Regal Angel Primer

[pfan151]

I had a pair in my 200gallons before this. How are you going to acclimate the one fish to the existing regal.
IME, the existing one will "check" the new one.

My existing one is only about 2 1/2 inches. The new one is 4". With the way my rock structure is, I can put a divider in the tank if it comes to that but I'm hoping it won't. I had a pair in my old tank in the past but they were unfortunately wiped out by a velvet outbreak that I still have no idea where it came from

 

[this is me]

Sounds good. Take pictures when it arrives.

 

[pfan151]

Sounds good. Take pictures when it arrives.

It will be going into an established QT for about a month so I can hopefully get it eating aggressively before it has to handle the stress of the display.
This one is coming from a new source for me. Reef Beauties. Saw an ad on FB. They took a pic of the actual fish I would be getting and have a 5 day guarantee. Seems like a good deal. Hopefully handles shipping ok and it arrives looking as good as it did in the pic. Only $189 shipped. Being sold as a Red Sea one so I thought that was pretty cheap.

 

[this is me]

Honestly, you'll have a hard time telling the difference between a Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Summatra, or Yellow Belly after 6 months in the tank. As long as it's yellow belly regal.
My trio was sold as Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Yellow Belly. At first there's some slight color difference. Now, if I don't look at the pattern and remember which one is which, I wouldn't be able to tell.
That's a great price.

 

[pfan151]

Honestly, you'll have a hard time telling the difference between a Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Summatra, or Yellow Belly after 6 months in the tank. As long as it's yellow belly regal.
My trio was sold as Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Yellow Belly. At first there's some slight color difference. Now, if I don't look at the pattern and remember which one is which, I wouldn't be able to tell.
That's a great price.

Yea. I'm not convinced there is any difference even when they first arrive other than just natural variation between individual specimens.

 

[alton]

I have had both redsea and indian ocean and I could not tell the difference either. Both are awesome looking

 

[alton]

Redsea or maldives?

 

[shaka]

Whether Red Sea or Maldives, like you said, "BOTH are awesome looking!"

 

[shaka]

I previously had a Yellow Belly Regal ( probably Maldives) for 6 years and I'm thinking of getting another one. I am considering a juvenile this time.

Is everybody having success with their juveniles or do most try a smaller adult or subadult?

 

[phk36]

Smaller adult when I got him. He has been with me for four years or so

 

[twon8]

Please ignore the algae, just got two rabbit fish to help tackle it. Had a crash last year from a heater blow up and it killed most fish and corals. But I'm getting it back to it's former glory. Had this Red Sea regal for about three weeks and he's getting more confident. Still only picking at food but plenty of live rock to keep him happy for now.


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[pfan151]

Looks nice and fat. I’m sure it appreciates the algae.

 

[ThRoewer]

I previously had a Yellow Belly Regal ( probably Maldives) for 6 years and I'm thinking of getting another one. I am considering a juvenile this time.

Is everybody having success with their juveniles or do most try a smaller adult or subadult?

In my experience, juveniles, if healthy, generally do better than adults. And they grow really fast. I actually think that all those 3 to 4 inch subadults you see in stores are no older than a year.
Subadults, those who still have at least some remanants of the eyespot left, shouldn't do too much trouble either.
It's really the larger adults who often have difficulties adapting to tank life and the food you can offer them.
3 of the 4 Regals I have I got as juveniles. One of them, the Maldives one, I got as a barely post-larva baby, less than 2 inches, and he caused the least trouble getting him to eat. From day one he was eating like a pig and doubled his length within 6 months.

My Bali Regal was just 3 inches when I got him and eating like a pig since day one. He turned out to be the most aggressive of all my Regals and had no issues going against a larger damsel or putting my rowdy Neon Dottyback (a fully grown male!) in his place. It also seems that he is somewhat a hybrid between the yellow and blue subspecies.

My Philippine Regal was at the edge of starving to death when I got him and his buddy (that one I had to part ways with due to space constraints). They were both large juveniles with still complete eyespots and eating, but slowly and had not been fed enough at the store so that they had already developed knife-backs. Now he is a fat pig and eats as if there is no tomorrow. Coloration-wise he is as impressive as any yellow belly, if not even more with his blue chest.

My Sumatra Regal was just at the end of transition, and he caused initially the most trouble getting him to eat enough. He is still the most sensitive.

All of them are now eating well and actually love flake food. Generally they eat nearly everything.

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[Western_reefer]

My 5" Misbar RedSea Regal Angelfish Doesn't touch a single coral and eats pellets, flakes, frozen, nori, etc

 

[carrots]

Congrats and continued good luck.

 

[OrionN]

In my experience, juveniles, if healthy, generally do better than adults. And they grow really fast. I actually think that all those 3 to 4 inch subadults you see in stores are no older than a year.
.....

Unlike ThRoewer, I find that my Regal angel grow very slow. They are in my community 320 gal tank. Very healthy and very fat.

The fish below is one of the two baby Regal angels in my tank. One year ago, they were about the same size as small Flame angels I got from Live Aquaria. The Flame Angels outgrew them quickly initially but they are slowly catching up. At this time they are about 2.5 inches, just larger than my male Flame angel by about 1/4 inch.
About 1 year ago 5/2018

in 3/2019

 

[ThRoewer]

I had my Maldives Regal baby in a 40B and it doubled in length within about 6 months. From that point on its growth slowed. By now, 3 years after I got him, he almost finished transitioning to an adult.
I moved him to my 100 gallon tank now after my last Sumatra Regal died.
When they become available again I plan to get another Maldives juvenile.

My largest and with nearly 4 years my oldest Regal is by now the Philippines Regal. And he is also the most impressive in coloration, being almost completely blue.

 

[alton]

I had my Maldives Regal baby in a 40B and it doubled in length within about 6 months. From that point on its growth slowed. By now, 3 years after I got him, he almost finished transitioning to an adult.
I moved him to my 100 gallon tank now after my last Sumatra Regal died.
When they become available again I plan to get another Maldives juvenile.

My largest and with nearly 4 years my oldest Regal is by now the Philippines Regal. And he is also the most impressive in coloration, being almost completely blue.

What no pictures?

 

[OrionN]

Regal Angel coloration, all started with yellow chest. They have their blue coloration come in with age. Red Sea and Indian Ocean Regal coloration stays yellow because color development was arrested. Blue coloration did not increase while Regal in the Pacific the fish get darker with blue. Not only the chest but the blue and black strips are darker and wider, at the expense of the yellow bands, resulting in a much darker fish.
I do find that the Blue chest Regal are very attractive, but certainly different then the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

 

[ThRoewer]

What no pictures?

My tanks are a mess right now.
Also, the Regals in question don't like to pose for pictures