Regal Angel Primer
- Thread starter DJPB
- Start date
Steve Atkins
New member
Plus the first 40 pages before it got cut in two.
Steve
Steve
Aqua Keepers
New member
I agree
RonsterNYC
New member
My prior name was Dkrt0821 - now changed to RonsterNYC to match my Manhattan Reefs name. Anyhow, here is a pic of my little guy, Reggie, doing what it does best besides eating, hanging out with the gang.
Last edited:
kwl1763
Premium Member
Well here is my Regal story. Hopefully it will help some others out.
First let me start by saying this fish is not to be attempted lightly! Most will die and you better be willing to work and wait! I think you should have years of experience before even attempting this guy!
I have wanted one for over 3 years now but never really had a good environment or opportunity. This summer however I was lucky enough to "start fresh" with a 450G reef. I've had the fish list for almost a year and honestly the Regal was in the side column as don't count on it. Because the chances of me finding a good specimen when I needed was slim to nil.
Well I got the itch again after seeing one in a fellow club members tank. I read all I could about them (rereading again actually, 3 years of wanting one you read a lot!) I honestly wanted it to be the first fish in the tank (July) but I only saw a couple in LFS's and none were acceptably eating or in great shape. Having almost given up I decided to start with the super passive fish just in case. I started with a Copperband. Another finicky eater that took some serious work but eventually became a pig. Then a magnificent foxface a month later. These are pretty hardy. I qt'd them both in hypo and got them eating well then in they went. Ok I'm getting long winded here. To cut it short I was at the point that I had to decide Regal or no Regal. After much discussion with many I respecyed I decided to go for it. Honestly the LFS was not an option, it would take way to long to find a good specimen and I have been looking for months. So the only option I even considered was The Marine Center given their solid reputation for shipping healthy ones that have eaten there so on Oct 25th I took the plunge!
I'll say marine center packing was top notch. Tons of water and he appeared in great shape.
I qt'd him but let me explain. This qt is not just 10G tank and a PVC pipe and that's it. I used a 30G hex with about 20 lbs of well aged sponge ridden live rock from my sump. Here is a pic.
As you can see it has a skimmer and a HOB, etc. It's really a little reef tank. I cannot recommend people put any fish straight into their reef with other fish for several reasons.
1) Competition. These guys are notoriusly hard to get to eat. Why would you want any competition???
2) What if he does get sick you can't do anything in a main tank!
3) He could give stuff to others or he could catch something for others
4) Much easier to observe in a smaller qt then a 450G reef!
Now obviously the downside is a smaller qt is much less natural then a huge reef which could be more stressful. Also neccessarily less natural food will exist. I mitigate these through creating a true minireef for qt. To each their own but I really really feel a proper qt is the right way to go. And of course you have to make sure the water quality stays pristine!
Anyway on to it! After breaking in the first day all appeared well. I tried to feed on the second day and nothing. Then on the 3rd day I noticed him breathing a little heavy and actin strange. No scrathing or anything but some twitching and fin flickering, etc. Obviously this was worrisome. Day 4 He is definitly picking spongs off rock which is a good sign but no go on added food. That weekend it was worse. I noticed some issues on his fins.
Notice the spot on the left fin here. He had a couple on his tail also!
Well talking to several others we thought it was lymphocystis which in and of itself is no big deal but still no eating! Well by day 8 there was a cloudy eye and some grey stringy material on the body, really not good. Now it appears bacterial! Fortunatly he's still actively munching the LR and appears plump!
I make the very tough decision to pull the LR and treat with Maracyn 2. I did so for 5 days with little to no improvement! As a last ditch effort I switch tp normal Maracyn! To my shock it works. After 3 days all looks well and he is acting much better. Now though he has apparently gone almost 2 weeks without food! He looks skinny but much better and is acting much better. This is like day 20. I do a massive water change and run carbon. I put different rock in the next day ( The other rock is in a bucket fishless for 6 weeks to avoid disease transfer). He begins picking almost immediately. Then the next day I sink a clam and actually see him eat a little! Happy dance but still iffy.
Well I'm happy to report that was 3 days ago and today he made me one extremely hapy guy. Not only is he eating but eating from the water column!!!! Not only that but he's eating spectrum pellets off the bottom!!! I'm super super excited. While I'm by no means out of the woods yet I'm prettty darn optimistic. I fed him a ton yesterday and today and he is gobbling it up. I hope this is the start of a very long relationship! Here is a shot from today. He really is looking great!
First let me start by saying this fish is not to be attempted lightly! Most will die and you better be willing to work and wait! I think you should have years of experience before even attempting this guy!
I have wanted one for over 3 years now but never really had a good environment or opportunity. This summer however I was lucky enough to "start fresh" with a 450G reef. I've had the fish list for almost a year and honestly the Regal was in the side column as don't count on it. Because the chances of me finding a good specimen when I needed was slim to nil.
