Regal Angel Primer

[this is me]

Also, forgot to mention that the GBR is super easy to catch. It won't go into the rocks. It sleeps outside the rocks and even when my hands were in the hand with an acrylic container and an algae scraper, it won't go into hiding. I just guided it into the container. Is this normal? The fish is not weak or anything but it does showing some weight loss as expecting from but getting its full meal.

 

[OrionN]

Also, forgot to mention that the GBR is super easy to catch. It won't go into the rocks. It sleeps outside the rocks and even when my hands were in the hand with an acrylic container and an algae scraper, it won't go into hiding. I just guided it into the container. Is this normal? The fish is not weak or anything but it does showing some weight loss as expecting from but getting its full meal.

That does not sound good. It seem that he is too weak to try to evade your hand. Fish in this condition usually last 1-2 days.
Can you post a picture?

 

[this is me]

I don't know how much time the fish have left. I feel that I've done everything I could to try to get it to eat. Moving it to the refugium is the best I can do right now since there's just too much more aggressive feeders in the display. I'll try to get a picture of it in its current state.
But here's a video of the tank a couple days ago.

 

[albano]

I've been looking at Pete's website for weeks now, and it doesn't seem to change or update at all. It says that he always has YBR's. His website looks nice initially, but since it never changes, it worries me. Not much info on here about Pete's.

From what I've heard about 'Pete's' (local to me) is that he has basically NO inventory...he buys from wholesalers to fill orders

 

[BigBlueTang]

From what I've heard about 'Pete's' (local to me) is that he has basically NO inventory...he buys from wholesalers to fill orders

Okay sorry if i missed something, or if this is a bad question, but what is pete's? Do you guys mean peter from coral imports? Because i have only heard amazing things about them.

 

[this is me]

Petesfishplace.com out of NY

 

[phk36]

Try this

 

[phk36]

I have a video but can't post it. Try the small pellets mine came eating them already

 

[this is me]

I've tried NLS pellets, New Era algae pellets, Formula one, Formula Two, Seachem flake, Omega one pellets, Omega One flake but all the pieces just floats by it. I've fed the tank so much trying to get it eats that I'm seeing algae on the sand. My PO4 has gone up to 0.01ppm. I keep my PO4 level very low.

 

[Giovanni]

In that video the fish does not look super thin. With it in the sump and no other fish around while food it present, it will start eating.

 

[this is me]

Fish is in the refugium. Not sump with potential life threatening equipment.

 

[albano]

With it in the sump and no other fish around while food it present, it will start eating.

Hopefully...certainly no guarantee of that happening

 

[horseplay]

Regal Angel Primer

Mine ate very little other than grazing on the rocks for a month. I gave up on trying different food. It really lost a lot of weight. But it has since made a come back eating flakes (any kind) and blackworms frozen. It is still not eating as much as other Regals. And I did two rounds of full tank prazi treatments too to make sure there is no internal parasite. My point is once we provide a nice environment all you can do is wait. Some will live some will not.

 

[ThRoewer]

Sorry to hear this. Smaller ones must be more difficult to keep alive.

The problem with the little ones is that they have no reserves. That basically gives you no time to get them to eat. If they don't eat on the second or third day they are pretty much doomed. I would not get another one this small that isn't eating at the store.

I feel regals do best when placed straight into a reef tank with plenty of sponges and pods. Ideally they are also the first large fish in the tank. All their tank mates need to be mellow and calm fish. The worst you can do is to place them in a tank with lots of busy fish. Tangs are likely the worst possible tank mates during the acclimatization phase. On the other hand fish like gramma, marine betta or gobies are ideal.

I've been looking at Pete's website for weeks now, and it doesn't seem to change or update at all. It says that he always has YBR's. His website looks nice initially, but since it never changes, it worries me. Not much info on here about Pete's.

NYAquatics seems like a good source, but guarantees only live delivery. Also, NYAquatics only gives store credit like many other online retailers. If your willing to take the risk, NY Aquatics has a True Red Sea right now. $209 bucks plus shipping which will probably be $60 or more because the box is going to be 18 pounds. Not sure how that works considering the Indo regal he is selling that is one inch less in size is shipping for 8 pounds....HUMMMMMM

I was talking about NYAquatic. The issue with ordering a fish unseen is that you can't judge it yourself. So you have to rely on the expertise and honesty of the store and that they only sell you a fish that actually has a chance to make it. For regals that means 1. the fish is eating, 2. the fish is acting normal and alert and finally 3. the fish has no symptoms of disease.

As I stated above, not yet acclimated regals need to go straight into an established tank, so a traditional quarantine is out of the question. If the fish arrives sick and needs treatment its chances of making it are rather slim.

Also, forgot to mention that the GBR is super easy to catch. It won't go into the rocks. It sleeps outside the rocks and even when my hands were in the hand with an acrylic container and an algae scraper, it won't go into hiding. I just guided it into the container. Is this normal? The fish is not weak or anything but it does showing some weight loss as expecting from but getting its full meal.

Regals, especially if fresh to a tank ,are usually shy and skittish. My two are now feeding well and the submissive one is even coming out into the open water above the corals when I feed the tank. But he is always on high alert and ready flee. If something startles him he darts straight back into the rocks.

