What does anybody really know about Emperor Angels?

[BioMan]

So I got my 120 gal up to par, (not happy with the sump, but thanks to NYSTEELO I'm working on that) anyways, I put an Emperor Angel, baby blue hippo, 4 line Wrasse, and a bi-color fish.
After all the research I've done I've come to the conclusion that:
After everything I've read published by scientists these allegedly Bad Boys actually eat worms, sea cucumbers,bugs, and plants.
Chime in if you have kept invertebrates and worms in your tanks with the sole purpose of feeding these fish.
*keep in mind I'm encouraging thought provoking discussion, theories and possibly success stories.

 

[LBC]

Arent they aggressive?

Will your baby blue be safe?

 

[Master Shake]

just because they eat coral doesnt mean that they will eat the oceans dry, there are many non reef safe fish and that is one of them. granted there are people that have them and other large angels in their reef tanks if they are 'trained' correctly but you are figuring in the ocean there is exponentially more coral than you could possibly fit in your tiny 120. in the millions of gallons of ocean reef that that single emperor angel will pass through in the ocean doesnt mean that he will eat every single piece he passes, A nip here and a nip there wont harm a coral in the ocean confine him in a 120 and your prized coral is as good as gone. and dont say people dont know jack about the emperor

 

[BioMan]

he's still swimming sideways, they're both new and babies..at 120 gallons those 4 fish is all I need,,adding mostly sps corals but the test Zoanthids and Blastos i put in there havent been given a second look yet...they did nip the colt coral i have in there but that thing grows just as fast as they can nibble, so all I can do is wait and keep everybody updated on my progress.

 

[prattreef]

Really? How about because wild reefs are huge, gigantic entities and nature has evolved a sustainable situation where populations of coral eating fish are in the proper proportion to the area they inhabit and can't cause enough damage to be problematic.
Our little glass boxes are a very different situation and one fish that constantly picks on corals in the confines of our tanks can and do cause significant damage.

Emperor Angles have been kept successfully in Acro/SPS dominated tanks, but they will without question do serious damage to LPS, Zoas and other soft corals. Temp fate if you'd like to find out first hand.....

 

[BioMan]

just because they eat coral doesnt mean that they will eat the oceans dry, there are many non reef safe fish and that is one of them. granted there are people that have them and other large angels in their reef tanks if they are 'trained' correctly but you are figuring in the ocean there is exponentially more coral than you could possibly fit in your tiny 120. in the millions of gallons of ocean reef that that single emperor angel will pass through in the ocean doesnt mean that he will eat every single piece he passes, A nip here and a nip there wont harm a coral in the ocean confine him in a 120 and your prized coral is as good as gone. and dont say people dont know jack about the emperor

1-They inhabit the Great Barrier Reef and Coral city by over 50%!!!
2-Like I said this thread is thought provoking, I'm not gonna stick my head in an alligators mouth yet.
3-Show me a video or source where these guys eat coral in the ocean, I can cite many for the worm and invertebrate theory,,they're actually called Zoobenthos, second favorite being sponges.

 

[Waleedwale1]

Not agreeing or disagreeing with them being reef safe as I don't have experience with angels but in the ocean, there is a natural equilibrium. For every zoa that an emperor nips at, there's another polyp that will grow the next day. A balance has been achieved, a certain amount of corals will fall victim to predators, while others won't. Think about it, many animals on the bottom of the food chain will have more babies at once then animals on top of the food chain, this is because not all of them will survive , many of them will become victims to predators, and predators have Less offspring so they don't wipe out the prey.

 

[prattreef]

The fact that they might or might not eat corals as a food source in the wild is not a valid indicator of what they will or won't eat in captivity. There are no flakes or pellets in the ocean are there? And, they do pick constantly at the substrate in the wild--where the worms and sponges and the other stuff you mention live, and they continue this behavior in captivity. Corals that are repeatedly picked on whether they are eaten ( meaning consumed and digested) or not eventually die.

 

[BioMan]

Our little glass boxes are a very different situation and one fish that constantly picks on corals in the confines of our tanks can and do cause significant damage.

Our glass boxes are stocked with things we find appealing,,I'm looking for someone who, just as we feed Mandarins those copepods,,intentionally kept anything else in their tank for these guys.

 

[LBC]

he's still swimming sideways, they're both new and babies..

oh the emps are babies too? nice.

my hippo is still swimming sideways, and has this dance around the tank likes hes high on someting, esp during feeding. and isn't a baby imo, just still immature/small.

is there a certain age around when hippos stop swimming sideways much?

 

[BioMan]

I'm thinking they stop swimming like that once they're comfortable with the tank,,5 or 6 weeks in some cases I've read...or they're being silly who really knows

 

[LBC]

mines just in there a couple days, and spends most of the time hidden in the rocks, but eats like a pig and dances around sideways & at all angles out in the open seemingly wanting to jump out or at least 'sea above' the water like yea, crazy at mealtimes.

 

[dacaptain78]

Humans eat cows. How are there any cows left! Spiders eat flies. How are there any flies left! Man, no one knows nothin about nothin. Thought provoking stuff.

Seriously though, we know plenty about the emperor angelfish. Just because you read something about its behavior and don't like/agree with it doesn't mean "nobody knows jack" about them. Simple fact is that these fish are known to eat corals in an aquarium. Will every specimen eat coral? Maybe not, but the likelihood is there.

Considering that your fish are already picking on your colt it seems that coral is already on the menu. While you fish may be small now and the colt coral large that will not always be the case for the fish and type of coral. Wait until your emperor is large enough to eat zoa/paly polyps in one bite. Colonies disappear pretty quickly then.

If you want to feed them foods that they naturally find in the ocean you are off to a good start. You can also add sponge and clams.

 

[Dre]

Parrot fish are natorious hard coral eaters they out number Emperor angels by far in fact parrot fish produce the sand you walk on at the beach and the coral reefs are still there. Stock your tank with a wide variety of corals a let us know what happen in 6 months or so.

 

[dacaptain78]

If the fish is constantly swimming on its side keep a close eye on it. There may be an issue with its swim bladder.

 

[jaa1456]

Two things that will happen with your 120, the Hippo tang and Emperor will both outgrow them. As for emperors being reef safe, not with most LPS and Zoas. I put a 2" Juvi in my mixed reef and it went after my acans, lobos and blastos right away. I knew this could be a problem and those corals were removed to another tank. It does however leave my hammers and torches alone.

 

[NYreefNoob]

there are a few people i know who keep angels in full blown reefs and have done well with it. Copps being one of them. if you have any questions in reguards to angels he would be one of the first people i would get ahold of on RC

 

[BioMan]

Thanks I was planning on getting a larger tank within the next 5 years will they be good until then? THAT is an issue of conflicting research for me because the coloring I understand only relays to the maturity and not the age? I'm ready to live with this guy for the next 12 Years or so but if your telling me I need to upgrade long before that 5 year mark I may have a problem.

 

[jaa1456]

I would think an upgrade would be needed within two years. My emp is now 4"s and has been in the tank for 6 months.

 

[BioMan]

I really gotta say I love this Emperor,,he loves PE Mysis,, the blue hippo loves chopped clams and hangs with the bicolor fish all the time like mated clowns but the "Cleaner Wrasse",,Mr 4 Line is nipping the hell out of my SPS!!! I went to liveaquaria and sure enough "...the 4 line eats SPS" lol,how did I miss that, Should I swap my 6 line thats in my other tank with this guy? Its only LPS in the other tank plus 1 anemone and the typical CUC. Sorry No pics of that tank it grows acans and zoas like weeds...