Potters angelfish question

t4zalews

t4zalews

65g Ritteri Tank
If I were to get a potters angel, should it be the first fish added to the tank? To make sure that it is eating well? My tank usually stays around 78 degrees. I've read temp can be an issue with this fish. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Hmm, depends on what you plan on keeping with it.
Actually, no, your tank sounds too young to me. Potter's can get aggressive, first fish in tank is a no no. Its sort of like cycling your tank with a damselfish. Which owns the whole tank for ever after!
Less aggressive fish go first..
And also, your LR might not have enough for it to graze while it acclimates to captive foodstuffs. Potter's can be tricky in this regard. I just cannot get over all the textbooks that classify them as "easy" angelfish to keep. There aren't many angels that are easy, for that matter.
Hold off for now, IMHO.

Sincerely,
Matthew
 
Would try to get the temps down a bit.

What are the other (( possible )) tank mates?
New tank or already running?

They can be difficult to get feeding, so a tank with mature live rock goes a long way, and not having aggressive fish competing for food will help too --- in my experiences with them, once they are feeding on prepared foods they compete just fine.
 
I had to restart my tank due to a dino outbreak, a recent power outage killed all my fish so I'm in the planning stages for new fish in the tank. I'm waiting a couple weeks to get any more fish, I currently have one chromis. The Potter could be the last fish I put in the tank, so probably like 6 months away.

I'm thinking of getting a pair swissgaurd basslets, a pair of picasso perculas and the potters. I've always had a flame angel, but wanted to go perhaps with something different this time around. I want one larger fish in the tank.
 
I had a Potters for months that never ate prepared food that I saw. I lost it during a power outtage, but it was fat when it died. Lots of mature rock with micro algae is the way to go with these guys. Also it should probably be the only grazer. I did not see any aggressive behavior with the one I had.
 
So it wont eat nori? I'd consider that to be micro algae. Why the stress on a 1+ year tank? Ive had dwarf angels before..this isnt my first one. Everyone one had died of extreme causes...i had a flame that i had for 3 years that jumped and my last one died with all the other fish because of a power outage.
 
If you can get the potter eating mysis/brine in a small qt tank prior to putting him in your display, you should be fine without a "mature" tank. At least in my experience. My tank was only 2 months old when I added my potters, all dry rock was used and it's one of the fatter fish in the tank. Loves hikari mysis, brine and all types of flake.
 
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Thing is, with Potter's a couple of months isn't much -- they have a habit of dying after 6+ months for no reason -- at least not a concrete one.
 
There is one on LA right now that I am contimplating getting. I need to wait at least two weeks for my tank to get back to equilibrium since I just had the die off. Is the main problem with these fish them eating, or the temperature? I do not have a QT tank because I believe in water quality and diet as all means of success and for the past 3 years this has been a success. I just wanna make sure that a potter angel is feasible and not something that I cannot house. If the big problem is dietary needs, I can happily meet them. It would be the show fish in my tank.
 
I have experienced that. but still wouldn't want to attempt one without mature live rock.

Temps could very well be the issue, since they are from cooler waters.
 
Toddrtrex said:
I have experienced that. but still wouldn't want to attempt one without mature live rock.

Temps could very well be the issue, since they are from cooler waters.
Click to expand...

I'll cross my fingers mine makes it. It literally eats whatever it can fit in it's mouth so hopefully it will!
 
If certain algaes are an issue...I can grow something different in my refugium besides the chaeto. maybe a red kelp.

I dont plan on getting aggressive fish so it would be the most aggressive fish in the tank. I can easily wait 6 months to get this fish. I just want a really wow fish as my final one. If it needs to be the first I can wait 6 months.

Todd, Ive seen your tank before and I like it very much. Do Potters have a tendency to nip SPS corals? or clam mantles? The tank is strictly SPS and clams, probably a meteor cypahstrea as well
 
t4zalews said:
(A) There is one on LA right now that I am contimplating getting.

(B) I do not have a QT tank because I believe in water quality and diet as all means of success and for the past 3 years this has been a success.

(C) I just wanna make sure that a potter angel is feasible and not something that I cannot house. If the big problem is dietary needs, I can happily meet them.
Click to expand...
(A) On LA, or Divers Den?...BIG difference...
(B) IMO... Without the QT...your success is more 'luck' than water quality and diet.

(C)
Toddrtrex said:
Thing is, with Potter's a couple of months isn't much -- they have a habit of dying after 6+ months for no reason -- at least not a concrete one.
Click to expand...
 
The one I have now is going on two years old. From the beginning, she would eat just about anything. I feed her mostly Rod's herbivore blend, P.E. mysis shrimp, flake with 43% protein and grazes on LR. (Plump and very colorful!) I keep my water temp around 78 to 80 degrees fahrenheit and have a lot of holes and openings in my rock work for her to feel safe. Salinity is 35ppt. Was eating pellet foods at LFS Before buying her.
 
IME a couple of things seems key to potters. Long term temps should be mid to low 70's. QT with a tank with lots of algae, treat for flukes with Prazipro (2 rounds.) As far as feeding they seem to really like to eat small meaty food particles when the water is flowing pretty good. Many times they remind me of anthias or clownfish hoovering in the water stream eating the small bits of food racing by them. Also try all types of foods (flakes, pellets, mysis, brine, cyclopeeze, etc) as some potters may latch onto only a certain food at first before they start eating a variety. I have one potters that only really ate veggie flakes for the first 3 months. One food that most fish really seem to do well on is Hikari small mysis.
 
I had a beautiful potters for almost 2 years. He was by far my favorite fish. My reef was a year old before I added him. He ate every prepared food I ever put in the tank since day one. Sadly one morning I found him on the floor. When selecting a fish like this try to find one that looks very very healthy and eats at the store. I also recomend having the LFS employee catch him in a net and transer him to a specimen container without allowing him to leave the water thus enusring his spine does not get caught. They are great fish but be patient and select a healthy eater and also let your tank age for atleast 6 months (longfer the better).
 
i've had mine a few years now? i contribute his sucess to good acclimation. i used a crunchy10 g qt tank with mature live rock/sand. i didn't clean the glass/had a bunch of pods. he picked for weeks. then gradually accepted frozen. i used several types. i did 2 rounds of prazi after he was eating well. his appetite improved after treatment. he eat's everything and tollerates higher heat (82 at peak summer) very active,constant grazing.
 
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