Potters angel primer

[Lunabud74]

Bought one over a year ago at a LFS full size. He's been a model citizen in my 75 and gets along rather well with the cherub angel. The potter was introduced after the cherub, so that might be the key if you are wanting to keep these two fish together. Well, that and providing at least 100+ lbs of live rock for hidey holes and grazing. At least I quit counting at 100+ lbs

This particular potter eats flake and pellet food, but prefers the flake. He occasionally will receive some mysis, but only when I am feeding the corals. I have to be very honest here, I am not the most attentive of reef keepers. I rarely check parameters and only change the water 3-4 times a year. I do top off the water, but outside of that, I don't do much more than feed my fish and enjoy my little underwater community. I'm debating on turning the wet dry system I am currently running into a refugium. Honestly though, I don't think I will because the fish, inverts and corals are pretty happy.

 

[lobsterotomy]

Just looking for an opinion on QT for a Potter's - I bought a smallish (2") one almost 2 weeks ago, and have had it in QT. No ich, no signs of internal parasites (feces are solid and not stringy). I did a 5 minute FW dip, and nothing came off. It eats macro algae (I have some hair algae and filamentous algae on frags from my DT that she picked clean), and pellets (but only if they're mixed in with detrius). I haven't tried nori or mysis (Tried the second day and she didn't take any), but she's filled out and looking happy.

I've got her adjusted to the whole lights on lights off, traffic, so she's gotten used to the whole captivity thing.

Should I leave her in QT for a while longer, or do you think it would be safe to put her in the DT already? I'd rather move her to the DT as she'd have a lot more rock to graze off of.

Also, should I prazipro her for internal/external parasites? I'm hesitant to do anything that might cause it to stop eating or stress it out.

 

[lilalove]

I've had a Potters for 3 weeks. I have yet to see it eat prepared foods, but it was really fat when I bought it, and it's still really fat. It eats algae off the rocks and back glass, and also eats the cyano on the sand. I did not quarantine it. I gave it a 10min FW dip in Formalin, and in it went. It hid for about a day, but has been out and about since then. Doesn't bother anyone, and nobody bothers with it, either. So far, so good. Tomorrow I'm going to try the Nori on a clip and see if it goes for that.

 

[SkyPapa]

I've had mine for a week. It's about 1 in.
No QT, straight in tank after acclimation.
Mine has picked at the rock, algae and diatoms since an hour after introduction but has yet to eat anything offered.
Still looks healthy. I hope it makes it.

 

[SkyPapa]

My potters just ate baby mysis.:celeb3:

 

[Wind]

Mine hardly eats any prepared. It's been a few week or so. I do see it crap and heavily eatting the corals and grazing.

It's belly is full though.

I will try continue an array of foods though.

 

[Lunabud74]

Qt

Qt

Just looking for an opinion on QT for a Potter's - I bought a smallish (2") one almost 2 weeks ago, and have had it in QT. No ich, no signs of internal parasites (feces are solid and not stringy). I did a 5 minute FW dip, and nothing came off.

I did not QT mine. Straight into the tank and he's been a happy camper ever since. This of course does not mean you shouldn't QT yours if that is what you are comfortable with.

Honestly most of my fish do not get QT'ed. I'm of the opinion there is only so much stress my finned friends can take in their little lives, so I opt not to do it. So far, I have been lucky. But then again I will pass up a fish I really, really want at the LFS if it has signs of ich, is rubbing against rocks, not eating, or does not look to be in general good health.

The only fishies I have ever QT'ed are the baby maroons and that is simply because I have yet to be able to remove the current maroon from the tank with out stripping down the entire tank. Seriously thinking about just starting a whole new set up for these little guys....LOL

 

[lobsterotomy]

I want to start by saying by no means do I have any experience besides my 4 weeks in QT with my little Potters angelfish now - she's fat bellied, and has learned that pellets are food, even when not mixed with detrius. When I feed the pellets, she recognises them immediately - that is, as soon as they're rolling along the ground. But I guess that's good enough for me.

Just thinking though, what are people's thoughts on QT these and other 'harder to get feeding' centropyge? I had a lot of people saying straight into the DT with it, but I put her in an established QT tank (set up for about 3 months prior to arrival) - 5g with about 6 or 7 lbs of well seasoned established LR teeming with life. Did a FW dip about 2 weeks after getting her - after she started eating consistently (algae and nipping at rock). Seems like so far she's really taken well to captivity in the 5g - her only companion is a cleaner shrimp. She eats prepared foods as well as picks at rock and eats filamentous algae covered rocks from my main system refugium.

I'm thinking the established QT is a big part of my sucess with it so far (fingers crossed). Not sure I want to chance a prazipro dip with her, as she's already ahd a FW dip for flukes, and there are no outward signs of internal parasites. Any opinions?

I'm getting antsy to see her in the DT though (and hoping she doesn't eat my LPS or clam...well, they can go. But if she eats SPS....they'll be hell to pay). Hopefully I can sit on my hands for another 2 weeks. . .

