Regal Angel Primer
- Thread starter DJPB
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ThRoewer
New member
Sorry to hear about your loss Minh, what happened?
One week now and my 55 mm Maldives regal from the LA sale is eating Mysis like crazy. When I got him he had a pretty hollow stomach, but by now he recovered enough that I'm no longer worried too much.
I feel the key is to have them with lots of other small fish to feel safe. This guy shares a 10 gallon QT with a neon and 3 orchid dottybacks (which ensures constant fights), 3 banggais (2 paired up and started to beat the extra male) and a mandarin female. It's a battle zone with only one bigger Real Reef rock as decoration in the tank. Saturday I got to separate the combatants before they kill each other...
Despite being the smallest fish in this war zone he is not a bit afraid or shy. He is by now begging for food when he sees me.
With my 73 mm Sumatra regal I'm no longer sure it is a Yellow Belly. He looks yellow so far, but has a rather pale greenish tailfin instead of a yellow like my other Sumatra regals. Since all my Sumatra regals were imported from Bali, this one could have been caught east of the yellow to blue division line - I guess time will tell. At that size they are usually all still yellow in their chest and cheek area, but the tailfin of juveniles is greenish clear with the Pacific blue-grays, pale yellow with the Indian Ocean YB and orange-yellow with Red Sea YB.
This one eats for two and is also not shy at all, I assume due to the smaller marine betta always hanging out in the open water.
The male of my Sumatra pair is by now almost as fat a the female - as soon as they see me they come and beg for food. Unfortunately all that feeding has gotten the nitrates and phosphates up dangerously high. These two are kind of skittish and only really out when chasing food. I suspect this is due to the lack of other fish that are out in the open a lot. Only the damsel is out on a regular basis, the blenny adds even more nervousness, the mandarins don't count, the last orchid dottyback hardly ever leaves the cover of the rocks and the clowns don't even leave their anemone for food.
I would need to add some fish that are more out in the open, but which?
I'm thinking of getting another of those Maldives babies before they are gone ... if I just knew where to put a 7th regal :headwally:
alton
Well-known member
Go to post 4394 for what I did when they came in, neither one is in any medications today
Salty150
New member
OrionN
Moved on
I have too many crook and crannies in my refugium. I was never able to feed my baby regal well. I. Addition to this I was too busy the last few weeks hand light on at 7 AM and off at 8 PM so I have a chance to feed the fish 3 times a day but was too busy the last few weeks. Not able to go home at been and get home after light out. I was only able to feed him once a day and at early AM at that. He has never comfortable enough to eat well in AM. No lunch and dinner he just wasted away. RIP
OrionN
Moved on
There were lots of sponges. That was what I thought. I was not worry because I saw him pick things off the rock and ripped the algae and eat it. I guess it was not enough. Either that or not all sponges are the same. I saw him not swimming well Wed. That was the last I saw him. Must have ran into the carpet after that. I turn the refugium up side down to look for him but did not find him.
I did not blame my carpet. Sick fish just get eaten. That is a fact of life in my tank. When he was well he use the carpet as protection. I have seen all my Regal angels do this.
I did not blame my carpet. Sick fish just get eaten. That is a fact of life in my tank. When he was well he use the carpet as protection. I have seen all my Regal angels do this.
ThRoewer
New member
The lights of my large system are on from 10:00 to 01:00. The 42 gallon tank and the QTs have the light on from 09:00 to 00:00 - that gives me usually enough time to feed them at least twice, even if I get home late.
I'm starting to doubt the hole idea that regals need a quiet tank with lots of hiding spaces - at least when it comes to singles (when getting two to make a pair it's a whole different animal and enough refuge places are absolutely required).
The little ones seem to feel more comfortable if there are some non-threatening other fish in the tank. A rather small tank is also preferable over a large one for acclimatization. My last two went into 10 gallon QTs with minimal decoration and rather rough tank mates (dottybacks, damsels,..) and did/do fine in there. I feel the competition entices them to be less picky and eat faster. Also seeing other fish gulping down the offered food seems to make it desirable to them.
I feel the notion that regal angels are difficult fish with specialized food requirements rather to be a myth. In the wild regal angels occupy a very broad range and a variety of ecological conditions from shallow lagoons and reef tops down to mesophotic depths and can be considered ecological generalists.
They eat what they can find in their habitat, from algae over corals and small crustacean to sponges. I have seen my Sumatra pair even munching on cyanobacteria patches.
Larger adults may cause problems because they may have somewhat specialized on the available foods in their home waters, though I somewhat doubt that based on reports I got from people visiting the Maldives and seeing them there even eat bread when offered. And here at the local store the large Sumatra regals are eating frozen foods just as fine as the small.
