Sponge Based Marine Angel food

[msmith619]

I live in New Mexico (Albuquerque). No one within 100 miles carries any of the three frozen angelfish formulas:

-Ocean Nutrition Frozen Angel Formula
-Hikari Mega-Marine Angel
-San Francisco Bay Brand Angel & Butterfly Diet

I have tried many online stores and it seems to ALWAYS be on back order and never in stock. None of the local stores are interested in stocking it due to low demand and shipping for a few just for me is over $30.
I have a fat, healthy pig of a Rock Beauty and plan to add a Regal Angel and Moorish Idol (both already eating flake and pellets) . I want to provide the nutrients they need to survive long term.

Has anyone tried this? Here is their web site information:

Brightwell Aquatics AngeLixir Food Soak for Spongivorous Marine Fishes

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Free-Form Amino Acid Food Soak for Spongivorous Marine Fishes.

Overview
* Complex of free-form amino acids in the same ratios found within tissues of sponges.
* Utilizes natural attractants and marine-derived proteins to improve feeding response and increase protein percentage of fish foods, respectively.
* Beneficial to all fishes whose diets are in large part composed of sponges, including angelfishes, butterflyfishes, Moorish Idols, and their respective allies.
* Free-form amino acids:
1. Encourage vibrant coloration.
2. Provide the building blocks of protein to encourage the formation of new tissue
3. Encourage new tissue growth to aid in recovery from wounds incurred during aggressive encounters with tankmates or during spawning periods.

* Formulated based upon sponge tissue analysis and marine finfish culture

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

Hi msmith619. I have tried it with my collected Apolemichthys angels and they tend to be more willing to accept foods once it has been soaked in Angelixir. I have used it on for Regal Angels, Nox Angels, Golden Angels and Multibar Angels as well. I have found it very usefull when collecting fish and they tend to not want to eat. I also collect local sponges from the beach, take them home and freeze them and then soak it in Angelixir and then give it to the angels, great results!

 

[jazzman7838]

IMHO sponge is not necessary as a component of the diet of spongivorous fish. The diet of the queen angel in the wild is something like what, 97% sponge? Yet they can be kept easily for many years in captivity without ever being fed sponge. Rock beauties and Moorish Idols have the same ability. Just feed them a balanced diet of (ideally) fresh seafood, algae, and a good pellet or flake food.

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

I am sure it is the same with all fish but I tend to find the Apolemichthys family usually eat what I give them when I use Angelixir. I know what you mean but it could be that there is no sponge provided so they will accept whatever else is given.

 

[syrinx]

I agree with both sides. Its is good for a attractant to get them started on prepared foods, and uneeded once they readily take prepared foods.

 

[msmith619]

Feeding is not a problem. I am NOT having a problem with getting the Rock Beauty to eat. It eats like a pig and has easily doubled in size.

My concern is meeting it's nutritional needs. Most sites say that the reason Rock Beauties (and Moorish Idols) do not live long term in aquariums is the lack of meeting their nutritional needs. That they need sponge in their diet to survive long term.

I am looking at long term health here. My Rock Beauty is a fat pig. It eats everything I throw into the tank- Rod's foods, mysis, spirulina brine shrimp, emerald entree, marine cuisine, Spectrum pellets, Formula 2 flakes. I was just wanting to see if the Brightwell Aquatics AngeLixir Food Soak for Spongivorous Marine Fishes would provide the mysterious missing nutrients.

 

[jazzman7838]

Most sites say that the reason Rock Beauties (and Moorish Idols) do not live long term in aquariums is the lack of meeting their nutritional needs. That they need sponge in their diet to survive long term.

I suspect that is a bit of aquarium lore repeated often enough that it becomes a "fact". You can keep either of these species for many many years without ever feeding them sponges.

Keep in mind there is probably plenty of encrusting sponge growing in your tank already if you have live rock. Just flip a rock over and watch your Rock Beauty go to town on the sponge you just exposed. The same way you might encourage the growth of copepods for wrasses and mandarins you can also encourage sponge for your angelfish, by adding phytoplankton (and maybe sodium silicate) to the tank regularly.

 

[syrinx]

If a fish doubles in size- its needs are being met!

