Angels in Reef’s

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alton

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Are we done with the stereo type that angels eat your corals and belong in live rock only tanks? The last time I checked angels where collected in the wild from coral reefs. I love my corals but I love my angels more. Types of corals that are safe for my angels are Euphyllia, softies, and SPS. Soft meaty corals are not. Are there exceptions? Yes but there are exceptions with tangs and other reef safe fish also. I would like to hear others on what they do to keep angels in reefs and corals that are angel safe?


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www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
Yes, Angels are collected in reefs, but they are surrounded by huge mature coral colonies. If angels are picking at them, they can withstand and keep growing. In our smaller tanks, the (normally) small colonies can quickly become decimated by fish picking at the polyps or slime coat of the coral. I have tried many species of dwarf angels and had to remove them all :( The people that have angels in their reef tanks are either lucky (every fish is different) or they have larger, mature coral colonies.
 
I would agree that usually sps, leathers, and euphyllia are safe, but I have seen exceptions to all of those with no rhyme or reason why.
 
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Maybe it's luck. But I think to keep angels in reef for long term, you have to live with what you got.
For me, with my 3 Regals, 2 Interruptus, 1 Blueline, and 1 Flame, my SPS are fine. I don't get the polyp extension like I used to get without the angels but that's okay. Euphyllias are mostly fine until they're somehow get sick or someone decided to peck at it. Once the flesh on the Euphyllias is expose, that head is likely gone due to the angels pecking and maybe eating(?) it. Fleshy LPS like acanthrophyllia, open brains, acans, dendros, etc. are like candy to the angels.
I've learned to live with all that to keep the angels. If I end up with a tank with just SPS, a clean sandbed, and angelfish, I would be fine with that. And that's where I'm heading.
 
My Potters Angelfish generally only picks on sps, mainly acropora and montipora but never does any damage. Completely ignores chalices, trumpets, fungia,euphyllia, stylophora, leather corals, zoas and various other soft corals and gorgonians
 
Tidal Gardens
It all about your personal "risk vs reward". I have seen every, and I mean every angel you can speak of nip and eat various types of coral. So with some research you can design your system with the proper size tank, choice of corals, and choice of angels; to give you a better shot at success. But the likelihood of some "hit and miss" individuals and lessens learned of which corals are tasty to your individual will be expected. An individual as they mature changes and likely eventually you will be making adjustments one way or another. Regardless of what you read or are told there is no such thing as a 100% reef safe angel, you may just get lucky or design your tank as such, to give you a satisfying end result.
 
I have always wanted a regal, but I can't stomach the risk. I've had luck with dwarf angels in the past, but I have also had a couple that were nippers from the get go.
 
Tidal Gardens
I have long kept angels in my reef tanks. Means that any meaty polyped corals are out, as well as zoas mostly, everything else is fine - and I’m ok with it. I currently keep a regal, emperor, flame and lemon peel. Potentially adding a potters and asfur.
 
I kept a coral beauty for over a year, with no nipping that I'm aware of. A flame was almost as well-behaved, as only a single Favia came in for a beating.

Lost them to what I now believe was an outbreak of Brooklynella, but my tank _will_ have angels again.

~Bruce
 
So what are the most "reef safe" angels? What about Flame Angels and Coral Beauties???
 
Tidal Gardens
alton said:
Are we done with the stereo type that angels eat your corals and belong in live rock only tanks? The last time I checked angels where collected in the wild from coral reefs. I love my corals but I love my angels more. Types of corals that are safe for my angels are Euphyllia, softies, and SPS. Soft meaty corals are not. Are there exceptions? Yes but there are exceptions with tangs and other reef safe fish also. I would like to hear others on what they do to keep angels in reefs and corals that are angel safe?


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jkruer01 said:
So what are the most "reef safe" angels? What about Flame Angels and Coral Beauties???
Click to expand...

I've been asking lately what the most "angel safe" corals are as I'm building a reef with Angels! Lol

Love Angels in reef tanks! My potters has been perfect so far
 
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I must be extremely lucky. I keep mostly SPS, Clams, Euphyllia, and Fungii. I have had 7 Regal angles over the years and none have bother my corals and clams. I have had a numbers of Flame angels (12+) and clams. I also had good luck with Flame Back, Fire ball and Cherub angels. My Watanabei pair never bother any of my coral. 1 Narvacus was wonderful and one have to be removed within the day. Nox was terrible, out in 10 mins.
 
Saltdaddy said:
So what are the angles that you have in the tank?
Click to expand...
Juvenile Emperor (now changing), Two Regals, two Flames. The only fish that has given me trouble has been the juvenile Blueface, adults have been fine. I finally gave up on trying to create a pair of BF becasue of this, and moved on to Regals until just recently.
 
My Regal is the king of my tank. Very mild mannered, gental, and I can hand feed him. He eats like a pig.... So he bothered with my acans so I quickly gave them away before they were gone. He has not touched any other corals.... Zoos, LPS, and sps. He does get fed twice a day...

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I have an xl annularis and a juv koran. What types of softies are prone to not be nipped at?
 
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