Regal Angel

[Rog7]

I bought a Regal Angel last week and it was dead the next morning. I ask the LFS to show me the fish feeding before I took it and it was eating fine, I even took it to another LFS to show them the fish and was told it was looking very healthy and fat.

What could have gone so wrong so quickly?

The day I found it dead I tested my water:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Temp stays between 77 - 78,8 F

Not sure if these would play a role but here it is anyway
Alkalinity 7 dkh
Calcium 420 ppm

 

[Rog7]

Flame Angel

Flame Angel

Now looks like my flame angel wont last through the night, had it for 4 days now.

I don't understand, I have 11 other fish in my tank all healthy.

Please help

 

[wooden_reefer]

Fish die for many reasons.

Could be a bacterial infection to which others in the tank have immunity, or more deaths may come.

You should always QT but in this case the lack of QT (if I understand correctly) may or may not be the direct cause of your problem.

Are you running a UV correctly?

I always use UV while stocking new fish. I find it very useful in reducing the incidents of bacterial infection, but in this case it may or may not help.

 

[silverfly]

Hey that sucks! Hope you sort it out. What size tank? What flow? Whats your ph like?

 

[Rog7]

Fish die for many reasons.

Could be a bacterial infection to which others in the tank have immunity, or more deaths may come.

You should always QT but in this case the lack of QT (if I understand correctly) may or may not be the direct cause of your problem.

Are you running a UV correctly?

I always use UV while stocking new fish. I find it very useful in reducing the incidents of bacterial infection, but in this case it may or may not help.

I do not run UV, been told not to because they kill both good and bad bacteria. So not sure what to do about UV

 

[Rog7]

Hey that sucks! Hope you sort it out. What size tank? What flow? Whats your ph like?

My display is 260 US Gallon (350 Gallon system total)

My flow is 25 times the display volume.

The ph I think is my problem, think my ph probe is incorrect. Going to have it tested later.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I do not run UV, been told not to because they kill both good and bad bacteria. So not sure what to do about UV

UV will not kill good bacteria, which is not waterborne significantly, except perhaps during cycling.

Bacterial infection may or may not be your problem at this point.

UV is a general way to reduce the waterborne concentration of pathogenic bacteria. This is in general a good idea but may or may not be your problem now.

It is a general disadvantage to go without UV during stocking.

Going without QT and also without UV is something that I will never remotely consider, but may or may not be your problem now. It is just that you have done two things I will not remotely think of doing.

I generally use UV in both the QT and the DT after QT.

 

[Psionicdragon]

Is it breathing rapidly? Run some carbon.

 

[RBU1]

Not sure in some cases why fish die. For example I currently have a pair of crosshatch triggers in my 125 gallon qt. It has been a week and they are still not eating. I am being told that is normal behavior and they should start eating soon. The troubeling thing is I also had a chevron tang in the same qt. He was the only one eating. Looked fine noticed a small spot on him near his pectoral fin but figured it was nothing to be concerned with because he was eating. Well came home last night from work to find him dead........Can't explain it at all.....Sometimes I think fish just die. Maybe the stress of collecting along with the shipping could all play a role in the deamise of some fish. This hobby can be real aggrevating at times. I guess when you enjoy it like most of us you stick thru the bad times. I am a strong believer in QT now after all the issues I have had. Good luck

 

[Rog7]

Thanks for all the input.

The flame didn't make it, it died the morning after I posted the please help. Don't think there was anything I could have done. I spoke to some of the other LFS's here and the general word is don't buy stock from the singapore shipment cause those fish stay 2 days in transit to get down to us in africa. So it was probably just over stressed.

But will definitely look into getting UV for adding new fish.

As for QT what sort of equipment do I need? Skimmer?, sump?, powerheads? and I'm guessing no subtrate. Does the QT run all the time or can I just get it ready a day before a shipment comes?

 

[RBU1]

For a QT you want to set it up for the most part like a main tank without rock and sand. Bare bottom with PVC works best. You must allow the tank to cycle before putting livestock in it. So no you cant just set a tank up and put fish in it the next day. You can speed the process up by using some of the basteria in a bottle stuff. If you can't leave a tank up all the time keeping a filter on your main tank that you can transfer over to the QT is a good idea.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Thanks for all the input.

The flame didn't make it, it died the morning after I posted the please help. Don't think there was anything I could have done. I spoke to some of the other LFS's here and the general word is don't buy stock from the singapore shipment cause those fish stay 2 days in transit to get down to us in africa. So it was probably just over stressed.

But will definitely look into getting UV for adding new fish.

Yes, the source is very important. The method of capture and treatment in transit are very important.

Just because a fish picks on food does not mean that it is well.

Some people even say that even if a fish eats very well, the method of capture etc still can be decisive, this I tend to disagree. IME, a fish that feeds very well and behaves very well is vigorous, truly. Many just do not see quality in livestock.

BTW, the regal (and less so the flame) can be difficult and they are not very valid claims to the goodness of a supplier.

 

[Rog7]

For a QT you want to set it up for the most part like a main tank without rock and sand. Bare bottom with PVC works best. You must allow the tank to cycle before putting livestock in it. So no you cant just set a tank up and put fish in it the next day. You can speed the process up by using some of the basteria in a bottle stuff. If you can't leave a tank up all the time keeping a filter on your main tank that you can transfer over to the QT is a good idea.

Thank you

 

[Rog7]

BTW, the regal (and less so the flame) can be difficult and they are not very valid claims to the goodness of a supplier.

Sorry don't understand what you are saying here?

 

[RagTopMan]

You're not the only one to have a Regal not make it in a short period of time. The Flame however is another matter. With the success you have had with your other fish, I'd chalk it up to a poorly collected/shipped/handled fish.

By the way, FWIW, for the past two years, I have run a 40W UV on my tank with nothing but positive results.

 

[Rog7]

Regal Angel V2

Regal Angel V2

Right so I have ordered another regal angel, it should be here next week. I'm trying to sort out the use of a mates QT tank. If not I have asked the LFS if I can keep the fish in their holding tanks until it is eating well and healthy.

I have done loads of research on this fish but please can anyone who has real life experience with them share some tips and tricks for the care of this fish.

Thanks!!

 

[RegalAngel]

I have done loads of research on this fish but please can anyone who has real life experience with them share some tips and tricks for the care of this fish.

Thanks!!

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=389107

 

[wooden_reefer]

Right so I have ordered another regal angel, it should be here next week. I'm trying to sort out the use of a mates QT tank. If not I have asked the LFS if I can keep the fish in their holding tanks until it is eating well and healthy.

I have done loads of research on this fish but please can anyone who has real life experience with them share some tips and tricks for the care of this fish.

Thanks!!

I had one very unhappy experience with the regal angel.

This was in the late 1980's.

I had one for almost three years, during which it grew more than an inch. It was somewhat large, grow from 6 to over 7 inches, I would think.

It had always ate formula two and formula one frozen food. In general, if a fish will eat these food well, it lives for a long time.

Then it would dash toward the food, smell it, make all motion to eat but refused to eat.

This went on for more than three months until it became paper thin and then died. I am not sure, but may be some dietary change according to age that I couldn't provide.

It could be just slow advancing internal parasite, but the length of time it took for it to remain vigorous and then died gradually seemed to indicate not only internal parasite to start with.

I may or may not ever get one again. Too painful an experience. I am perhaps more skillful now after more than 20 years.