Juveniles are even more open to try new foods.
Whatever feeding problems are observed are most likely caused by improper handling somewhere on the supply chain that messed the fish up in one way or another.
Properly handled and healthy regals should not make much problems with taking food.
As for the sponges - I have lots of fleshy sponges in my tanks - just the kind my past Pacific regal pair loved to devour, but not one of my current regals even looks at them. I also tried to feed them the frozen angel mix that has sponges in it and they wouldn't have any of it.
I think they are still to small for sponges.
All my current regals like Mysis, Artemia (though I hardly ever feed it), frozen plankton and copepods and most even go after pellets.
Some of mine pick on zoas while others totally ignore them. The Pacific regal pair I had back in Germany loved zoas and annihilated them in no time. They also liked to take Kenya trees apart without actually eating them.
Over the years I had so far 12 regals and found these fish to be highly individual and each to have a somewhat different personality.
And while some took their time to start eating frozen foods, most accepted it from day one.
I'm starting to doubt the hole idea that regals need a quiet tank with lots of hiding spaces - at least when it comes to singles (when getting two to make a pair it's a whole different animal and enough refuge places are absolutely required).
The little ones seem to feel more comfortable if there are some non-threatening other fish in the tank. A rather small tank is also preferable over a large one for acclimatization. My last two went into 10 gallon QTs with minimal decoration and rather rough tank mates (dottybacks, damsels,..) and did/do fine in there. I feel the competition entices them to be less picky and eat faster. Also seeing other fish gulping down the offered food seems to make it desirable to them.
I feel the notion that regal angels are difficult fish with specialized food requirements rather to be a myth. In the wild regal angels occupy a very broad range and a variety of ecological conditions from shallow lagoons and reef tops down to mesophotic depths and can be considered ecological generalists.
They eat what they can find in their habitat, from algae over corals and small crustacean to sponges. I have seen my Sumatra pair even munching on cyanobacteria patches.
Larger adults may cause problems because they may have somewhat specialized on the available foods in their home waters, though I somewhat doubt that based on reports I got from people visiting the Maldives and seeing them there even eat bread when offered. And here at the local store the large Sumatra regals are eating frozen foods just as fine as the small.
Juveniles are even more open to try new foods.
Whatever feeding problems are observed are most likely caused by improper handling somewhere on the supply chain that messed the fish up in one way or another.
Properly handled and healthy regals should not make much problems with taking food.
As for the sponges - I have lots of fleshy sponges in my tanks - just the kind my past Pacific regal pair loved to devour, but not one of my current regals even looks at them. I also tried to feed them the frozen angel mix that has sponges in it and they wouldn't have any of it.
I think they are still to small for sponges.
All my current regals like Mysis, Artemia (though I hardly ever feed it), frozen plankton and copepods and most even go after pellets.
Some of mine pick on zoas while others totally ignore them. The Pacific regal pair I had back in Germany loved zoas and annihilated them in no time. They also liked to take Kenya trees apart without actually eating them.
Over the years I had so far 12 regals and found these fish to be highly individual and each to have a somewhat different personality.
And while some took their time to start eating frozen foods, most accepted it from day one.
I got this 3.5" regal from DD last week. Went into QT for a week for observation. Out of the bag it was already voraciously eating Hikari mysis and Hikari spirulina brine shrimp.
A few hours after i put it in DT it jumped, probably due to some chasing by some larger tangs. I had about a 1.5" wide gap at the back of the tank between the tank and mesh top. I didn't see it happen, but when I came back from doing some cleaning in the yard I couldn't find it. Looked behind the tank and it was wedge between a 1" gap between the stand and wall, about 2ft away from the edge of the tank, still moving and gasping. I used a metal yard stick wrapped with a paper towel to get it out. Put it back into DT in a box and it was back to normal within a minute. Luckily i had found it in time. I went to Home Depot and found some corrugated plastic sheet that I cut to cover the gap, so no more jumping!
Now it's eating 5-10 mysis per feeding, and I'm feeding 4x per day. Aggression from tangs disappeared after the first night in the tank.
It's by far the healthiest regal I've ever come across.
A few hours after i put it in DT it jumped, probably due to some chasing by some larger tangs. I had about a 1.5" wide gap at the back of the tank between the tank and mesh top. I didn't see it happen, but when I came back from doing some cleaning in the yard I couldn't find it. Looked behind the tank and it was wedge between a 1" gap between the stand and wall, about 2ft away from the edge of the tank, still moving and gasping. I used a metal yard stick wrapped with a paper towel to get it out. Put it back into DT in a box and it was back to normal within a minute. Luckily i had found it in time. I went to Home Depot and found some corrugated plastic sheet that I cut to cover the gap, so no more jumping!
