Regal Angelfish - How Big Do They Get

[64Ivy]

About 15 years ago, I saw one at an LA wholesalers that had to be close to 8". Totally healthy, it was one of the stunning fish I've ever seen.

 

[ThRoewer]

When I setup my 625g in a few months I will be getting a Regal pair so we will see if the 500g+ tank has anything to do with growth potential or not.

How high will your new tank be?
I suspect tank height may be more important than total volume, or at least as important, to get them to grow to their full size.
The fact that smaller ones grow but those around 5 or 6 inches seemingly stop growing may support this as well.

 

[albano]

Mine has been in a 450g (almost 500g /27" high) for the past 3-4 years...very slow/little growth

 

[ThRoewer]

Mine has been in a 450g (almost 500g /27" high) for the past 3-4 years...very slow/little growth

27" is still quite shallow in real reef terms. I'm thinking more of something in the range of 40" or above.

 

[Dmorty217]

Yeah my tank isn't deep (24") so that won't help anything. Karen has a Regal that's over 20 yrs old and she has plenty of tanks and resources at her disposal and I don't think hers is anywhere close to 10". But again most of us don't have tank over 30" deep. Are you suggesting growth potential is dependent on water pressure of their environment?

 

[horseplay]

LFS http://tropiquarium.net/ has two large display tanks. Well maintained with lots of rocks. One is a reef the other a FOWLR with some red caps. Each at least 3' tall and around 800 gallons. One has a yellow belly regal the other one a gray one. Not sure how long these guy have been in there but they're the size of mine. The store and tanks have been there for 10+ years I will ask them about the regals next time I am there.

 

[A sea K]

Out of curiosity it would be nice to know how large these guys get in a very large commercial aquarium and how long they have been there.
Could shed some interesting data.

 

[ThRoewer]

Out of curiosity it would be nice to know how large these guys get in a very large commercial aquarium and how long they have been there.
Could shed some interesting data.

The problem is that most public aquaria rather buy fully grown specimen than growing them from juveniles. It's too much driven by what the public likes to see and not enough by how it would be done right (they could also grow a complete reef if they wanted).
Also they get some fish from donations (fish that got too big for home reef tanks).

So while I think a tank like the big one at Steinhart in SF would get them to grow to full size quickly, I doubt the ones they have in there actually grew to their sizes there.

 

[tquinlan]

The problem is that most public aquaria rather buy fully grown specimen than growing them from juveniles. It's too much driven by what the public likes to see and not enough by how it would be done right (they could also grow a complete reef if they wanted).
Also they get some fish from donations (fish that got too big for home reef tanks).

So while I think a tank like the big one at Steinhart in SF would get them to grow to full size quickly, I doubt the ones they have in there actually grew to their sizes there.

Actually, the regal in the big tank at Steinhart was grown from juvenile size in a smaller tank first. It outgrew it so it was moved. There are two more in the 1.5" range that will share the same fate one day, too.

Bad pic, but you get the idea:

 

[ThRoewer]

Nice!
Are those the pacific (blue belly) color form?
I saw some cute little ones last weekend and was very close to taking them home but unfortunately my new tank isn't ready yet :headwallblue:

 

[tquinlan]

Yes, collected by hand net in the Philippines.

 

[wayne in norway]

Mine grew an inch in a year. I would put good money on the problem not being tank sized but rather that captive fish aren't fed enough. Who feeds these continually browsing fish all day in captivity? I also suspect that growth is rather weighted towards the first few years, and if they're not big after 2 , 3 years, that's it