Best Dwarf/Pygmy Angelfish?

[dennis romano]

Have a pygmy in my 40 gallon reef with gonis, blastos, zoas and duncans. Once in a while, it may nip a coral but moves on. Sometimes it chases the blennies and gobies but no damage. Years ago, had a trio of pygmies in a 50 gallon reef.

 

[Tyler Flynn]

This is a video a recommend to anyone looking to angels. Has some really good info from some very experienced people. I have used it as my starting point to adding angels again now that i have coral.
I had a coral beauty eat clove polyps when i first started with corals, but that was before i did all my research. Multicolour was a model citizen though.

 

[Tamberav]

My potters angel doesn't pick at coral but probably wouldn't fit in a 45g. He is a little aggressive to new additions but it calms down after a week.

I think it just depends on each individual fish for the most part (except things like lemon peels).

Heavy feeding helps but you need a system that can handle the excess feedings.

 

[A sea K]

Both a Coral Beauty and Cherub in my 80gal DT. Lots of meaty LPS and no issues so far. The CB has been in the system for quite some time but the little Cherub is new and only been in there for maybe a month.
FYI, KP Aquatics is a great source for the Cherub and Royal Gramma and other Caribbean species as well.

 

[SMSREEF]

I’ve had great experiences with flamebacks and cherubs in zoa/softy dominant tanks as well as sps. They’re gorgeous and so cute!

Hey @footgal did you find the cherub to be same aggressiveness as a Flameback?
I had to trap my flameback and return to LFS. He battered my yellow watchman goby so bad it finally jumped to its death through gap in my screen top. Almost killed my clown too, beat him up and swim bladder burst.
I was seriously considering a small cherub, but I’m a little gunshy now. 60 gal cube is my tank.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Hey @footgal did you find the cherub to be same aggressiveness as a Flameback?
I had to trap my flameback and return to LFS. He battered my yellow watchman goby so bad it finally jumped to its death through gap in my screen top. Almost killed my clown too, beat him up and swim bladder burst.
I was seriously considering a small cherub, but I’m a little gunshy now. 60 gal cube is my tank.

I found the cherubs to be more predictable than the flamebacks. When you get a mean flameback they are MEAN but a ‘bad’ cherub usually has a problem with a specific fish in a specific area for like a week. In my case, the cherub HATED one of my clowns being in a duncan and I have no idea why. They fought for about a week, some chasing and a little bit of torn fins was the extent of the damage. I guess maybe after a week the cherub just kinda gave up and realized that the clown wasn’t gonna move and he had to deal with it?

Out of the 5-6 cherubs I’ve ever had (or that my dad has had, I just asked him this as well) my current one is the most aggressive and the above event is the reason. I’ve never had one pick on corals or chase EVERY fish in the tank. It’s always just been one fish, in a very particular area that ticks the cherub off. I have my other clown in a hammer not even 3” away from the duncan and the cherub doesn’t care about that clown and it doesn’t care about the duncan clown if it’s away from the duncan.

So, by all means, I suggest trying a cherub. A 60 cube should be way more than enough territory for one to establish its little area and to be happy and a good tank mate. You’ll find that they are actually very curious and that they actually like to seek out activities to to to have fun! I have a small pile of rubble in the back of the tank just to build weird arches and stuff so I can watch the cherub gleefully swim through all the arches and holes and things. He has found the tiniest gaps in the rock work to wiggle through and I swear he looks proud when he finds a new hole. They’re really awesome fish and ,as you experienced, they have very pronounced personalities if you take the time to get to know them. I wish you the best of luck with your cherub!

 

[shred5]

Hey @footgal did you find the cherub to be same aggressiveness as a Flameback?
I had to trap my flameback and return to LFS. He battered my yellow watchman goby so bad it finally jumped to its death through gap in my screen top. Almost killed my clown too, beat him up and swim bladder burst.
I was seriously considering a small cherub, but I’m a little gunshy now. 60 gal cube is my tank.

Yea pigmy's are hit or miss. They also can be fine for years and then just turn and take out a colony or become aggressive. Maybe it is maturity too.

I find that with the dwarfs sometimes to it can be a single fish they get aggressive and it can be relentless when they do.

I had a Flameback jump from a temporary tank a few weeks month ago. Not much aggression and was one of the least aggressive dwarf angels I have owned but he loved to go after SPS frags and had to be removed. I lost several hundred dollars in frags. Took me to long to figure out what it was killing them. Sandy saw him doing it and then I did after that. I owned him a long time and no issues. just on day he decided to go after sps frags. I could move them and he would still find them.

Angels are just hit or miss and sometimes they change. They are just amazing fish and I am on the hunt for a different one that I have not tried. I have just got 3 cherub angels a month ago from KP aquatics.

 

[SMSREEF]

I found the cherubs to be more predictable than the flamebacks. When you get a mean flameback they are MEAN but a ‘bad’ cherub usually has a problem with a specific fish in a specific area for like a week. In my case, the cherub HATED one of my clowns being in a duncan and I have no idea why. They fought for about a week, some chasing and a little bit of torn fins was the extent of the damage. I guess maybe after a week the cherub just kinda gave up and realized that the clown wasn’t gonna move and he had to deal with it?

Out of the 5-6 cherubs I’ve ever had (or that my dad has had, I just asked him this as well) my current one is the most aggressive and the above event is the reason. I’ve never had one pick on corals or chase EVERY fish in the tank. It’s always just been one fish, in a very particular area that ticks the cherub off. I have my other clown in a hammer not even 3” away from the duncan and the cherub doesn’t care about that clown and it doesn’t care about the duncan clown if it’s away from the duncan.

