List of most reef safe Angelfish (excluding Genicanthus sp.).

[mattsilvester]

Its been done to death - I know, but let's have it.......

By reputation, which angelfish are the most safe, historically? Please list only 3 each for:

• Dwarf Angels
• Large-type Angels

Have you tried any of these "safe bets"? What is / was your experience of this?

Please - do not recommend a Genicanthus sp.

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

Dwarf angels: most safe is the Argi complex, the cherub, resplendant, and flamebacks of the tropical Atlantic

Large angels: depends on what you mean by "large" but if you are talking about all angels bigger than dwarves and non Genicanthus I would say the Regal, banded (bandit), and bluespotted would be safest

I have personally kept the asfur, emp, blueface, meredithi, bluestripe, majestic, and flagfin in a mixed reef and have/had good luck.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Can only speak of dwarf angels.

One common thread with all the ones that I have kept -- love fleshy LPS.

With that said, IME my safest has been my venustus dwarf has been the best -- actually have PE with my SPS that are in the same tank.
Next would be a Potter's
And then my multicolored.

For me, they have been with SPS, clams, zoas, and anemones.

 

[Reef264]

Dwarf:, Pygmy Cherub, Potters, Bi-Color, Just from personal experience.

Large:, Heard good things about Asfur with SPS, Heard of Emporers with SPS, Same with blueface, heard Awesome things about the Majestic!

 

[tcoral]

ROTFLOL, I was just thinking of posting something similar and was looking at the excel spreadsheet of angels before coming on the board now. See post #82 for the spreadsheet:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1661153&highlight=angel+spreadsheet&page=4


I have Genicanthus and they just don't do it for me either. I have a Goldflake hybrid that's been doing great so far (got him from another reefer) but he hasn't been in the tank long. I'd love another bright angel (a majestic would be heaven), but I have a zoa/ricordia collection. Tagging along.

 

[mattsilvester]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Until recently, I had no inhibitions or adversity to risk - but I have just added 4 LPS corals to my otherwise empty (with respect to fish) tank - and I think I have been bitten by the reef bug!!!

I was ready to try an asfur, majestic (navarchus) or a regal ..... now I am suddenly transformed!!!

I am not the type to add "an angel" just for the sake of having an angel ..... if I'm going to incur risk its going to be for something I really want. I'll see how the "voting" goes here and make a short list then weigh up risks ...... oh how conflicted I now feel - how conflicted this "reefing" is ..... LOL

 

[mattsilvester]

Thanks tcoral - I was looking for that.

Very interesting how the majestic and asfur are ranked safer than the regal (at 81% and 75%, versus 65%) and the 11 test sample for the regal, 4 were kept with SPS only while 3 more ate everything excpet sps - in orther words it seems the regal is a great choice for an sps tank, but not so for a mixed reef ..... the majestic seems to be a better choice, the asfur test sample is small at 4, so is not really conclusive in my opinion.

I shall be studying that spreadsheet in detail.

 

[tcoral]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Until recently, I had no inhibitions or adversity to risk - but I have just added 4 LPS corals to my otherwise empty (with respect to fish) tank - and I think I have been bitten by the reef bug!!!

I was ready to try an asfur, majestic (navarchus) or a regal ..... now I am suddenly transformed!!!

I am not the type to add "an angel" just for the sake of having an angel ..... if I'm going to incur risk its going to be for something I really want. I'll see how the "voting" goes here and make a short list then weigh up risks ...... oh how conflicted I now feel - how conflicted this "reefing" is ..... LOL

Of course my favorite is your avatar, I even have a little figurine of that one in my office . Of course they take a bigger tank than I have . I know just how you feel! If I didn't have rare zoa/paly I would have another.

Then there's this article:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/7/fish

but liveaquaria says they aren't reef safe?

 

[ttls1]

I have a regal, majestic and a flame. The regal is by far the most reef safe i have it has never once picked at anything, in fact it doesn't even go around picking at rocks like the others do. It will only eat formula one angel food nothing else and ive tried many things.

