Regal Angel Primer

[vamaro]

After losing a Regal a couple of years ago, I did not think that I would try again. Yesterday, I stopped by my LFS to see a nice Atlantic Blue tang. There was two Regals in the same tank with the Blue Tang. This place has Regals often but I never bother to see if they eat becasue they normally dont.

When food was dropped in the tank, the Regal chased after the food like a hungry tang! I had them bag it up Regal and I purchased the same food the Regal was eating which is Spirulina flakes and pellets.

I have a 30 gallon established QT with rock and sand. I put the Regal in there to treat it for flukes overnight. The Regal ate 10 minutes after being in the QT.

I just moved her into my display today. I know better and usually use my QT but the Regal wont last in the 30 gallon tank for two weeks. My display is a FOWLR and I can dose with Cupramine if I need too as I have done this in the past without any issue.

So far, none of my fish have even given the Regal a second look and there are no other angels in the tank. I will get a pic up shortly.

UPDATE - The Regal just ate in the display. Its been in the tank less than 2 hours. I hope it keeps eating........

 

[alton]

An update on my female which has been in my 100 gallon rubbermaid Tub that I use for QT for large angels. After 4 weeks she finally ate some yesterday. I got her from Quality Marine through my local fish store, same place I got my male. She came in very fat and healthy but stayed in the rock hidden only coming out if I turned the pumps off. I fed everyday even though I did not see her eat until yesterday. Hopefully she is over the hump. Hoping I can have all three of my regals in my 3oo by Christmas? Following everyones ideas on this thread has helped with all three. The best where having rock in the QT tank, keeping a cleaner shrimp with them, and trying almost every food on the market to get them to eat.

 

[Chicago]

question when you QT the regals.. did you do it in a tank with rock..or bare bottom. did you do copper and did they tolerat copper well. i was doing great with mine in a QT tank with some rock only.. no copper.. today he is not eating and breathing a little harder than normal and is basically in a holding swim.. i mean he is mid water in the 20 GAllon QT tank in a facing up swim position. i do not see any signs of ICK. Thinking of putting in some copper.. i have been doing water changes every other day. yester day a llittle anomia spike.. looking at the food but not eating today.. thoughts

thanks

 

[alton]

No copper and about 20 lbs of live rock. A friend told me no copper unless you need to. At week six she has gotten very friendly, waits to eat from a spoon. I also added a juvenile blue face which helps on feeding. It seems to make her less shy with two fish feeding? She has lost some weight but with her eating much better I am still shooting for an introduction into my 300 with my male by Christmas. I saw a blue belly sub adult in my fish store yestersday, and like my juvenile eats very well. Maybe collectors should leave adults in the ocean and only collect juveniles?

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Mine was in a bare tank with pvc for hiding. No live rock. It went through Cupramine just fine.

You will need to remove your live rock if you use Cupramine or other copper. What other biofilter do you have?

Why did you get the ammonia spike?

Have you used PraziPro to treat for flukes? Without visible signs of ick or velvet, I would treat for flukes and get rid of the ammonia before treating with Cupramine.

 

[Chicago]

got ammonia spike only a little.. per the seachem in tank monitor.. you now the tab.. just a little.. so will do a water change. i think flukes is the correct call.. trying not to do cupramine.. which means take the rock out which i think helps with the regals

spike was from feeding..

 

[rhinonm]

The best where having rock in the QT tank, keeping a cleaner shrimp with them, and trying almost every food on the market to get them to eat.[/QUOTE]


From my experience: I recieved a 4" yellow belly regal 10 days ago (bzaquatics). I placed him in a 10g qt with good filtration (100g bubbble magus skimmer) display tank rock (created a cave).

The fish came with what I believe is lymph. Kinda (very small) white growths on the body. I added a blood shrimp on day 4 and he immediatly went to work removing most of the growths.

On day 9 I gave him a 1 hr bath in fish flox (cipro) a wide spectrum antibacterial in a 5 gallon bucket and rereleased him into the qt.

Day 10- After offering the fish everything under the sun to include mussles on half shef, clams on a half shell, formula 1 flake, mysis, pellet, and angel formula I got him to eat formula 1 flake floating on the surface. I do notice a consistency in this thread about flake floating on the surface!! He followed by accepting mysis shortly after,

I am very pleased because I belive if I can get him nutrition he will beat the lymph. I do not know if the antibiotic, stable, stress free and clean water, or time got him to eat.

 

[stuifbol]

Still doing good...

 

[caribfan]

question when you QT the regals.. did you do it in a tank with rock..or bare bottom. did you do copper and did they tolerat copper well. i was doing great with mine in a QT tank with some rock only.. no copper.. today he is not eating and breathing a little harder than normal and is basically in a holding swim.. i mean he is mid water in the 20 GAllon QT tank in a facing up swim position. i do not see any signs of ICK. Thinking of putting in some copper.. i have been doing water changes every other day. yester day a llittle anomia spike.. looking at the food but not eating today.. thoughts

thanks

Disclaimer: I have not owned a Regal before, but I have owned many other angels and difficult fish, including moorish idols.

It sounds to me like flukes. This may be a little old school, but I would do a freshwater dip on the fish and see if anything comes off. If it is in good health, the fish should be able to last for up to 10 minutes, and I have even seen recommendations of 30 minutes. Be sure to match temperature and pH and obviously if using tap water treat for residual chlorine.

If it is flukes, Prazipro is a highly used treatment and I have also had good luck with De Los. The treatment period of De Los is longer, but it also kills fluke eggs, which Prazipro does not.