So, by all means, I suggest trying a cherub. A 60 cube should be way more than enough territory for one to establish its little area and to be happy and a good tank mate. You’ll find that they are actually very curious and that they actually like to seek out activities to to to have fun! I have a small pile of rubble in the back of the tank just to build weird arches and stuff so I can watch the cherub gleefully swim through all the arches and holes and things. He has found the tiniest gaps in the rock work to wiggle through and I swear he looks proud when he finds a new hole. They’re really awesome fish and ,as you experienced, they have very pronounced personalities if you take the time to get to know them. I wish you the best of luck with your cherub!

Thank you so much! This is very helpful.
A cherub is gonna be in my next group of fish.

 

[OrionN]

Thank you so much! This is very helpful.
A cherub is gonna be in my next group of fish.

I find that a harem of dwarf angels are one of the most rewarding fish that I can keep. Never keep a reef tank without at least a pair of angels, other than my small, less than 40 gal reefs

 

[SMSREEF]

I find that a harem of dwarf angels are one of the most rewarding fish that I can keep. Never keep a reef tank without at lest a pair of angels, other than my small, less than 40 gal reefs

Maybe that was my problem. I had one. It was gorgeous and definitely inquisitive. One of the smartest fish and not afraid of anything (which thank goodness made it easy to trap).
It probably was bored and just liked to fight to pass the time. Some fish like my tailspot blenny could hold its own against it. Others just ran away which encouraged it to attack more.
Ill do more research on keeping a pair of cherubs in my 60 cube.

 

[MONTANTK]

I have had numerous angels mixed with coral, some worked and some didn’t. The best in my opinion is the flame Angel. I haven’t kept a cherub but I probably wouldn’t hesitate if I had a tank stocked with coral. In my experience, if you keep them well fed they may be a little less likely to pick. If you only have a few small frags then a cherub may not be the best idea.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Cherub Pygmy angel or flame

 

[kingjoe]

So I want to add a smaller angelfish to my mixed 45gallon reef tank. I have considered cherubs, flame angelfish and coral beautys but have all heard they may nip at corals which I want to avoid. I know that is hit or miss depending on the fish but I have two questions.

1. Which of the smaller angelfish are the best in your opinion (personality, aggression, etc.)?
2. What is the best way to minimize coral aggression or nipping?

I had an Eibl's in a fish only tank and later moved him to a ~35 gallon reef tank. Had no problems with him getting after anybody- he was an all around great inhabitant.

 

[PicassoClown04]

I had an Eibl's in a fish only tank and later moved him to a ~35 gallon reef tank. Had no problems with him getting after anybody- he was an all around great inhabitant.

Are you talking about this one? According to LA, they get pretty big and need 70 gallons

 

[kingjoe]

Are you talking about this one? According to LA, they get pretty big and need 70 gallons

Yep, that was him. He seemed to do very well in the reef tank, appeared healthy, and never bothered anyone. I wish I could remember what I was feeding him, but that would take me back over 10 years...

 

[Zionas]

What about your experiences with Coral Beauties sourced from Indonesia and the Philippines? Do you find them to be lower quality with more instances of mystery deaths compared to those from say Fiji?

 

[Zionas]

How big was it when you got it? And how much has it grown in 10 years?

 

[Mel Aldrich]

Hmm I only have a pretty docile clownfish, a bangai cardinalfish, goby/shrimp pair and wanted to add a royal gramma eventually but I think the Cherub are beautiful fish

With the fish that You have, I think a Pygmy angel or Royal Gramma are both good choices. A Royal Gramma may be slightly safer. Much depends on the individual fish & the size of Your tank ? Provide lots of Hiding places, and the angelfish will be out & swimming much more often. Over My 47 years of Marine fish, I've had lots of both fish. C. argi are one of My favorites. One of mine lived 7 1/2 years. Royal Grammas, maybe 2 years. They are not long-lived. Good luck !

 

[OrionN]

Consider African Flameback angels. They are very beautiful. IMO, more so the Cherub angels.

 

[jaganshi066]

I found the cherubs to be more predictable than the flamebacks. When you get a mean flameback they are MEAN but a ‘bad’ cherub usually has a problem with a specific fish in a specific area for like a week. In my case, the cherub HATED one of my clowns being in a duncan and I have no idea why. They fought for about a week, some chasing and a little bit of torn fins was the extent of the damage. I guess maybe after a week the cherub just kinda gave up and realized that the clown wasn’t gonna move and he had to deal with it?

Out of the 5-6 cherubs I’ve ever had (or that my dad has had, I just asked him this as well) my current one is the most aggressive and the above event is the reason. I’ve never had one pick on corals or chase EVERY fish in the tank. It’s always just been one fish, in a very particular area that ticks the cherub off. I have my other clown in a hammer not even 3” away from the duncan and the cherub doesn’t care about that clown and it doesn’t care about the duncan clown if it’s away from the duncan.

So, by all means, I suggest trying a cherub. A 60 cube should be way more than enough territory for one to establish its little area and to be happy and a good tank mate. You’ll find that they are actually very curious and that they actually like to seek out activities to to to have fun! I have a small pile of rubble in the back of the tank just to build weird arches and stuff so I can watch the cherub gleefully swim through all the arches and holes and things. He has found the tiniest gaps in the rock work to wiggle through and I swear he looks proud when he finds a new hole. They’re really awesome fish and ,as you experienced, they have very pronounced personalities if you take the time to get to know them. I wish you the best of luck with your cherub!

Agreed, my flameback is so aggressive regardless of what size the fish is. She can kill any fish but luckily her and my multicolor angel get along. Also it hasn’t nipped any corals for more than a year so good thing