Regal Angel Primer
- Thread starter DJPB
- Start date
ok..i have read EVERY page of this thread over 3 days and i must say, i am extremely impressed and thankful for everyones knowledge and experience...
now, i have recently set up my new cube and i have always wanted to keep this fish. all of my levels are 0 (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate), the tank and LR have been in place almost a month. i would like to add a RS regal as my first fish to this tank. do you guys think this would be possible at this time?
i know people say it needs established LR, but if we all have to go throught he trouble of getting the fish to eat prepared foods, what difference does it make if the LR is established? im assuming your new angels are getting all the nutrition from your feedings and not what it is picking off the rocks.
im pretty experienced in the hobby (12 years) had a 360 gallon very successful reef tank for 6 years before i moved and set up this new tank. im willing to give the attention needed to get the fish to eat.
so....should i go for it?
thanks for the help
-mike
now, i have recently set up my new cube and i have always wanted to keep this fish. all of my levels are 0 (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate), the tank and LR have been in place almost a month. i would like to add a RS regal as my first fish to this tank. do you guys think this would be possible at this time?
i know people say it needs established LR, but if we all have to go throught he trouble of getting the fish to eat prepared foods, what difference does it make if the LR is established? im assuming your new angels are getting all the nutrition from your feedings and not what it is picking off the rocks.
im pretty experienced in the hobby (12 years) had a 360 gallon very successful reef tank for 6 years before i moved and set up this new tank. im willing to give the attention needed to get the fish to eat.
so....should i go for it?
thanks for the help
-mike
Aqua Keepers
New member
I think people say this because all of the sponge and stuff it picks off the rocks just helps it stay alive till you get it eating prepared foods. I feel if you find a healthy speciman that is already eating at the LFS, and you're sure you're not gonna have any mini cycles like Tanya, then go for it. However, I could be way off and will let the experts chime in.
copps
Premium Member
Hey Mike, if I were you I would not do it yet. What many people fail to realize is that even after the initial "cycle" in a system it takes months before a tank really settles in and breaks down nutrients in an efficient manner. During this time I would not add a regal. This same principle runs people into issues with a quarantine system that is set up more like a hospital tank, bare bones with some PVC that results in stressful conditions allowing disease to overtake the immune system, especially in regals... I "quarantined" each of my trio of regals in an established system where the fish were able to be isolated free from stress and competition for food.
Adding the regal to the system sooner rather than later could have its benefits though if you don't have an established system to quarantine in... However it's way too soon... What you could do is add other hardier fish in the meantime that won't too much for food with the regal. All of the regals I've ever kept could not resist fresh clams or mussels on the half shell, however many other fish in a large system will devour the clams before the regal if there is too much competition... At first with regals don't worry about a balanced diet... just worry about calories from something.
It's your call... but I would definately wait... many people jump the gun with new systems... even those who are very experienced thinking the cycle is through... I just visited with Sanjay Joshi up in Penn this week and he had the same thing happen with his 500 gallon... Water quality goes way beyond what our cheap test kits tell us...
Either way, let us know how it goes... we can never get enough firsthand experience with these regals!
And as I've said many times before... stay away frrom large regals over 5 inches as they are much tougher to get to feed...
Copps
Adding the regal to the system sooner rather than later could have its benefits though if you don't have an established system to quarantine in... However it's way too soon... What you could do is add other hardier fish in the meantime that won't too much for food with the regal. All of the regals I've ever kept could not resist fresh clams or mussels on the half shell, however many other fish in a large system will devour the clams before the regal if there is too much competition... At first with regals don't worry about a balanced diet... just worry about calories from something.
It's your call... but I would definately wait... many people jump the gun with new systems... even those who are very experienced thinking the cycle is through... I just visited with Sanjay Joshi up in Penn this week and he had the same thing happen with his 500 gallon... Water quality goes way beyond what our cheap test kits tell us...
Either way, let us know how it goes... we can never get enough firsthand experience with these regals!
And as I've said many times before... stay away frrom large regals over 5 inches as they are much tougher to get to feed...Copps
thanks for all the advice, including those who sent it in a PM!
i totally understand the mini cycle concept even though it has never happened to me. ill probably wait a little while till things settle down some more. as far as competitive fish, i have a tentative list of what i want in this tank..
