Lunareclipse

Fishes are cuddly
Location
Ohio
Rating - 100%
4   0   0
We were browsing at the pet store and we bought a cherub angel and a rock beauty angel. Since they were in the same tank, I thought they were both some type of pygmy fishes. The cherub seems pretty easy to take care of. I looked up the rock beauty angel and it seems he has a rather complicated diet. What is the best things to give him and how often do I feed him? Some places I researched said to give a wide veriety of food. Do I give it all at the same time or a different food everytime? How much sponges do I give him and where do I get sponges for food for him? They don't have sponges for sale where I live. Any other information that would help in the care of this little guy would be nice too. He is in a 150 gallon tank, so I am ok there. Everything else I am in the dark about.
 

loneracer05

Advanced Reefer
Location
suffolk county
Rating - 93.6%
44   3   0
They have an angel blend frozen cube food my angel loves it...but they usually eat all the oher varieties of frozen foods shrimps squid clams ect...I would keep afew different frozen foods in the freezer. Just rotate them every few days or every day or even mix afew cubes together for afew days worth of food.
 

Lunareclipse

Fishes are cuddly
Location
Ohio
Rating - 100%
4   0   0
I found it. I will head to Phishy Business later and get some. Thank you. Where do I get sponges to feed him. Most places I visited said that even if he eats lots of things, he will slowly starve to death without sponges.
 
Location
Huntington
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
Ocean Nutrition makes the angel formula (frozen) you should be able to find it almost anywhere. I would seriously question the store you purchased it from though, since you didn't know what it was and left still unaware of it's actual size and how to care for it. Rock Beauties are not a pygmy species. They don't get as large as some of the bigger angels but they don't stay small.

Is the 150 a reef tank?
 

Lunareclipse

Fishes are cuddly
Location
Ohio
Rating - 100%
4   0   0
No, I do have a few tiny corals that rode in on rocks, but my tank is a fowlr. I love xenias, though. They are my fav coral and I wanted to buy every type I could find to decorate my tank. They are relatively easy to keep too and fast growing. Do I need corals for him to eat? I called the pet store and they have no clue. They said that's what they got in. They don't know how to care for it. I do understand that rock beauties get 7 inches (if they live that long). I will check on the Ocean Nutrition angel food. I bought the hikari?? mega angel food online. I'm going out today to get him some Nori.
 

masterswimmer

Old School Reefer
Vendor
Location
NY
Rating - 99.6%
448   2   0
Ocean Nutrition makes the angel formula (frozen) you should be able to find it almost anywhere. I would seriously question the store you purchased it from though, since you didn't know what it was and left still unaware of it's actual size and how to care for it. Rock Beauties are not a pygmy species. They don't get as large as some of the bigger angels but they don't stay small.

Is the 150 a reef tank?


+1, good info.

Russ
 

Lunareclipse

Fishes are cuddly
Location
Ohio
Rating - 100%
4   0   0
I am having trouble finding anyone who has kept one of these fish alive for over a year. Most that I have talked to have had them die 3-6 months after they buy them. I am thinking of taking him back and trading him for something that isn't so hard to care for and letting the pet store know that this fish should go to a very experienced aquarist. He hasn't eaten anything substantial since we got him.
 

Lunareclipse

Fishes are cuddly
Location
Ohio
Rating - 100%
4   0   0
That is sad that they would sell these to inexperienced people at a pet store in order to make a few bucks. There are some fish that should be reserved for shops that specialize in saltwater, are knowledgeable and will give people the proper info they need. This poor fish is going to suffer to death. It should have been left in the ocean.
 
Location
Huntington
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
Mike is right about their survival rate. They are a carribean species which I don't think helps them since their desired temp is slightly lower than what we keep most of our tanks at. The theory behind juvenile fish having a better chance is that they aren't set in their ways yet and are more open to accepting new foods.

I would argue that at this point the angel is better off in your care than back at the store but it's your money and if you don't feel comfortable than try and return it.

For the future it's best to have a plan for stocking the tank ahead of time to avoid impulse purchases with species you aren't familiar with. This will save you an immense amount of time and money. If you are new it might seem like a lot to just pick a few fish that you like but the upside is that odds are good this won't be your first tank so you'll have plenty of chances to get all the fish you want down the line lol.
 

Lunareclipse

Fishes are cuddly
Location
Ohio
Rating - 100%
4   0   0
I'm not new at this, but I have never gotten an angelfish before. It is great planning what you want in your tank, but our local stores are seriously lacking. We have to drive almost an hour one way just to get food to feed our fishes. What I need to buy is a reference book to take with me so I don't pick up fishes that are difficult when I go to the pet store. Any suggestions?

Why would he be better off in my tank? Just curious.
 
Location
Huntington
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
Why would he be better off in my tank? Just curious.

Because you clearly care more about the fish than they do.

You can find all the info you need on the internet but if you want books for something cool to look at or the actual science behind your tank, there are several good books. There was a recent thread about books I'll see if I can find the link in a few.
 
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Lunareclipse

Fishes are cuddly
Location
Ohio
Rating - 100%
4   0   0
With regrets, we took him back today. We want fish that have a chance of sticking it out long term. We did get some nice fishes though. We got a white urchin, but shortly after we put him in a rock fell on him and squished him. I feel so terrible. We got 4 tiny green chromises. They look cool all schooled together. And we got a 7-8 inch yellowhead wrasse. He is a sweety pie. The clownfish scared him and he played dead. And then he went and hid in the sand.
 

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