Best & Worst "Reef Safe" Angelfish for Your Reef

[Jase4224]

Will those of you reporting success please state what kind of corals you keep them with, too?

Exactly, or there’s no point because there’s nothing to learn.

 

[Jase4224]

IME..

Majestic angel does not touch Euphyllia or softies.. does eat elegance

Coral Beauty and Flame angels have not touched softies, elegance or Euphyllia. This is all the coral varieties ive had in my tank.

 

[i cant think]

Everyone is saying they don't nip coral, but how about clams??

Angels that aren’t reef safe have a chance of nipping clams - They’re fleshy at the top (Similar to Fleshy LPS which most angels take a liking to)

 

[i cant think]

Angels that aren’t reef safe have a chance of nipping clams - They’re fleshy at the top (Similar to Fleshy LPS which most angels take a liking to)

Also - If you have anything like a CBB, Wrasse (some Halichoeres, Macropharyngodon, anampses ect.. - Although the leopards and tamarins rarely nip at clam mantles, it’s still a chance you can get that one that does it) that nip at clam mantles, then you may already know what those fish are capable of

 

[Doctorgori]

my “reef safe” Lamarks (spelling) nipped two clams to death, I had to move a old derasa

 

[14 foot reef]

Is that 5 yellow tangs? How's thay going? I really want to try 3 if I ever upgrade to a 100+ gallon

5 Yellows, a purple, a blue and a sail fin. Going Great. 360 gallon reef though.

 

[i cant think]

Honestly in my opinion - The rarer the Genicanthus Angel is then the more reef safe it’ll be. The two swallow tail Angel spp are rarer than something like a bellus or lamarks. The reason why is because they’re found deeper down so there’s slim to no coral down at those depths which is why I’d say the rare the Genicanthus Angel, the more reef safe it will be (Of course you have the odd one that isn’t reef safe, but no fish is 100% reef safe, even clowns can nip corals - I had an occelaris pair that nipped and ate certain coral).

 

[Fish man]

I had a Coral Beauty for several years with absolutely no issues. When it died I decided to try a Flame since I'd seen posts from guys with no issues with them. Shortly after I got the flame my acans started to decline. I didn't think it was the Flame cause my tank is in my office where I can view it several hours a day and never once saw it nip at anything. The owner of my LFS said it could be doing it at night but I didn't believe him. Finally after eliminating every other cause, losing one acan with 2 others on their way I trapped the Flame and returned it to my LFS. The the acans started to come back almost immediately. I've since purchased another Coral Beauty with no issues. With all of the dwarfs you can find guys that have no issues with a particular type and others that say they're evil. I think they're all individual and you kind of take your chances and hope for the best. The one that consistently gets the best vote based on the posts seems to be the Coral Beauty.

 

[CaBrowne]

Had a Coral Beauty for almost 2 years with no problems. I have a mixed LPS and Softie tank that the CB showed no interest in. It was well fed on frozen, pellets, and nori multiple times a day. However, when I got my first stick, a green birdsnest, over night the birdsnest frag was stripped bare. Then the CB started eating everything else green in the tank (zoas, singularia, cabbage leather. mushrooms, acans, favia). It was a nightmare trying to get it out, ended up having to take my scape apart to get it. I don't think I will ever try another angel again after that.

 

[blazn]

I've hated not having any angels for years, since I went reef (mostly LPS). Based on a similar post which was a survey (I think done on reef2reef) which had posts over a 10+ year period, Coral Beauty & Flame angels had a 82-85% success rate. So, I took a chance and added a Flame (one of my favs) and Coral Beauty last week. So far so good, but I realize it's too early to tell. If one/both go rogue, I just hope that they go for only a specific type of coral that I can live without, as I'm ready to enjoy angels in my tank again!

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

flame angel, no problems after two years

 

[MONTANTK]

My first angelfish in a few years arrives tomorrow and I’m super excited. Out of the 7-10 I have kept in the past, only 2-3 gave me issues with nipping. Emperor, Goldflake, and although it wasn’t in my tank at my LFS that had a True Shepard’s which occasionally nipped at an acantho in the tank

 

[i cant think]

Tha

My first angelfish in a few years arrives tomorrow and I’m super excited. Out of the 7-10 I have kept in the past, only 2-3 gave me issues with nipping. Emperor, Goldflake, and although it wasn’t in my tank at my LFS that had a True Shepard’s which occasionally nipped at an acantho in the tank

ts interesting, I’ve never heard of a true shepherd nip at coral

 

[Glenner’sreef]

A female Bellus Angel. Loved it! It just disappeared during a tank switch over. Crazy?$$$$$$$

 

[MONTANTK]

Tha

ts interesting, I’ve never heard of a true shepherd nip at coral

It was very very uncommon. I was there 4 or 5 days a week and probably only saw it peck once or twice a week. Eventually we took that coral out and never had any issues

 

[dkfrosty1]

I have two: a Coral Beauty and Midnight dwarf angel. The Coral beauty is 100% reef safe but the Midnight is only about 95% safe as it will eat any acans I put in the tank (I always thought I sucked at growing them, but now I suspect why).

Personally I don’t think either of these angels are the worst behaving (YMMV).

I have to disagree with the coral beauty being 100% reef safe. I love my beauty, but he destroys my birds nest coral.

 

[blaxsun]

I have to disagree with the coral beauty being 100% reef safe. I love my beauty, but he destroys my birds nest coral.

I said "my" coral beauty is 100% reef safe. As with all fish, your mileage may vary...

 

[SusQ_Corals]

A few years back I had a Goldflake Angelfish in a mixed reef. It was a model citizen for years. I think the key was heavy feeding and buying it when it was a juvenile.

 

[i cant think]

I don’t believe in a truly reef safe fish, never have but my G. melanospilos just chills at the top (He did jump during feeding time once) but I think when a coral grows too much and gets in their territory or they’re underfed then they start nipping

 

[chema]

I have not had any problems with any of the angel or dwarf angel fishes I have had. My current list is:

- Apolemichthys trimaculatus
- Genicanthus bellus
- Pygoplites diacanthus
- Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis
- Centropyge aurantia
- Centropyge loriculus
- A pair of C. bispinosa

In the past I had:
- Chaetodontoplus mesoleucos
- Centropyge potteri
- Centropyge eibli

I keep SPS (Acropora, Montipora, Seriatopora and Stylophora) and 3 Tridacna maxima