 

[triggreef]

Live black worms

 

[humaguy]

IMHO sponge is not necessary as a component of the diet of spongivorous fish. The diet of the queen angel in the wild is something like what, 97% sponge? Yet they can be kept easily for many years in captivity without ever being fed sponge. Rock beauties and Moorish Idols have the same ability. Just feed them a balanced diet of (ideally) fresh seafood, algae, and a good pellet or flake food.

agree...

 

[Dmorty217]

agree...

+1 people who have a MI and have kept one for sometime(over a yr) feed them often/variety and a lot. Back to the angel elixer, I own this and use it on my foods all the time. With that being said do I notice a difference in my Coral Beauty and Emperor... Maybe but too hard to know for sure. Both are very fat and active but I attribute that more to a varied diet and feeding every couple hrs. Variety is the key to health livestock IMO

 

[Rea17]

IMHO sponge is not necessary as a component of the diet of spongivorous fish. The diet of the queen angel in the wild is something like what, 97% sponge? Yet they can be kept easily for many years in captivity without ever being fed sponge. Rock beauties and Moorish Idols have the same ability. Just feed them a balanced diet of (ideally) fresh seafood, algae, and a good pellet or flake food.

Agree also, but what about properties as a potential attractant for finicky angels? All hype or is this something that's worth having on hand?

 

[jazzman7838]

Couldn't tell ya, I've never used it. Doesn't seem like it could hurt.

When I get a new angel in I just grab a bunch of rocks from a refugium and let them graze on it. Live clams/mysis/brine/blackworms as first foods. Generally I haven't had any problems getting angels to eat with the exception of many Regals from the Philippines. I suspect they are so jacked up they wouldn't live even if they were returned to the wild.

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

Has anyone tried this? Here is their web site information:

Brightwell Aquatics AngeLixir Food Soak for Spongivorous Marine Fishes

I've heard alot of people liking this for their angels but have not yet tried it. I will be getting some for my Regal when I find one.

 

[Blue Ring Sting]

I agree also. The thing is it depends on what angel you have and what you are feeding them. Certain angels such as bicolors, coral beauties, flames, eibli, etc will accept pellets and flakes from the beginning. More difficult angels such as the Apolemichthys family may not be willing to accept flakes or pellets and could possibly be reluctant to even accept any frozen foods. I am not saying that all angels require sponge in their diets but what I am saying is that if you have an angel who is not eating, why not offer them something that forms part of their natural diet to try and get them to eat?

 

[jroovers]

Anyone else using this for their angels? I just ordered some Angelixir to use on the foods I give to my Regal. I have a yellow tang with some HLLE, and I just noticed that my regal has a small hole too now (worried he is getting HLLE too). He eats like a pig, has been growing like crazy, and is fat. He eats mostly frozen Mysis and NLS pellets, and some nori (he isn't crazy for it), plus grazes in my tank. I'm hoping the Angelixir will help get him some extra nutrients that he may be missing, and I'm also starting to use Selcon too. I don't run carbon and I think my water quality is pretty darn good - my SPS don't seem to be complaining anyway.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Good info on this thread. My guess is that sponge eaters just found an easy food niche on the reef and exploited it. I have kept many sponge eaters for years that have never eaten sponge in the time I've had them.

To the OP: Look at the selection and price of frozen food at LA. Small orders don't make financial sense, but you can stock up. Some folks have found other reefers thru Craigslist to share shipping. I buy all of my frozen food from them.

 

[jroovers]

Good info on this thread. My guess is that sponge eaters just found an easy food niche on the reef and exploited it. I have kept many sponge eaters for years that have never eaten sponge in the time I've had them.

To the OP: Look at the selection and price of frozen food at LA. Small orders don't make financial sense, but you can stock up. Some folks have found other reefers thru Craigslist to share shipping. I buy all of my frozen food from them.

I also am going to supplement diet with frozen angel food, and soak pellets/Mysis in Selcon. Hopefully that helps.

 

[msmith619]

I also am going to supplement diet with frozen angel food, and soak pellets/Mysis in Selcon. Hopefully that helps.

I finally found some frozen angelfish food (-Ocean Nutrition Frozen Angel Formula and Hikari Mega-Marine Angel). My Rock Beauty doesn't like it! It eats like a pig and i soak in Selcon almost every day. In fact, none of my fish eat the angel food. Now, it is a juvenile, maybe their taste changes as they mature.

 

[SDguy]

My fish wouldn't touch the Mega Marine Angel.