The majestic is housed with lps only i have seen him pick here and there but no different than picking at the rocks. There are no meaty lps in the tank however. The flame is just about the same as the majestic always grazing but never really eating anything.

 

[geaux xman]

try some angelfish like jawsee has...

 

[Reef264]

I have No Idea How Jawsee Does it...His tank is unbelievable.

I read in a TOTM article, where the guy had several Pomacanthus In his tank.His theory on why they didn't eat his corals was because his were healthy, and that Angels only picked at less than healthy flesh.It honestly made sense.

 

[ReefTeacher]

I have always had angels in my reefs...but I keep mostly soft corals. I have had great luck with imperators and P. maculosus...who is a model citizen and the centerpiece of my tank. He has been with my 5 years.

On the other hand....I had a stunning regal...but I said goodbye to all my zooanthids. At present I have a blueface that samples most of my soft corals. He finally got rid of those pesky kenya trees....but also ate my yellow leather in an amazingly short period of time. He nibbles on sinularia and green leathers....but they survive. You can actually see the bite marks.

I know this is backwards....but I am thinking of letting go of corals to just keep the fish....is this crazy?

 

[Reef264]

Not Crazy at all, In fact it is So Not Crazy it might work!

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

I know this is backwards....but I am thinking of letting go of corals to just keep the fish....is this crazy?

Nope, I would keep any one of my angels over any coral. Have removed a few over the years for violence and size issues but never because of a coral.

Its really funny with angels, they are so different from fish to fish and even a reef safe fish may just decide one day to start sampling. Several of the fish species mentioned by people in this thread have terrible reputations but are obviously being kept successfully in reefs.

 

[mattsilvester]

Well folks - further to your input, the information from the excel spreadsheet, and a period of realisation that one should deny themself their nature, I decided on which angels to get, and just went out and got 'em

I came across really bright and outgoing majestc, in adult colours, only about 2" long ..... and in the same shop, they had a mate pair of coral beauties - with really nice colouring ..... so I too them. The majestic is only marginally bigger.

So, I am now the proud owner of 3 angels

I'll break out the camera later and get a few pictures.

 

[mattsilvester]

Chrysurus Angelfish

Chrysurus Angelfish

In general (as a general question) how reef safe are Chrysurus Angelfish?
There is an abundance of these guys at the various LFS's here in BKK at the moment.

 

[Goniocologist]

I want an angel so bad!!!!!

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

The chrysurus is a typical Pomacanthus, not the most reef safe angel but not the worst choice either, probably very similar to the emp. They are just gorgeous fish however, much more impressive in person than in pictures.

 

[mattsilvester]

The chrysurus is a typical Pomacanthus, not the most reef safe angel but not the worst choice either, probably very similar to the emp. They are just gorgeous fish however, much more impressive in person than in pictures.

Kahuna - yes, they are indeed so "much more impressive in person than in pictures". The place I shop for fish in Bangkok is called Jatujak market (it is far from a market really as it comprises hundreds of small stores with a front door and shutters). Within less than a square mile there is in excess of a dozen LFS's. Between these stores there is over a dozen specimens ranging from a couple of inches up to 6-7". To be honest they look like they have "coral muncher" written all over them ..... but man they are lovely, and I seem to recall someone here on RC with one in their reef tank, long term.

 

[mattsilvester]

Well folks - further to your input, the information from the excel spreadsheet, and a period of realisation that one should deny themself their nature, I decided on which angels to get, and just went out and got 'em

I came across really bright and outgoing majestc, in adult colours, only about 2" long ..... and in the same shop, they had a mate pair of coral beauties - with really nice colouring ..... so I too them. The majestic is only marginally bigger.

So, I am now the proud owner of 3 angels

I'll break out the camera later and get a few pictures.

Hi Folks,

Further to your input, I just wanted to post some pics. I couldn't get shots of the coral beauty pair - they are quite elusive.