A localish fish store has one of these in stock at a reasonable price for that fish, but I do not know alot about them. Reading the internet the information on their hardiness, what they eat, and of course reef safeness is mixed (I know this will always be mixed). Has anyone here had alot of experience with these fish? Are they a good, relatively hardy addition to a tank?
Venustus Angel
- Thread starter bamf25
- Start date
skibum9884
Active member
In general Venustus are pretty difficult fish. Hopefully Todd will tell you what he thinks as I know he keeps one, but they are generally very shy and difficult to get eating.
It's a shame because they sure are beautiful!
It's a shame because they sure are beautiful!
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
Hi David. 
Mine came from the Diver's Den section of LA -- think that has a lot to do with it. Looking at the dates on my picture I received it 6/24/2010, and it is still doing as great as every. Mine was eating prepared foods within hours of being released into the tank. For the first month or so it was on the shy side, preferring to stay near a cave and really only coming out to eat (( it would forage on the rocks if it couldn't see me watching )).
For a dwarf angel it is pretty passive, though not a wimp. For the first year I had it with 2 other dwarf angels (( coral beauty and multicolored )) and it deferred to them but didn't back down either, if that makes sense.
I now (( since June/July when I moved )) have it with no other angels. It is a bit bolder, but not a huge amount -- since it wasn't that much of a wimp to begin with. Once in a blue moon it will chase my perc pair, but otherwise just goes about its business -- which is mainly grazing on the rocks (( would only attempt one with mature live rock )). Mine has a cave to call its own, and does spend a good deal of time in there, so plenty of hiding spaces is important.
As for food, it loves to eat; LifeLine's Herbivore mix, Rod's food (( 3 different types )), Spectrum pellets, PE Mysis and pretty much whatever I put in the tank. It seems to get jealous (( along with the other fish in the tank )) when I am eating dinner at the dinning room table. It will hang on in the corner of the tank -- closest to the table -- while I am eating.
Also, it knows when I am at the freezer getting its food and gets a bit excited. Overall a very personable fish, one of my favorites.
And since I looked at the pictures for the date of purchase...
Acclimating,
In the tank -- notice the tiny spot of yellow on the crown,
Back when it was with the coral beauty,
Likes caves,
And lastly from a week or two ago -- look at the yellow on the crown now, the fish has grown nicely over the last year, and took the move like a champ.
Mine came from the Diver's Den section of LA -- think that has a lot to do with it. Looking at the dates on my picture I received it 6/24/2010, and it is still doing as great as every. Mine was eating prepared foods within hours of being released into the tank. For the first month or so it was on the shy side, preferring to stay near a cave and really only coming out to eat (( it would forage on the rocks if it couldn't see me watching )).
For a dwarf angel it is pretty passive, though not a wimp. For the first year I had it with 2 other dwarf angels (( coral beauty and multicolored )) and it deferred to them but didn't back down either, if that makes sense.
I now (( since June/July when I moved )) have it with no other angels. It is a bit bolder, but not a huge amount -- since it wasn't that much of a wimp to begin with. Once in a blue moon it will chase my perc pair, but otherwise just goes about its business -- which is mainly grazing on the rocks (( would only attempt one with mature live rock )). Mine has a cave to call its own, and does spend a good deal of time in there, so plenty of hiding spaces is important.
As for food, it loves to eat; LifeLine's Herbivore mix, Rod's food (( 3 different types )), Spectrum pellets, PE Mysis and pretty much whatever I put in the tank. It seems to get jealous (( along with the other fish in the tank )) when I am eating dinner at the dinning room table. It will hang on in the corner of the tank -- closest to the table -- while I am eating.
Also, it knows when I am at the freezer getting its food and gets a bit excited. Overall a very personable fish, one of my favorites. And since I looked at the pictures for the date of purchase...
Acclimating,
In the tank -- notice the tiny spot of yellow on the crown,
Back when it was with the coral beauty,
Likes caves,
And lastly from a week or two ago -- look at the yellow on the crown now, the fish has grown nicely over the last year, and took the move like a champ.
aandfsoccr04
Active member
That fish is stunning. I'd love to give it a try one day.
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
Thank you very much Matthew, I do love the little guy.
I had one for a while -- it chased an aggressive pair of pink skunk clowns too far and ran into their S. haddoni; the clowns were sold a week later.
At first the two didn't like each other, but that only lasted for a day or two.
A bit dark,
Flash,
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
Thank you -- thing has been one of my best dwarf angels, health wise.
Wish I knew what I did (( though I think getting it from DD went a long long way )) that helped. However, I did provide it with a mature tank, lots of diverse live rock with plenty of hiding spaces. I tried a variety of foods, lucky for me it likes all of them, in an attempt to find some that it preferred. Don't want too much competition for food. Also, their mouths are smaller then they appear. Of course keeping your water in check goes a long way.
IME, the golden is a lot harder to get feeding, so would be a bit nervous about it being the 2nd angel --- granted in the 6 months I had mine I never actually saw it eat prepared foods. It had to have been eating something since it gained weight in those 6 months.
My golden was pretty shy, so that would be another reason to have it first, and ideally larger.
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