Regal Angel Primer

NY Aquatic had a 1" specimen from Bali the last time I checked ( yesterday).
I've never ordered from him but I've heard good things.
 
Man this a really long read but very, very informative here but I was wandering for the QT for Regals what all needs to be in there for them so they want get stressed out and how big of at QT do you need for them?
 
My QT just consisted of a 58 gallon tank filled up 1/3 of the way with two other fish (Tomini tang and Purple tang,both significantly smaller than Regal itself), a skimmer sitting in the tank, and some PVC fittings for cover for the fish to hide out in if scared.

The other fish needed to be QT'd also and "taught" the Regal to eat other foods she didnt recognize initially.

Nick
 
My ~3" regal is in a 20 long QT with a moorish idol and it is plenty of room. I have a 3" pvc pipe and a 4" pvc elbow for hiding. The regal is not as active a swimmer as the idol. It hides some but comes right out when there is food in the tank.
 
In my experiance, they are not MORE sensitive than other fish, but rather, much slower at adapting to captivity than most other fish. I've had two Regal's, (lost the first one in an accident involving my Ritteri anemone), and both took about a year to become fully aclimated to my system and begin eating with gusto and enthusiasm. Once you get them eating regularly and a healthy mix of food, its just a matter of time for them to become the boss fish. My IO Regal actually got bullied by a smaller Doliatus Rabbit in the tank while getting acclimated....The Rabbit got yanked quickly.

Nick
 
IMO there is no significant difference. Other than handling after collection. I have both a grey and yellow belly, both acclimated about the same.
 
IMO there is no significant difference. Other than handling after collection. I have both a grey and yellow belly, both acclimated about the same.

Agreed.

Both of mine acclimated about the same, (one Red Sea, the other an Indo Pacific). I would suggest buying from a reputable dealer who legitmately takes care of their livestock and go from there.

The old adage of Red Sea Regals being in better shape used to be due to the Red Sea Collectors having a shorter supply line, and better control of how many hands their fish passed through before reaching the end purchaser. Now days, fish collectors have almost all stepped up their collection and holding techniques and the fish are all in better shape because of it.

Regals of any kind are still by no means "easy" IMO. But its easier to get a healthy one and get it acclimated to captivity.

Nick
 
Not the update I wanted to give

Not the update I wanted to give

My regal never took to eating mysis. In the last month he begin to eat less and less. I started trying to feed alternative foods (shrimp pieces, clam, melon etc) but with little success. I was feeding brine three or four times per day and the poor guy would only eat 3 or 4 shrimp per day, if he came out at all. In the last two weeks he would actually hide in the rockwork when I came in the room. This past weekend I found him, obviously starved. Such a beautiful fish, what a shame:( For the record he was a 4.5" Sumatran yellow belly from DD.
 
My regal never took to eating mysis. In the last month he begin to eat less and less. I started trying to feed alternative foods (shrimp pieces, clam, melon etc) but with little success. I was feeding brine three or four times per day and the poor guy would only eat 3 or 4 shrimp per day, if he came out at all. In the last two weeks he would actually hide in the rockwork when I came in the room. This past weekend I found him, obviously starved. Such a beautiful fish, what a shame:( For the record he was a 4.5" Sumatran yellow belly from DD.

Sorry to hear that. Regal angels are difficult to wean into prepared food but buying from DD gave you a better chance. I'm curious as to whether you treated the regal with prazi or not? I got a greytail angel a year ago and I couldn't get it to eat then within a month it starved to death. It came in skinny so I didn't dare to treat with prazi and I was hoping everyday that it would start eating but that never happened.
 
I'm curious as to whether you treated the regal with prazi or not?

I didn't do any treatments during or after acclimation in the DT. His tankmates (a wrasse and three anthias) gave him a wide birth but he was scared of his own shadow. He did not like something about mysis, sometimes he would eat it and spit it out. He was large enough were they should not have been a problem, so it had to be something else he didn't like (soaking in garlic didn't work either). That's as far as I got.
 
I had a Regal for a month or so eating like a pig and all, but as I reached the 5th week things started changing. It's eating changed, it started hiding more. Velvet was It's death...I did not catch it in time.
 
My Regal is eating clams, should i go to the grocery and see if the have any fresh clams? and if so how should i feed them? sorry i don't know much about clams...
 
Mine eat clams for the grocery store, make sure they are closed up tight when you buy them, put one in a bowl with hot hot water for a could mins to open it enough to get a knife in there and open it up, then drop in tank and freeze the rest.
 
I have never fed precooked clams so I'm not sure, I can't see why it would hurt but your regal may not like them as much.
 
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