Potter's Angel... good or bad idea?

[TripleT]

Should I buy it?

An LFS by me has a very healthy looking Potter's Angel, medium size, $80.

He's eating pellets readily (he'll get more than that if I buy him), and doesn't seem very shy (although there really weren't any hiding places for him).

He's got a bit of red coloration, not like most Potter's I have seen.

They've had him for a few weeks.


My tank...

I have a 75 FOWLR, plenty of rock. Fairly peaceful tank, all small fish, but several of them...

2 ocellaris that spend much of their time hanging out by a powerhead.
1 clarkii, 1.5 inch, roams the entire tank, mostly behaving himself
6 chromis school, occasional bickering, nothing very aggressive
1 bicolor blenny 3 inches, hangs out in his favorite spot, and ventures out looking for algae now and then.
2 firefish, hover together in the center of the tank waiting for food to drift by
1 red dragonent, under 2 inches, blends into the rockwork, hunting all day
2 citrinis clown gobies, always darting through the rocks, making babies or something
1 sleeper goby, 3 inches, happily dumping sand all over the place
2 yasha gobies, hovering outside their lairs
1 2 inch scalefin anthias female

It seems like a long list when I write it out, but the habitats vary enough that the tank often looks like it doesn't have much in it.

I do 30% water changes every 3 to 4 weeks, and my nitrates are around 10-15ppm, so the bioload seems fine.

I imagine that that yashas and dartfish barely contribute... they are such small fish.


So the questions:

1. Should I leave well enough alone?
2. Will the Potter's be picked on by my chromis and clowns?
3. Will the Potter's and bicolor blenny both have enough microalgae to be happy? Or will they wipe it out?
4. Will the Potter's pick on my yasha gobies?
5. Will the Potter's eat the little sponges that keep popping up on my rock? What about the handful of hydroids in the tank?
6. Have people had success with this species? And if so, what foods have you used?

 

[greech]

Ourchased one from Diver's Den in January and just lost it. I have no idea what happened. It was fine the night before and the morning it died. It ate anything I put in the tank and would eat as much as I put in. I also had algae for it to graze on which it did pretty much all day. It also was best buds with my female clown. If you think it's healthy and eating well I say go for it.

 

[lhm nole]

I love potters angels just have bad luck with them maybe it is the way they are collected

 

[kilmca]

I think Potters are great fish, i've had one for about 3.5 years. I've never seen the Potters chase another fish. I think you'd be alright to add one since most of your fish are small. Maybe at first the Chromis or clowns might pick on it a little. If you are worried about all the marco algae being eaten I would give nori a couple times a week, mine loves it. Since the yasha gobies are so small i doubt the Potter's would even notice them. Potters might eat the sponges, not sure. Mine is constantly picking at the liverock.

I feed frozen(mysis, brine, cyclopezee), flake and pellets. I feed flake twice a day with an auto feeder and frozen once a day. not sure if you need to feed that much but i do cause of the anthia that i have and the potter's/other fish don't mind.

 

[jubjub]

wow 80$ for a potters thats almost highway robbery....i know you didnt ask but i've seen them around here for 40$

 

[Almenmarine]

http://www.reefs2go.com/product/F-A...CPC&utm_content=&utm_campaign=F-ANGEL-POTTERS

If u live in Florida, free shipping.

 

[Furnman]

Two years ago I purchased a pair of Potter's angels that began to eat after about three weeks. They now eat will eat anything, and I consider them easy to keep. My only complaint is that they will not leave acans alone and will pick at zoanthids.

 

[TripleT]

wow 80$ for a potters thats almost highway robbery....i know you didnt ask but i've seen them around here for 40$

Actually, I put the price there to see if it would get a reaction exactly like yours.

I thought it seemed like too much.

 

[TripleT]

2 citrinis clown gobies, always darting through the rocks, making babies or something

Yes, I'm replying to myself. :spin2:

About 10 hours after I post this, they are laying eggs on my cleaner magnet! :love2: :eek1:

 

[revaltion131]

I would go for it. If you research prices on Potter's, at least in my area, online sources are cheaper but when you add in shipping, it evens out. The one a store here recently had in was actually priced $99. IMO, a healthy Potter's is worth spending a little more, especially if it has been in the store for a bit and has appeared good throughout its time.

 

[block head]

i had mine with o's ,yashi ,chromis,purple fire fish for over a year. mine punked the purple firefish to death, the chromis and yashi steered clear. my female clown has taken a few chunks out of the angel. the potters is twice the size and weight of the female o. no coral problems,eats like a pig.

 

[TripleT]

i had mine with o's ,yashi ,chromis,purple fire fish for over a year. mine punked the purple firefish to death, the chromis and yashi steered clear. my female clown has taken a few chunks out of the angel. the potters is twice the size and weight of the female o. no coral problems,eats like a pig.

Well that sounds bad!

You start with "I had"... where is this Angel now?

It sounds like yours was aggressive... did you add it to your tank before the firefish?

And what size was the tank?

Thanks!

 

[lobsterotomy]

I have mine in a 20 g (16 x 16 x 21) with a sixline wrasse and two pearly jawfish for a little less than a year now.

It's been a model citizen except for the pocilliopora it can't seem to leave alone.

IMO, if it's already eating pellets, and you know it's healthy, a few extra bucks is definitely worth it. Took my Potter's about 6 weeks to start eating pellets, and about 12 weeks for it to readily eat them out of the water column.

 

[block head]

Well that sounds bad!

You start with "I had"... where is this Angel now?

It sounds like yours was aggressive... did you add it to your tank before the firefish?

And what size was the tank?

Thanks!

i've kept mine (still have it) in a 28g. the firefish and chomis have moved on. my potter's is less aggressive than my clowns,but does posture towards other fish. i would reccomend a larger tank and plenty of rock

 

[Outerbank]

You have some smaller fish and passive fish. My tank is a 240 and my potters leaves everyone alone. IMO, they can be difficult to adapt and feed. Luckily, their fat stores are slow to deplete. A healthy eating fish is worth a premium price.

 

[nonimmigrant]

I kept mine in my sump for two months after a 1 month QT before adding it into my 330G display tank two years back. It got very fat and was a bit more adventurous coming out to see you when you came into the equipment room. It picked a fight with my Golden Pygmy the other day over a feeder clam, but other than that it's a model citizen.

One recommendation would be that while in QT you hang a cloth over the front of the tank for a few days so that it does not see you every time you walk in the room. It should acclimate very quickly.

 

[Sheol]

I'd go for it, esp. if its eating.

Matthew

 

[TripleT]

If he's still there in a few days, and if they are willing to drop the price some, he'll be in my QT later this week.

And if things don't work out in my display, I'm sure there are some NY'ers in here who will help me relocate him to their tanks!

Thanks for the feedback everybody.