A fresh regal that can be caught this easily in a fully decorated tank likely has a problem. Add to that the fact that he isn't eating and I wouldn't want to rule out that he was caught with cyanide or otherwise damages during collection and transport.

I would be very careful with yellow bellies from Indonesia as their collection methods may often involve cyanide. Another issue is the transport from the collection sites to the exporter.

When it comes to yellow belly regals I would only go either with Red Sea or Maldives specimen as those are guaranteed net caught and handled properly.

I don't know how much time the fish have left. I feel that I've done everything I could to try to get it to eat. Moving it to the refugium is the best I can do right now since there's just too much more aggressive feeders in the display. I'll try to get a picture of it in its current state.
But here's a video of the tank a couple days ago.

That tank is way too busy for a regal that isn't yet fully adapted to tank life and frozen food.
The refugium will hopefully be better.

 

[Fin Mike]

Mine ate very little other than grazing on the rocks for a month. I gave up on trying different food. It really lost a lot of weight. But it has since made a come back eating flakes (any kind) and blackworms frozen. It is still not eating as much as other Regals. And I did two rounds of full tank prazi treatments too to make sure there is no internal parasite. My point is once we provide a nice environment all you can do is wait. Some will live some will not.

I agree. I think you have to be willing to fail, and be willing to take losses. It sucks taking losses, but if the goal is to end up with one, then you have to have a strategy for coming up successful.

I've been thinking about this a great deal, and would like to present the advantages and disadvantages in regards to individual policies when ordering Regal Angels from online retailers.

LA Diver Den- high price tag, free shipping, 14 day guarantee, refund of money if it dies. Because of their acclimation process and moderate prophylactic treatments, I would say the rate of success would be higher than others

LA- random success, medium price tag, free shipping, 14 day guarantee, refund of money if it dies.

NY Aquatics- Not sure about chance for success, but Michael does state that he sells only specimens that are eating. Low price tag, no free shipping, live arrival only guarantee, refund of money if it dies during shipping minus shipping cost.

Coral Imports- Random success (didn't work out too well for me), low-medium price tag, free shipping if it's 250 or more, 14 day guarantee, store credit if it dies within the 14 day period.

Blue zoo- Random success. No guarantee as far as I can tell. Medium-high price tag, free shipping over $140

Petesfishplace.com- Random success, low -medium price tag, free shipping over $150, 14 day guarantee, refund or store credit.

Let me define what I am calling "random success". LA- DD puts their fish through a process to get them eating and in top shape. As far as I know, no other retailer goes to the same lengths with their livestock or claims that they do. So basically it's either hit or miss.

With that being said, it really comes down to a few categories: Shipping, guarantee, refund policy, price, and odds of success.

Which one is the best? I have my thoughts, but I would like other to opine........What do you think?

 

[Giovanni]

I have purchased a ton of Fish from LADD. I have lost my share of fish from them also. Even some just a couple days after the 14 days guarantee. Thing is I have been doing this a while and I can keep all but the worst fish alive for a couple weeks.

MY suggestion is take a chance on a dealer, and if they are honest stick with them even if you loose a fish or two at your own expense. We are not buying gold fish from petsmart, wal-mart and the like.

I do prefer WSISUG on anything over $100 though and especially delicate fish. A head on shot on finicky eaters is a must in my book.

 

[Giovanni]

I just ordered a Red Sea from Michael. Will be here tomorrow. He will go in an established 40g breeder QT. I will be pulling about 50 lbs of live rock from my DT sump and placing it in the QT for it to graze on. I also will wash a big ball of cheato from the DT sump in the QT to put pods and such in there for it. He says they are eating frozen blood worms there so this may be overkill.

 

[Fin Mike]

I just ordered a Red Sea from Michael. Will be here tomorrow. He will go in an established 40g breeder QT. I will be pulling about 50 lbs of live rock from my DT sump and placing it in the QT for it to graze on. I also will wash a big ball of cheato from the DT sump in the QT to put pods and such in there for it. He says they are eating frozen blood worms there so this may be overkill.

Let us know how it goes. Have you ordered from him before? His alive arrival only guarantee concerns me greatly. Also, it said that the shipping on it was 18 lbs. Let us know if the package is 18 lbs please.

 

[Giovanni]

Let us know how it goes. Have you ordered from him before? His alive arrival only guarantee concerns me greatly. Also, it said that the shipping on it was 18 lbs. Let us know if the package is 18 lbs please.

Never ordered from him before. I requested a photo or two and he sent me a short low quality video he made with his phone. The fish looked good as far as I can tell. Most LFSs only give a warranty to the door so arrive alive seems comparable. This is the first time I have ordered any fish online that did not come from LADD so we will see how it goes. I will keep you posted for sure.

 

[horseplay]

I ordered from petco.com (no longer exists independently) and the fish was shipped from the importer directly. I feel it's the best way to get it. No LFS/Online vendor has the magic power to acclimate the fish better than a hobbyist can (with effort). The fewer the stops the better. Plenty of people buy a eating fish and only to see it perish in their tank. So I think the best way to do it is to get a nice fat strong wild fish in as many stops as possible and leave it alone to adjust.

And no tangs. Regals need to be the dominant fish in the tank (at least at the beginning).