potter angel

[fishforu]

i have a 30 gallon cube with sps, a helfrichi firefish, clownfish, sexy shrimpw, cleaner shrimp, and snails.

i would like to add a potter angel to be the tank's "show" fish, but most websites say they are difficult to keep.

why are they difficult to keep? what can be done to improve their odds of survival?

thanks.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Poor shippers, sometimes very difficult to get to eat any prepared foods.(flake or frozen) They are natural rock grazers.
They like to pick at 'everything'.

Find one in a lfs that appears healthy. See if the lfs guy can get him to eat brine or mysis in front of you. If he eats prepared foods and visibly looks healthy, that's a great head start.

I personally wouldn't buy a Potters online.

 

[fishforu]

E-A-G-L-E-S,

my lfs has 2 healthy looking specimens that i'm interested in.
considering they "pick" at everything, would my sps and sexy shrimps be at risk?
also, would mysis shrimp only diet suffice or would i have to also add some veggie treats as well?

thanks.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

SPS - maybe
shrimp - no

Definitely add veggies such as nori on a clip and Formula Two frozen foods.
I'd also supplement food with some kent garlic extreme every now and then, especially in the beginning.

Mine actually doesn't eat mysis. He does eat brine, krill, formula one , formula two, and nori though. But he picks at the l.r. all day long.

They are stunning.

 

[CarlC]

A few weeks in quarintine will help get him settled in alittle faster. With a QT you can get him used to eatting in your care. It is also much easier to monitor for any problems he may have.

Carl

 

[GSMguy]

i have one in my sps tank he only nips the pociliporia and it is fine no problems with the coral
some will nip less some will nip more i dont care if it nips a lil i have lots of sps and it is an awsome fish

 

[hanas]

Mine doesn't pick at any of my SPS, LPS, or zoo's. He does constantly graze off my live rock.

I agree with E-A-G-L-E-S, I would definitely not suggest buying one on-line, since they are indeed extremely risky shippers, find one that has been at a LFS for at least 2 weeks.

 

[Sigmund]

Potters Angel

Potters Angel

No problems with mine either. Eats frozen brine and mysis as well as algae flakes, and grazes of the rocks. My only concern would be the size of the tank, they are a very active fish and likes the room to move around. Also 30 gallons doesn't leave a lot of rock to graze from in between feedings.

The key as with most fish is to get a healthy fish from the start. If you get this, many fish are not that difficult to maintain once in your hands...

 

[Amphiprion]

I honestly don't think a 30g would provide enough feeding area for this fish in the long term. I know how actively mine grazes, and I just couldn't see a 30g working for too long. You would have to have very heavy supplemental feeding.

 

[merk1_99]

I agree a 30 gallon might now be big enough. Mine is in a 75 and is constantly roving and pecking at the rocks. Even though mine ate prepared food in the store he did not accept anything for about 6 weeks. Now he eats flake and nori, and occasionly will eat a mysis or two. I strongly believe the fact that I have a low population non-competing fish and highly mature tank contributed the most to his survival.
My spaghetti worm population is down, and my mini featherdusters are gone. He has not touched my SPS or LPS to this date. And if he did I would let him eat away. He is such a beautiful fish that I would give up my SPS to keep him.
Phenomenal fish.

 

[merk1_99]

Oh and as far as a standard "QT" tank. I don't think a Potters would survive in a bare sterile tank for long. I would setup a QT tank a couple months in advance with live rock....There are quite a few posts on the adverse affects a sterile QT tank could have on a Potters.

 

[CarlC]

Yes I should have mentioned not using a bare QT.

Carl