masked swallowtail angelfish (Genicanthus semifasciatus) experience

[andrewkw]

I saw a beautiful pair today and it's now tonight and I'm still thinking about them. Other then the price scaring me away I have never kept an angelfish ever. Not even a flame or some common dwarf. I know these guys are reef safe and I know they generally like slightly lower temps but can anyone share anymore insight on them? That being said I've been keeping fish for almost 10 years and have also kept cuttlefish and octopus as well as garden eels and other "hard to keep" marine creatures.

How fragile are they? What would you treat them with prior to introduction to display, will they live 10-20 years if there are no crashes ect. It's been a long long time since I even thought about a fish in this price range but I was really quite taken by them and for better or worse I'm likely done with expensive wrasses for the time being. They are just too fragile.

 

[snorvich]

A pair in a 112 gallon tank might be pushing it. What other fish are already being kept?

 

[andrewkw]

They will be going in a 180 and a bigger tank next year when I move. - Next years forever move will be far far from the reef shops so I'd like to complete my fish collection prior to moving as my bi weekly trips to several shops will turn into a couple times a year if I'm lucky.

I have achillies tang that's about the same size as them maybe slightly smaller, naso tang that's a bit bigger but a long long way from full grown. Some small dither fish, anthias, chromis, leopard wrasse and a single clownfish.

Additionally all my fish are in QT as I had ich from a coral get into my system. I could hold the Achillies and Naso in their tanks now until the angels make it out of their own QT and introduce them all at once. Fortunately after this disaster happened I greatly upgraded my QT ability. I have : 55g hospital tank this is the only one copper goes in. 80 gallon observation tank : this is where my small fish have been hanging out waiting for 72 days to pass. Two 10gs for tank transfers, and 2 pools for emergency use. I also have a 90g garden eel tank where my Naso is now. It's 100% ich and other disease free but has live rock, macro algae and lots of life and a slower pace for anyone who may have trouble adjusting to aquarium life.

 

[skiwez]

If it was me, I'd wait for the move to purchase the angels. Especially because of how expensive they are. A lot can go wrong in a move. I personally wouldn't want to chance it.

 

[93Foxstang]

I would suggest waiting also.Angels don't always take moving well.

 

[andrewkw]

I won't be purchasing fish after moving. The reef shops will be 7hrs away instead of 20 minutes.

 

[joshky]

I won't be purchasing fish after moving. The reef shops will be 7hrs away instead of 20 minutes.

You'll still be able to order fish online, no? A lot of people don't have fish stores...

 

[SPotter]

if the reef shop is close now and will be 7 hrs away when you move....how far will you need to transport the fish from your current tank to the new tank? I currently own a pair of these fish and they don't like change. they need a well established tank with lots of live rock to graze on and a lot of space to roam. They are very prone to internal parasites. I would strongly recommend against getting them now and moving them later. They pop up on live aquaria frequently and would wait until the tank in the forever home is set up and established.

 

[andrewkw]

Live aquaria doesn't ship to me. There are only a handful of stores in Canada that ship online. They are way more expensive with much less selection. Unlike in the us the reef shop scene is booming with more and more stores opening all the time.

That being said I am planning on moving to northern Ontario which is about 7hrs from the Toronto area. I would like to get all the fish and corals I want prior to moving, hope that I don't suffer any major crashes and then head back to this area once or twice a year to shop. The fish I buy later can potentially just spend a few months in qt and then go into the new tank when I move. A 7hr car ride is better then the 30plus hour flight to the store then another 6+hours in transit to me airport to airport after I move. Of course some fish do come from local wholesalers which I think is the case with these angels but lots of fish are direct imported as well.

 

[SPotter]

I would still consider holding off on getting them until you and the new tank are settled in the forever home....112g tank is kind of tight for them. if you are willing to transport them 7 hrs now why not wait until next year to get them? They aren't as rare as they used to be and I see them popping up more frequently. Im sure that when you are ready to get them you can tell the lfs that has them now to try and get you a pair.

 

[andrewkw]

I am willing to wait however once I move I'm really going to try and avoid fragile fish. In 10 hopefully 20 years when my fish pass away I will probably just go with yellow tangs and other common hardy cheaper fish.

I have a 180 now not a 112. Worst case I will take the 180 with me. Place it out of the way and leave the spot open for the forever tank. Best case I order the new tank to arrive when I move. This move is a long time coming. I am stock polling 55g drums with lids air pumps ect. I'm really not that scared to move them 7hrs. 90% of what I have survived 30+ hr flights. I am not an expert on this but I would think an established, disease free fish is much more likely to survive the trip then say if I buy one 3 years from now. Get it right when it gets off the flight from the wholesaler (or kept at the reef shop for a week with other potentially diseased fish) the. Transported another 7hrs. I'm not saying that can't be done but I'm not sure it will be safer.

 

[SPotter]

so year from now if you don't have a new tank for the all of the livestock to transition to the plan would be to move the current tank 7 hrs, set up the current tank in a new location and then put all of the livestock in the newly moved tank?