Regal Angel Primer

doody, there is NO WAY I can take out the tangs or any of the fish for that matter, my rock work is complicated...

There is always a way...

Your best shot at success is to get rid of the tangs at least on a temporary basis. Thats what I did.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=707656

Otherwise your regal may not eat well initially. I would not do the net/cage thing.

I would recommend my favorite which is the small fish hook method
 
sorry, maybe i got psyched out a bit.

any way, what i am trying to say is that i got many different caves, and many openings. this is no normal rockwork, i once tried all of the methods by calfo, non worked.
 
In general I find tangs to be relatively easy to trap. You get a clear plastic container--they got 'em in the pet store for like keeping hermit crabs. you leave the top middle open. bait the bottom with food. Leave it in there for several days. You need a string or something that allows you to fairly rapidly pull the container up. When fish are spooked they swim down, not up, so when you rapidly reel up the container, the fish swim farther down into the container. This method works well with greedy feeders like tangs.
 
They can be a physical threat. I had to remove a yellow tang that suddenly turned violent on my regal angel and it was a bit smaller than the regal. It left a nice gash on the regals side.

There are no guarantees. Tangs are food blackholes and your regal may not get any food. Try to remove the tang for best chance at success.

Dont be fooled. Steve Atkin's regal is an anomaly and most regals need all the help they can get for success, or they will die.
 
Try using some mirrors round the tank. I use these for a day or so whenever I introduce a new fish. Usually the fish already in the tank spend more time dealing with their own reflection than with the new fish. Not all fish are fooled but it does reduce the overall level of interest in the new fish.

My Regal is certainly not one to regard as typical.

Steve
 
I personally would never introduce a regal angel into an established tank with tangs. We already know how difficult it is to start this fish in captivity. It makes sense to reduce the amount of stress as humanly possible. Especially in the beginning!!
 
I personally would never introduce a regal angel into an established tank with tangs. We already know how difficult it is to start this fish in captivity. It makes sense to reduce the amount of stress as humanly possible. Especially in the beginning!!
 
So, I don't understand what are the downsides of putting it in a plastic cage (big) which floats, for a day or two, that way the tangs can take out their aggression on the cage and i can observe if there even is an aggression, don't u think?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6523743#post6523743 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elekamit
So, I don't understand what are the downsides of putting it in a plastic cage (big) which floats, for a day or two, that way the tangs can take out their aggression on the cage and i can observe if there even is an aggression, don't u think?

It'll stress the regal out.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6514928#post6514928 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Steve Atkins
ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¢ How big is the Regal relative to the tangs?
ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¢ What sort of temperament does the Regal have?

Mine went in with a tang about 3 times its mass and it was chased quite a bit for the first couple of months by this and a few other fish. The Regals temperament meant that it just rode it's way through all this, but I do not think all regals are so unflustered by being chased. It gets on OK with that tang now and has established itself at about 3rd in the pecking order behind the tang and a very large Javanese damsel.

Steve
did you put the regal in your 400 gallon reef? If so your results in a 125 might be a little different.
 
did you put the regal in your 400 gallon reef? If so your results in a 125 might be a little different.
Yes, straight into a 400 USG with about 23 other fish, all but a few of them smaller than the Regal. I also put in a yellow tang plus 4 small damsels at the same time and they, especially the tang, shared of the agression. The Regal and the tang used to hide out in the same hole and it must have been a good bonding experience since they still both 'sleep' more or less in the same spot.

A 125 might be quite a bit different if is were reasonably stocked.

Steve
 
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I'm trying all over the online vendors for a red sea regal of around 2-2.5 inches. You guys know where I might find one in good condition?

Thanks
 
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