Now it's eating 5-10 mysis per feeding, and I'm feeding 4x per day. Aggression from tangs disappeared after the first night in the tank.
It's by far the healthiest regal I've ever come across.
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I couldn't resist, especially when they're so small and cute and on sale....these arrived today from LA, one is 2" and the other is 2.5"
Both are in QT. The smaller one appears to have 3 ich spots on a pec fin. So both will go thru tank transfer method.
Within minutes of going into QT, both were already picking at spots on the glass and silicone looking for food. Gave them brine and mysis and both are eating well already. It's the first day and they've eaten at least 10 brine shrimp and 10 mysis. I keep adding a few every few hours and they are all eaten. Pretty impressive given their tiny size and delicate nature.
The smaller one is occasionally chasing and biting the larger one. I'll see if they make peace overnight and their behavior in the morning.
Both are in QT. The smaller one appears to have 3 ich spots on a pec fin. So both will go thru tank transfer method.
Within minutes of going into QT, both were already picking at spots on the glass and silicone looking for food. Gave them brine and mysis and both are eating well already. It's the first day and they've eaten at least 10 brine shrimp and 10 mysis. I keep adding a few every few hours and they are all eaten. Pretty impressive given their tiny size and delicate nature.
The smaller one is occasionally chasing and biting the larger one. I'll see if they make peace overnight and their behavior in the morning.
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OrionN
Moved on
I really agree with this. They cannot be with any fish that picks on them, but I think it is best to put hem with other fishes. Next try, I will have them in tank with one hiding place so that I will know exactly where they are so I can spot feed them rather than try to direct food to multiple places, and will have them with several small fish as ThRoewer suggested. I will lengthen photo periord so that I will have the time to feed them. Can't always come home at lunch but I must feed them in AM and PM, plus other time if I can.
Can you comment on the thickness of the yellow bands on the body? I find that the Red Sea Yellow bands are wider than the Blue chest yellow bands.
OrionN
Moved on
Man, you are lucky. You and and your Regal just dodged a bullet.
Fin Mike
New member
I bought one of the first of the Maldivian yellow bellies from DD three weeks ago. It's been in my qt for about two and a half weeks now. I've done no prophylactic medicating and she seems to be doing great. Not too shy and eats my homemade food preparations with eagerness. What I'm wondering is, is it out of the woods yet?
I had a Red Sea before and it died the day after I received it. It came in a severely undersized bag and it had polluted its bag so bad you could smell the odor across the room. What a heart breaking event! No wonder that company no longer exists.
Out of the woods?
I had a Red Sea before and it died the day after I received it. It came in a severely undersized bag and it had polluted its bag so bad you could smell the odor across the room. What a heart breaking event! No wonder that company no longer exists.
Out of the woods?
big mamma
New member
i also got a large maldives two weeks ago and i did not qt. no problems yet.
big mamma
New member
here is a bad video of my moorish idol and regal angel eating before the lights come on. i have had the regal for 2 weeks and did not qt. my idol i have had for 8 months and also did not qt. both are from liveaquaria.
https://youtu.be/HQIYt8qdwQU
https://youtu.be/HQIYt8qdwQU
big mamma
New member
thank you, it took the regal about 4 days to catch on. it seems to copy the idol and likes to follow him around now. glad to hear yours are doing good also.
carrots
New member
Update: Well my little 2" regal made it through QT and is doing great. She is eating mostly pellets and live Tubliflex worms. She is too small for live black worms or blood worms. She is not eating aggressively enough to put into DT with a Purple Tang, so I moved her into a 20 gallon coral QT. until she fattens up. Still feeding her 8 times a day. Each time until I see a full belly but not gaining weight as fast as I hoped. She has become very tame and eats food as soon as it hits the water but will not touch any food that reaches the bottom. I love this little regal but if I could do it again I would have bought a bigger one around 3.5" size, where they can eat more and swallow a whole mysis shrimp instead of having to chop it up first. My goal is to get this little one established into the DT and add my 4" a few weeks later. Then do a lot of praying they pair up or just get along.
ThRoewer
New member
You are likely feeding the wrong mysis shrimp if he can't eat them whole.
I always get the large plates from Hikkari as they have the smallest mysis I could find.
PE mysis is too large for most of my fish to swallow whole easily (except the Marine Bettas who clearly prefer them).
My little 55mm Maldives regal is able to take the small Hikkari mysis whole.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
I always get the large plates from Hikkari as they have the smallest mysis I could find.
PE mysis is too large for most of my fish to swallow whole easily (except the Marine Bettas who clearly prefer them).
My little 55mm Maldives regal is able to take the small Hikkari mysis whole.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
