timid emperor angels

[triggermen]

recently got a 8" emperor angel and i am having a hard time cos it so timid that at a sigth of me will send to hiding.now i have remove all rocks and still hiding at the corner. it feeding very well on pallet food.any suggesting?

 

[saltyESQ]

something is causing him to be very fearful. i think some fish, particularly complex, sensitive fish like emperators, have a tough time once they get to captivity. is your undy in the same tank? could be terrorizing the emperator when you're not looking...it also could be another angel since emperators tend not to get along with similar fish. in general, it's tough getting emperators when they are full grown like that from the wild. you may want to pull him out and trade him back to the store while he's still alive and healthy. it sounds like it's not a match for your tank right now. the rocks are essential to a healthy angel so I could not leave it empty. if you get another one, try to get one in the 5-6" range just after changing colors so it has a chance of adapting to captivity.

 

[lesleybird]

Have you given him time to adapt and settle in? After all he was just stolen from the ocean where he was probably happy. It is not wise of you to pull the rocks out when the fish is insecure and needs the rock to feel secure. The rock is nice for the fish to adapt. It takes time for the fish to get used to the new environment so give him time to gain trust so he will not hide. Why did you take out the rock? If you were a fish you would hide too. What are you thinking? Probably made him really unhappy removing the rock. Ask yourself if the tank you have is big enough for him....he needs at least a 180 gallon tank for his size with plenty of rocks to feel at home. Think if there are any fish bullying him? Good luck, Lesley

 

[mattsilvester]

triggermen

1. How long do you have him? A fish this big, if caught wild at that size will takes weeks to become acustomed to captivity.

2. Why did you take out the rocks? Was it to 'prevent' the fish from hiding? If so, you really need to do a bit of research into fish behaviour - especially fish like angefish. An emporer angel MUST BE ABLE TO HIDE. If not he will get very stressed, and sooner or later will die. To be happy they need to be able to get out of sight..... they need a spot where you cannot see them, and they cannot see you. If you provide plenty of cover, the fish will settle, he will colour up and become much more "at home"...... and eventually will be very tame. My 6" emproer will attack my arm - he has no fear of me at all!

3. Is it you he is hiding from, or is he trying to hide all the time? If you creep into the room, very quietly, is he out swimming? If so, its just you he is afraid of, and in time (if you let him settle) he will calm down and realise that you are not going to harm him, and then he will be very tame.

HTH

Matt

 

[ccampbell57]

Triggerman - the emperor is more than likely caught from the ocean. At 8" he has been in the waters for more than 2-3 years. He is absolutely tweaked out by being placed in your tank.

I think that removing your rock was an unwise choice. He needs rock to hide. Each of my angels has a cave that they go to for security and without the caves they have no safe harbor.

IMHO you need to replace the rock and give him some place to hide.

As far as eating, large angels are tough to get eating when they are caught over 6". You will need to try a bunch of differnet things. Since they are known to be graizers on the rocks I would sprinkle pellets on the rock and let him pick it off.

I would also soak some silversides and clam in VitaChem.

 

[frankie33]

I just adopted an emp. The first two days he terrorized the two tangs , cb angel, and clown. Just letting them know he's boss. Today, the third day he is pretty much leaving them alone. But a cave of their own is essential. Luckily mine was already accustomed to being in an aquarium. Also, if possible, a few cleaner shrimp help to make them comfortable. I have one and the emp has pestered him since the first day. Give him back the rocks and give it some time. And try to keep some algae sheets in the tank as much as possible. Even if he isn't accepting food yet (pellet, frozen etc...), his instinct is to graze so if he finds that at least he's eating something. Best of luck to you!

 

[mattsilvester]

In any tank containing an angel of tang, if they manage to finish teh nori such that none is left in the clip, then you are not feeding enough of it. For optimum health, there should be nori in a clip from lights on to lights off, and teh surplus removed at night. In time, you will quickly learn what the "nori demand" is for your tank and then you can just put in enough so that only a tiny bit is left in the clip by the end of the day...... My tank "requirement" for example was about 3/4 sheet of nori per day..... but sicne adding 2 new tangs that has gone up..... I need to "learn" how much to feed now.

But generally speaking, if the clip ever 'runs dry' then they have not had enough.

None of us are perfect, some days we will forget, or be too busy, or too lazy...... I don't get in from work until 5pm for example - and the fish get fed then, but the nori is then available for them to eat for about 6 hrs....... but some days I do forget (Saturday is usually the worst)..... but as a "guiding principle" for feeding nori - keep the clip full at all times, or at least do your best to ensure that...... if you can't or won't go to that much bother - well I'll reserve my opinion on that.....

HTH

Matt

 

[mattsilvester]

As a note for getting a "new" angel to feed on nori - he may not recognise it as food..... especially if other residents aren't already eating the stuff - so I would suggest putting it in the clip, then tied the clip onto a rock, and drop it in, near his farouite spot in the tank....... once he tastes it, and develops a liking for it, you can then stick the clip on the glass and he'll feed from there.

HTH

 

[bohannbj]

neat

 

[triggermen]

well,it help after removing the rocks but i felt sorry for the angel.i agree with all your views i am such a fool to do that will provide shelter for it soon.the fish is feeding very well and hope it will adopt o the new enviroment soon.cheer.

 

[triggermen]

wow it happen like magic... the emperor is out of the cage by just rearanging the rocks!it seems happier and more confident now,thanks guys!!!hope to include the photo but got problems even upload from photobucket.

 

[frankie33]

that's great! remember to keep his colors, variety is the spice of life!!!

 

[mattsilvester]

Good hear - post a pic when you can

 

[triggermen]

matt,got problem posting photo but can view my emperor at my gallery.cheers.

 

[AquaKnight]

Try http://xs.to instead of photobucket. Larger image size and no membership needed.

 

[ccampbell57]

Can't wait to see pics

 

[ccampbell57]

Triggerman - the picture you have looks like an Emperor from Caledonia. These are super rare emperors. Am I correct?

 

[triggermen]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11716554#post11716554 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ccampbell57
Triggerman - the picture you have looks like an Emperor from Caledonia. These are super rare emperors. Am I correct?

no no no its from indo pacific region.