So I was at my lfs today. I just went to pick up coral but of course, I made my rounds and took a look at every tank in the store. This lfs is just a little family store with a single person working there. He's really knowledgable and experienced. Usually I could go and see Regal Angels and Moorish Idols and other hard-to-keep fish like them and they're usually eating. The single Regal Angel that he had today wasn't eating but it's been with him for over a month.
I had a discussion with the man about the difference between the Regal Angels from the Indo-Pacific (which is what he had) and the Red Sea. I've read on most sites that the Red Sea specimens fair better than the Indo-Pacific but he disagreed. The only advantange of getting a Red Sea Regal Angel is that if they eat you'll have a much more colorful fish compared to if you have an Indo-Pacific Regal Angel eating. He went on to say that generally any Regal Angel that is placed in a reef tank with lots of algae-covered live rock will survive.
My questions are: 1) I've kept and am still keeping fish that accept no food from me. My mandarin has been living in my tank for almost two years now and my Venustus Angel lived off the live rock until it unfortunately died while I was out of town about a year later. If what the guy at the lfs says is true about them surviving solely off the live rocks until they learn how to feed, why are people still having problems keeping them? I understand that they're bigger than mandarins and other fish but I'm assuming that while they are picking at the algae on the rocks, they are also eating leftover food. If that's the case, then why are people having problems keeping them alive? Is it that they aren't prepared for the angel's requirements? Is this specific angel like Moorish Idols, picking at the rocks and eating one day and then not picking at anything until it dies the next day?
2) I've been to this store a couple of times in the past month and so I know the guy is telling the truth about the Regal Angel being there for a month or so. How is it that this angel is still alive after a month of fasting? He said he's seen it maybe take two pieces of frozen brine since he had it. I was watching it for a while and noticed that it was just picking at the crushed coral a bit. Is that where it's getting all of its nutrition from?
Obviously, the reason I'm asking all these questions is because I'm interested in keeping one. My tank is covered in algae and copepods so I'm sure that so long as it picks at the rocks it will do well until it learns to feed. To be honest with all of you, I would've bought it today. What held me back was that I already have a Japanese Swallowtail Angel in my tank and I didn't know how the two would get along. Basically, I would keep one (as the sole angel in my tank) but so long as it's known to graze on the rocks. If it's not known to do that or if it's known to stop after a while, I'll reconsider. I would like to learn about this fish first hand but only if I know I could get enough time with it.
If I were to add it, I would wait until I've removed my current angel and two tangs to ensure that it doesn't get bullied by anybody when it is introduced. The only other fish in the tank other than those three are a pair of Ocellaris Clowns, the mandarin, and a Purple Firefish. The only one that would attack would be one of the two clowns but only if the angel goes too close to the anemone. Basically, I want to learn more than I already know about this angel from you guys and from links that I haven't read yet.
I had a discussion with the man about the difference between the Regal Angels from the Indo-Pacific (which is what he had) and the Red Sea. I've read on most sites that the Red Sea specimens fair better than the Indo-Pacific but he disagreed. The only advantange of getting a Red Sea Regal Angel is that if they eat you'll have a much more colorful fish compared to if you have an Indo-Pacific Regal Angel eating. He went on to say that generally any Regal Angel that is placed in a reef tank with lots of algae-covered live rock will survive.
My questions are: 1) I've kept and am still keeping fish that accept no food from me. My mandarin has been living in my tank for almost two years now and my Venustus Angel lived off the live rock until it unfortunately died while I was out of town about a year later. If what the guy at the lfs says is true about them surviving solely off the live rocks until they learn how to feed, why are people still having problems keeping them? I understand that they're bigger than mandarins and other fish but I'm assuming that while they are picking at the algae on the rocks, they are also eating leftover food. If that's the case, then why are people having problems keeping them alive? Is it that they aren't prepared for the angel's requirements? Is this specific angel like Moorish Idols, picking at the rocks and eating one day and then not picking at anything until it dies the next day?
2) I've been to this store a couple of times in the past month and so I know the guy is telling the truth about the Regal Angel being there for a month or so. How is it that this angel is still alive after a month of fasting? He said he's seen it maybe take two pieces of frozen brine since he had it. I was watching it for a while and noticed that it was just picking at the crushed coral a bit. Is that where it's getting all of its nutrition from?
Obviously, the reason I'm asking all these questions is because I'm interested in keeping one. My tank is covered in algae and copepods so I'm sure that so long as it picks at the rocks it will do well until it learns to feed. To be honest with all of you, I would've bought it today. What held me back was that I already have a Japanese Swallowtail Angel in my tank and I didn't know how the two would get along. Basically, I would keep one (as the sole angel in my tank) but so long as it's known to graze on the rocks. If it's not known to do that or if it's known to stop after a while, I'll reconsider. I would like to learn about this fish first hand but only if I know I could get enough time with it.
If I were to add it, I would wait until I've removed my current angel and two tangs to ensure that it doesn't get bullied by anybody when it is introduced. The only other fish in the tank other than those three are a pair of Ocellaris Clowns, the mandarin, and a Purple Firefish. The only one that would attack would be one of the two clowns but only if the angel goes too close to the anemone. Basically, I want to learn more than I already know about this angel from you guys and from links that I haven't read yet.