Hopefully your angel gets better. I was cruising the primer because I am getting ready to pull the trigger on a regal from my LFS. I'll post pictures if the deal goes down. Good Luck!

 

[roni]

Great thread! I recently got an indo regal which is hanging out in my frag tank. He's eating pellets aggressively and looking at flake and mysis (which is better then the juvenile imperator in there that is only eating frozen mussels).

They hang out together and have been doing great. After I got the regal, however, I got an opportunity to buy a pair of regals that has been in captivity for 4 years and was actually collected together.

I've gone from no regals to a possible trio. I know Copps had a trio but I believe he added them separately. I know others have had pairs that they either introduced together or separately.

My concern is that since the pair is a bonded pair, I wonder if they'll accept a third. My thought was to get the single eating well and then introduce him to the display. Then introduce the pair to the system as well. I figure since he'll already be in there, the single will be less likely to get picked on.

Any other thoughts/suggestions?

 

[roni]

double post

 

[rgentry123]

Just received a tiny regal from LA on Tuesday, I know it hasn't been that long but it came in a little thin and hasn't taken to any food yet that I've seen, I've tried clams on 1/2 she'll, my sis, brine, cyclopeeze, squid and emerald entree and so far no bites. Any suggestions to get it eating or just more time.

 

[Laddy]

Just received a tiny regal from LA on Tuesday, I know it hasn't been that long but it came in a little thin and hasn't taken to any food yet that I've seen, I've tried clams on 1/2 she'll, my sis, brine, cyclopeeze, squid and emerald entree and so far no bites. Any suggestions to get it eating or just more time.

Is it in quarantine or no?

Right now variety is key along with known attractors like garlic soak. G/L

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Just received a tiny regal from LA on Tuesday, I know it hasn't been that long but it came in a little thin and hasn't taken to any food yet that I've seen, I've tried clams on 1/2 she'll, my sis, brine, cyclopeeze, squid and emerald entree and so far no bites. Any suggestions to get it eating or just more time.

Depending on the fish, it could take up to a week or 10 days for the fish to start eating. Two days is too soon to worry.

I would focus on feeding Hikari mysis and Hikari spirulina-enriched brine shrimp. Are you using those? Try them with and without being soaked in garlic extract.

You also might try some live brine if it doesn't start eating the frozen mysis and brine by Sunday.

Is the fish in a qt or the dt competing with your other fish.

Make sure to maintain water quality high and that the regal isn't being hassled by other fish.

 

[orangegoby]

got a 5.5" indo adult 4 weeks ago, so far so good,
was eating pellets(from surface) the 3rd day.
no qt, straight into the dt with egg crate divider away from the tank boss.
was eating steadily every day. need to train him eat flakes or else he wouldn't be able to compete with other aggressive tank mates.
i love this fish, he got style.

 

[rgentry123]

I didn't qt mine - I was afraid with his small size that he may not eat frozen or prepared foods for a while so I at least wanted him to have well established Kristin to graze on. I'm on day 4 now and still not eating. I know it's early a I have had regales before but with this one being so small and skinny already it's just got me a little worried. Clams on 1/2 shell go my others eating but so far this one really hasn't taken to them yet like I was hoping.

 

[roni]

Just received a tiny regal from LA on Tuesday, I know it hasn't been that long but it came in a little thin and hasn't taken to any food yet that I've seen, I've tried clams on 1/2 she'll, my sis, brine, cyclopeeze, squid and emerald entree and so far no bites. Any suggestions to get it eating or just more time.

I've been very lucky getting non eaters to go after live blackworms. They are messy and pollute the water but very few fish (other then my imperator, who is scared of everything) can resist the wriggling.

The other go to food which you've tried is the black mussels you can buy at the global foods in woodbridge (since you're down in fburg).

The other thing is that small regals are somewhat timid. If you've got other boisterous fish, it may not eat simply out of fear. If you've got the ability to qt, you may want to consider it for a short time, if for no reason then to let the fish eat in peace.

 

[roni]

Great thread! I recently got an indo regal which is hanging out in my frag tank. He's eating pellets aggressively and looking at flake and mysis (which is better then the juvenile imperator in there that is only eating frozen mussels).

They hang out together and have been doing great. After I got the regal, however, I got an opportunity to buy a pair of regals that has been in captivity for 4 years and was actually collected together.

I've gone from no regals to a possible trio. I know Copps had a trio but I believe he added them separately. I know others have had pairs that they either introduced together or separately.

My concern is that since the pair is a bonded pair, I wonder if they'll accept a third. My thought was to get the single eating well and then introduce him to the display. Then introduce the pair to the system as well. I figure since he'll already be in there, the single will be less likely to get picked on.

Any other thoughts/suggestions?

Anyone have any thoughts/experiences?

 

[john37]

Anyone have any thoughts/experiences?

how big is the current pair? how big is the tank? what other fish?
when i had my tank up i had two regals that were about 3" and i introduced two larger 5" regals about 3 years after. had no problems but could have been bc the newly introduced regals were so much larger.

 

[roni]

how big is the current pair? how big is the tank? what other fish?
when i had my tank up i had two regals that were about 3" and i introduced two larger 5" regals about 3 years after. had no problems but could have been bc the newly introduced regals were so much larger.

270 with a large fish population (multiple dwarf angels and tangs, navarcus angel and moorish idol are the bigger fish).

3" regal currently, the pair is 3.5 and 4". Good to hear about yours. Were the 2 originally added a pair or just singles? Same with the 2 that you added?

When added, did they socialize or just avoid each other?