1 red
i totally understand the mini cycle concept even though it has never happened to me. ill probably wait a little while till things settle down some more. as far as competitive fish, i have a tentative list of what i want in this tank..
1 red
thanks for all the advice, including those who sent it in a PM!
i totally understand the mini cycle concept even though it has never happened to me. ill probably wait a little while till things settle down some more. as far as competitive fish, i have a tentative list of what i want in this tank..
1 red sea regal angel
2 percula clowns
4 lyretail anthias (3 female 1 male)
1 small wrasse (possibly)
and thats it....problem is, none of these fish are strong enough to handle a "mini cycle" if it should occur.
ill probably just wait it out a bit and add some small frags that i know the regal wont destroy.
thanks again
-mike
i totally understand the mini cycle concept even though it has never happened to me. ill probably wait a little while till things settle down some more. as far as competitive fish, i have a tentative list of what i want in this tank..
1 red sea regal angel
2 percula clowns
4 lyretail anthias (3 female 1 male)
1 small wrasse (possibly)
and thats it....problem is, none of these fish are strong enough to handle a "mini cycle" if it should occur.
ill probably just wait it out a bit and add some small frags that i know the regal wont destroy.
thanks again
-mike
RonsterNYC
New member
IME you should wait and give time for you tank to mature. I have had my tank for 3.5 years and waited almost 2 years before I started experimenting with this fish. Experimenting in the sense of trying to give it a stress free environment, which is essential if you want it to thrive. Stress free in terms of water quality, prepared food, and tank mates. Even then it was a painful trial and error. Last September I bought my final and third rs regal and so far so good. Not by far an aggressive eater but eats enough and looks healthy. I am by far experienced with this fish, but take it from everyone that is advising you t wait. Good luck! Ron
Steve Atkins
New member
I made up a frozen mix including:
- 2 types of fresh seaweed
- 3 types of freeze dried seaweed
- Calcium
- Fish
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Scallops
- Shrimp
- Sponge
- Squid
- Vitamins
All the fish get this now.
Steve
- 2 types of fresh seaweed
- 3 types of freeze dried seaweed
- Calcium
- Fish
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Scallops
- Shrimp
- Sponge
- Squid
- Vitamins
All the fish get this now.
Steve
Aqua Keepers
New member
Where are you getting the sponge?
Steve Atkins
New member
The sponge came from friend who got it from either a local diver or a fisherman
- 2 types of local seaweed - fresh when collected but split into two batches, one of I which I froze for later use
- Fish - fresh when purchased but split into two batches, one of which I froze for later use
- Mussels - fresh
- Octopus - frozen
- Scallops - theoretically fresh but may may have previously frozen
- Shrimp - previously frozen but thawed at time of purchase
- Sponge - fresh
- Squid - frozen
I got enough ingredients to do about 20 10cm x 15cm x 0.6cm trays. Should last a about six months with my lot.
Steve
- 2 types of local seaweed - fresh when collected but split into two batches, one of I which I froze for later use
- Fish - fresh when purchased but split into two batches, one of which I froze for later use
- Mussels - fresh
- Octopus - frozen
- Scallops - theoretically fresh but may may have previously frozen
- Shrimp - previously frozen but thawed at time of purchase
- Sponge - fresh
- Squid - frozen
I got enough ingredients to do about 20 10cm x 15cm x 0.6cm trays. Should last a about six months with my lot.
Steve
dernparker
New member
You may have brisle worms. The big ones will sting and kill fish and then they eat the full thing. Bones and all. I lost seveal fish that way. Set trap bated with brien shrimp and caught a few. Ended up taking all rock out and of tank and fresh water dipping most rock and found alot of large worms...... ucky.... dont tough them they sting and I will admit that I took great pleasure in dropping them into the toliet! I flushed them after truning the water yellow..... No, I dont like those things at all!
RonsterNYC
New member
pellets, formula 1, 2, angel formula, sparulina, angel and butterfly food, mysis - not a vigours eater but mine eats enough...
