Pairing coral beauties ???

It's lights on in the display. "She's" still hold up in the rocks, but looking OK. Every once and I while I can see "her" cruise the back side of the rocks near "her" cubby hole. Maybe today, "she'll" settle down and start looking for food. That always brings them out into the open. Meanwhile, unlike Barack "Double Tap" Obama, "the established CB is NOT on a seek and destroy mission. He seems to be totally chill and definitely is aware of the presence of the new CB.

I'm just hoping that his next full glimps of "her" in open water goes as well as the first!
 
It's the morning of day two since the release. The new CB is still staying in the back of the rockwork, which is pretty open, but still sheltered. The brief looks I get of "her" she looks good. All fins still in great shape, indicating that the established CB is not on the attack. I definitley see more activity at feeding time so that's a positive too. I have a feeling that , like many fish, it'll be another few days before I see regular open water excursions from "her".

But, she's
 
We are right about the three full day mark since the release. The new CB is still clinging to the back of the rockwork on one end of the tank and looking good overall. I would like to witness "her" eating though, I'd feel much better, I do see her activity pick up but I really can't see her eat. I have seen the established CB swim righ along side the new CB with out any care for "her" presence many times now, and "she" shows no signs of fear either. Maybe soon she'll venture out into the open and feed with the crew :fish2:
 
The new fish was eating before, I assume? Maybe it's just a very shy fish, but that it's staying in one general area isn't especially encouraging. What is their interaction like?
 
The interaction is minimal. The established CB swims by, has a look, that's about it. The new fish was eating well in QT. The favorite food is Hykari mysids. The new fish went in to the display nice and full across the belly as she ate well in QT. "She" moves around an area about 12x12x8 inches and stays by the same rocks. Even in QT she was prone to staying in the same location, she'd cruise the QT a bit, but when startled she'd go back to the same spot.
 
It sounds like "she's" very cautious. I have surprisingly little expereince with cautious fish for some reason. So this hiding in the back is throwing me off.

I tried to find a video to show how they interact. This one shows it, but it's not a good representation in that they're crammed in a tiny tank with no rock and they're obviously stressed. Normally they wouldn't hang together all the time. But you can at least see how he puts his mouth to her side and she turns to allow it (briefly). This wouldn't go on constantly in a normal setting like it is in this video. In a large tank if they were doing so much of this, it might be pre-spawning behavior.

It would be nice if you were seeing some of this going on and it a little minor chasing.

This is highly speculative, but maybe she was making the change to male in QT and is now changing back. It's been shown that male Potter's angels can change back given the necessary social stimuli, but it's a slow process and it's more likely that he will get killed first. It's seems like it could be theoretically possible that she was in some early stage of becoming male. But like I said, I'm just wondering out loud.

Maybe they're fine and since she stays in the back, you just haven't been able see that there's more interaction going on. Or maybe they're just taking their time.

I'm not trying to worry you. I've only successfully done this 5 times and what you describe sounds different from my experience. But obviously my experience is small sample.

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That's actually a pretty good vid, thanks for looking it up and posting it. That's very much like their initial interaction I described above. That single initial episode was very slow and not at all agressive. But the established fish did move right to the center of "her" body just like yours did there.

I too am concerned that the new CB may have started to change. I hope not. Again not that I'm hoping to spawn and raise fry, but I just like the interaction of pairs. My established CB does go by "her" spot often and some times lingers back there, so for I know they are doing this routine often?

When in QT, the new fish would swim around picking as angels do but was always quick to hide and stay hiden if I make any movement outside the the QT tank. It would rush to the turkey baster for Mysids. Oh how they all love the turkey baster!

So, I'm going to work the food angle today as I am here in the office all day today. Her favorite foods in QT were ON PrimeReef flakes, Hikari Marine S pellets & frozen Hikari Mysids. I'll offer these in small amounts throughout the day as "she'd" always come out of hiding when these hit the water in QT. I'll turn off the circulation pumps when I feed so the food does not go to "her" and see if that helps to draw "her" out.
 
That sounds lie a great plan! It sounds like you're not able to see what's going on back there, so maybe all is well.
 
The frequent smaller feedings through out the day on Friday definitely resulted in more interaction between the CBs. The new fish ventured out a little more, and the older fish gave a little chase here and there and dropped by to view the new CB often. All seemed good.

Saturday, I returned to my office for a normal weekend feeding. The new CB was hunkered down in one of its cubby holes, but that wasn't unusual. There seemed to be no torn fins, and it grabbed a piece of food or two before I left.

Yesterday, Mother's Day, I could not stop by.

This morning the new CB is no more... RIP.

I have to assume, since the established CB seemed fairly accepting, that once he got a good look at the new fish, it must have been a newly changed male. Some have suggested this might be the case and predicted a bad out come. I'm sad to say that fits in this case. It's really a shame, as the new CB was a very nice individual. I blame my inexperience in selecting the fish. IF I try again, I'll go back to my first instinct and look for the smallest possible individual. Right now, I feel really bad about loosing this one.

Thanks for all your help and support.
 
Sorry to hear of the demise of the new CB.

However, I will say congrats for trying and being very observant. That's what helps to move this hobby forward.

Have you removed the new CB and taken a close look at "her"? Does it appear that "she" was attacked in anyway? Or may it have been something else?

Do not give up hope. Keep trying. It's been the same way with Moorish Idols. Many say not to try to keep them. But as experience has shown, we have learned a few things about them. I had my last one for 4 years.

Try and learn a smuch as you can about what happened. Document it here or somewhere that you can refer back to. And don't be afraid to try again if you find another CB that looks like a probable mate. I may try myself as you've given me some thought and hope.
 
I'm so sorry to hear how things turned out.

Are you certain the male killed the new fish? The new fish never sounded all that healthy to me. If you never saw aggression, it's possible he wasn't killed. With enough rocks and a big enough tank, 2 males will sometimes tolerate each other for a time.

Did you de-worm the new fish? Either way, I might be inclined to give the CB some dewormer food.

Your instincts are right on target. People on here are always saying that to pair them all you have to do is find a significantly smaller fish, which is completely wrong. It's true that the female should be smaller in order for them to get along, but it has to be a female or juvenile as dwarf angels can become male at a small size.

Better luck next time.
 
Crusty Old Shellback said:
Sorry to hear of the demise of the new CB.

However, I will say congrats for trying and being very observant. That's what helps to move this hobby forward.

Have you removed the new CB and taken a close look at "her"? Does it appear that "she" was attacked in anyway? Or may it have been something else?

Do not give up hope. Keep trying. It's been the same way with Moorish Idols. Many say not to try to keep them. But as experience has shown, we have learned a few things about them. I had my last one for 4 years.

Try and learn a smuch as you can about what happened. Document it here or somewhere that you can refer back to. And don't be afraid to try again if you find another CB that looks like a probable mate. I may try myself as you've given me some thought and hope.
Click to expand...
It's very simple to pair them, but you have to have a female or juvenile. If you're not sure what you have, it can be done in a separate tank through trial and error. In my experience, it's very hard to find females coming into the LFS's with the exception of cherub angels.
 
I did not use prasi to deworm. I follow the "see if a fish needs it" approach. But , I'm begining to think I should follow many others who use prasi right out of the gate.
 
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