a bit. Will she take a swipe at my prized 7 x 5 hot pink chalice...yup...am I worried she's going to decimate it...not in the least. In fact I haven't noticed her pick at too much in quite some time.
I do however strongly feel that all angels pick... While Gary is 100% correct with his open reef analogy, I mean pick in the sense of what we're concerned about in this hobby...the closed "box." In fact, I think that most angels when confined are even more likely to "pick." Someone made a great point when they said their angel went directly after their chalice frag. In my case, the "swipes" have not been detrimental to my corals, however I think people ought to think of angels more with an eye toward the
degree to which they will pick, rather than getting one that has the magic proclivity for not picking.
I'm not doubting, or discounting the positive reports of my fellow reefers on the Genicanthus either, rather I just suspect that many of the negative reports are not making it to print yet. I'd also like to
muse as to whether the Genicanthus are actually closer in behavior to other dwarf angels than has been previously reported. We had an old local reef supplier who put it best when I was relaying the issues I was having with my Maxima clam weeks after having introduced a dwarf pygmy angel. I had relayed the fact I hadn't seen the angel pick at anything. His response was akin to...do you sit in front of your tank 24/7, and can you see in the dark?
The point was well received.
It's actually very interesting many of you brought up the language of "reef safe" into question, because I had previously wondered if the Genicanthus angels were "hyped" up by the market.
Gary, currently I feed my own blend of Salmon, whitefish, monkfish, clam, mysis, nori, and cod blended with garlic, vinegar, and iodine, vitamin c and orange juice.
My previous mix had shrimp, rotifiers, some blended foods thrown in with the other fish and lemon juice.
I usually feed once a day. I'm not big on two feedings a day. I feed the tank liberally, and depending on how much of a hurry I'm in I feed in one of two ways. Most of the time I take a 1inch by 1 inch square of the frozen blend, and place it an empty water bottle( the one i use for the tank) and shake it with some tank water until I get a nice mix of particulate size. I pour this in the tank. My reef is 8 feet so sometimes I pour across which leaves some food in flow and some slightly suspended as I have a slower flow zone. Once in a blue moon I'll squirt some oyster eggs in the mix, but I usually add that directly when the moon lights are on.
I know many folks shut their flow off when they feed, but personally I do not.
When I'm in a hurry I break off pieces of the frozen sheet, try to mush it a bit with my fingers and toss it in by my clowns. I usually just end up adding more food when I do it this way because I get to watch my Vlamingi and Foxface play, who's food is it anyway?