Well I got the itch again after seeing one in a fellow club members tank. I read all I could about them (rereading again actually, 3 years of wanting one you read a lot!) I honestly wanted it to be the first fish in the tank (July) but I only saw a couple in LFS's and none were acceptably eating or in great shape. Having almost given up I decided to start with the super passive fish just in case. I started with a Copperband. Another finicky eater that took some serious work but eventually became a pig. Then a magnificent foxface a month later. These are pretty hardy. I qt'd them both in hypo and got them eating well then in they went. Ok I'm getting long winded here. To cut it short I was at the point that I had to decide Regal or no Regal. After much discussion with many I respecyed I decided to go for it. Honestly the LFS was not an option, it would take way to long to find a good specimen and I have been looking for months. So the only option I even considered was The Marine Center given their solid reputation for shipping healthy ones that have eaten there so on Oct 25th I took the plunge!
I'll say marine center packing was top notch. Tons of water and he appeared in great shape.
I qt'd him but let me explain. This qt is not just 10G tank and a PVC pipe and that's it. I used a 30G hex with about 20 lbs of well aged sponge ridden live rock from my sump. Here is a pic.
As you can see it has a skimmer and a HOB, etc. It's really a little reef tank. I cannot recommend people put any fish straight into their reef with other fish for several reasons.
1) Competition. These guys are notoriusly hard to get to eat. Why would you want any competition???
2) What if he does get sick you can't do anything in a main tank!
3) He could give stuff to others or he could catch something for others
4) Much easier to observe in a smaller qt then a 450G reef!
Now obviously the downside is a smaller qt is much less natural then a huge reef which could be more stressful. Also neccessarily less natural food will exist. I mitigate these through creating a true minireef for qt. To each their own but I really really feel a proper qt is the right way to go. And of course you have to make sure the water quality stays pristine!
Anyway on to it! After breaking in the first day all appeared well. I tried to feed on the second day and nothing. Then on the 3rd day I noticed him breathing a little heavy and actin strange. No scrathing or anything but some twitching and fin flickering, etc. Obviously this was worrisome. Day 4 He is definitly picking spongs off rock which is a good sign but no go on added food. That weekend it was worse. I noticed some issues on his fins.
Notice the spot on the left fin here. He had a couple on his tail also!
Well talking to several others we thought it was lymphocystis which in and of itself is no big deal but still no eating! Well by day 8 there was a cloudy eye and some grey stringy material on the body, really not good. Now it appears bacterial! Fortunatly he's still actively munching the LR and appears plump!
I make the very tough decision to pull the LR and treat with Maracyn 2. I did so for 5 days with little to no improvement! As a last ditch effort I switch tp normal Maracyn! To my shock it works. After 3 days all looks well and he is acting much better. Now though he has apparently gone almost 2 weeks without food! He looks skinny but much better and is acting much better. This is like day 20. I do a massive water change and run carbon. I put different rock in the next day ( The other rock is in a bucket fishless for 6 weeks to avoid disease transfer). He begins picking almost immediately. Then the next day I sink a clam and actually see him eat a little! Happy dance but still iffy.
Well I'm happy to report that was 3 days ago and today he made me one extremely hapy guy. Not only is he eating but eating from the water column!!!! Not only that but he's eating spectrum pellets off the bottom!!! I'm super super excited. While I'm by no means out of the woods yet I'm prettty darn optimistic. I fed him a ton yesterday and today and he is gobbling it up. I hope this is the start of a very long relationship! Here is a shot from today. He really is looking great!
RonsterNYC
New member
That is magnificent!!! Good for you. They are absolutely stunning fishes, but hard to maintain...from the sound of it you have an excellent/strong specimen. I am very happy to have read your story and I am sure it will certainly help others. I got lucky that I got mine from a reputable distributor who had his in his personal tank. When I got mine it was only eating pellets, but now it eats like a champ and totally has control of the tank. Congrats Keith!
Aquaduck
New member
This January would be the two year mark for keeping this 5" grey bellied Regal Angel (see my avatar) successfully in my 90 gallon reef, It saddens me to say I may need to capture him and sell him to someone with a large fish-only setup. He has turned on all my SPS. He is constantly picking at nearly every coral. He spends more time on the fuzzy Pocillopora species than the others. I'm not sure how much abuse the corals can take. I can't tell if he's really doing any harm, so I'll be watching them closely for damage & stress. Is this is something most angels do as they get bigger? They suddenly develop a taste for polyps or coral mucus?
RonsterNYC
New member
IME, the Indo-South Pacific or "grey-bellied" regal angels are more prone to pick at corals than the Red Sea-Indian Ocean specimens.
Greg [/QUOTE]
Greg - is that a fact? Is there a site that is out there for people to gather more information? LMK. Thanks. :rollface:
Greg [/QUOTE]
Greg - is that a fact? Is there a site that is out there for people to gather more information? LMK. Thanks. :rollface:
This thread is probably the best source of info on Regal Angels in the aquarium that you'll find on the internet. [/B][/QUOTE]
And yes..That IS a fact!
Well I have the Red Sea variety, and he is nipping my clams, organ pipe and open brain. I have only had him for 6 weeks, he is looking very healthy. He does'nt eat out of the water column , but he eats angle formula and formula one out of a basket attached to the side. I'm hoping against hope that I can wean him from his nipping and get him only interested in prepared food. I've put clear plastic bottles cut in half over the coral to protect them in the mean time.
Outerbank
New member
kwl1763, congrats!! Sounds like your regal is doing great. I couldn't agree more with as natural of a Qtank the best with difficult species. It is much easier to teach them to eat and it protects them from other species. Worth the cramped quarters. Then drop them into an established reef after about a month and you are set.
