Regal/Majestic Angels

[michael_cb_125]

Hey, I purchase all of my livestock from LA.
I just setup a 240 gallon tank. The system will be 80% SPS Corals, and 20% LPS corals.
I am very seriously considering adding a regal and Majestic angel. Do I have enough room for these two angels? Also will I need to worry about these fish eating my coral. I know the LPS are iffy, but the SPS should be safe, correct? I have heard that if you add the fish as juveniles they are less likely to pick at corals.
~Michael

 

[dfs/la2]

Michael,

Thank you for your inquiry. A 240 gallon tank is large enough to keep the two large Angels. However, even adding these fish as juveniles there is a very good possibility they will eat your corals, including the SPS. There are two large Angels that are known to be reef safe. These two Angels are the Swallowtail Angel and the Lamarck's Angelfish.

Gwen S.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

 

[ekovalsky]

Michael

There is mixed info on the regal angel as far as being reef safe. Personally I wouldn't risk it, ditto for a pygmy angel. Also it seems generally agreed that only the Red Sea Regal angels do well. Regals from the Pacific apparently have a high likelihood of not eating and dying quickly.

As Gwen said check out the Genicanthus angels which are as reef safe as you can get in this family. And they don't grow particularly large either, about 6" max. We just added a pair of Ornate/Bellus angels and they are beautiful and trouble free. Like other swallowtails they are planktivores and sure enough they haven't even looked at my live rock or coral.

There are several other attractive fish in this family -- Watanabe (showing up on Divers Den recently), zebra, etc. Lamarcks are the most common and inexpensive but won't win any beauty contests.

PS -- I buy most of my livestock from LA too