Pitchers:

 

[mark54321]

I was thinking to get one of this beautiful fish,i have 65 gal. reef tank with tons of live rock and corals mostly sps and some lps and three clams. It is established tank over 16 mos.old.How are Potters with corals with your expirence?

 

[SkyPapa]

Mine is doing well and eating about anything I feed now.
It does nip at some corals, but it seems more like it's just something that happens to be there as it moves along the rock picking constantly. It never lingers after a nip and I don't see any damage to sps and still have polyp extension. Only lps is candy cane and it's is not interested so far.
I also have a clam in that tank and the potter's show no interest.
I've only had it a month though, so ...

 

[lilalove]

One of my favias wasn't extending it's tissue in the past couple of days. I knew who the culprit was, but I sat in front of the tank for an hour to witness it myself. Saw the potter's take a bite, a few times. Moved the favia to the fuge and hope it recovers. None of the other LPS seem affected, though I did also see it nip the squammie's mantle one time. Hopefully that'll be the end of it. Still hasn't eaten anything prepared, but is still super fat and active, munching on algae and the rocks and hopefully no more LPS.

 

[boogaman]

I put mine in the tank right after acclimated. It eats flakes and small pellets. I think I have had him for about 5 months now, and it is doing very well. I have not seen it pick at any of my corals.

 

[SkyPapa]

lilalove, hi.
What other fish do you have in your 180 with the potters?
I am setting up a 180 and haven't decided whether to add the potters.
It is fine now in my shallow reef, but I would like him in the 180.
Thanks.

 

[lilalove]

SkyPapa, right now I have 2 black ocellaris clowns, a canary wrasse (H. chrysus), a melanarus wrasse, a pencil wrasse, a flasher wrasse, and a bicolor blenny. Lost all but 2 of my fish to velvet several months ago, so after a fallow period I've recently began to stock the tank. The Potters is the biggest fish, he doesn't mess with anyone and no one messes with him.

 

[Wind]

I have one, and just to udpate it has started to eat flakes and all kinds of food, like the clowns. It poops a lot and sometimes swim w/ poop on its tail.

Artemia Flakes were the ice breakers.
Then I used Ocean One flakes, pellets, etc.

I plan to feed some spirulina, but this potter grazes on a lot of greens in the tank already.

One thing though, is that this fish is more aggressive. Even to my clowns. I do have a smaller tank, but in a big tank, I don't think aggression should be an issue.

 

[lux_06]

my new pair... been in the tank for 5 days, feeding them nori, caulerpa, live brine and live blackworms.

picking at the rocks, and occasionally the live meaty foods, but came home to the best sight tonight.
the girl...

the guy

still a bit nervous, as my male flame is giving the male potters a hard time, despite the flame going into the tank only 2 days ago. will order some female flames for him to turn his attention to i think. the male potters turns his "Blue" down considerably when the flame stalks him.

these fish wouldnt touch the nori as it moved around in the water movement, but love picking at it now its only the nori held against the rubble with the rubber band left.

fingers crossed, the are awsome...

tanks is a 225g, mostly LPS, med flow, other fish include wrasses, clowns, cardinals, anthias, majestic and flame angel, blue tang and yellow assessors. Aquascape has some big caves, but it about half the amount of live rock you would usually see in this size tank.

adam

 

[theisdept]

Any idea if the lfs or online is the better source for these?

 

[SkyPapa]

Nice lux.
Mine came from an lfs and is still doing good and eats everthing but it is a very dedicated picker of anything. It doesn't seem to really hurt anything but it tastes all my sps.
It will also nip at the clam. I don't think it actually bites a piece off but the clam is irritated. It opens right back up though.
I want to put it in my 180 but I think the tank is too new for an angel.

 

[pecdo]

have had a potters in my 75 for almost three years. from a lfs. tank was 4 months old when it went in. it is now about 3 inches or so long, and quite active. he eats anything i feed. flake, frozen formula 1 and 2 mysis homemade fish goo etc etc. likes to pick at the rocks, almost constantly moving about doing so. occasionaly nips sps but more due to its constant rock picking that it does.

gets on well with tank mates. tried adding a pygmy angel a couple of years ago. it would not leave it alone. fairy and flasher wrasses added in the past year have been pretty much ignored when introduced.

has lots of hiding places in the rock work and does startle readily even now.

 

[Mattik]

As if we haven't said it enough, VERY picky eaters. I put two into a mature 70gal with ample LR. They picked at the rock for a while, but IMO that isn't really a complete diet for any fish.

Weeks later, they both died after refusing to eat everything I offered them. One thing I noticed is how shy they are. They never did acclimate to seeing me feed the tank, went into hidding and didn't come out until food was god.

IF I tried again, they would go into small QT where I could better observe their eating, but for me I think this one is off limits. There are many other Angels out their that eat much better (flame, rusty, pgmy, etc).