Bicolor angel in reef tank?

They do say to either add all dwarf angels at the same time or to add the most aggressive ones last (like the flame) Trying to add a dwarf angel after you have an established flame usually doesn't go well unless your tank is quite large.
 
I have one in my mixed reef and have no issues. YMMV, though.
 
I purchased a Bicolor from my LFS a couple days before Christmas because they told me these were reef safe compared to all other Angel's. It didnt last a week in my tank. Within a couple days my Bower Binki had chunks taken out of it and I witnessed it swimming around and biting whatever it wanted. I had to remove my rock and my wife and I teamed up with nets all while I was in a sling from tearing my bicep tendon on Christmas eve. Fun stuff.

Good luck though. It is hit or miss and like others have said, I am sure if you kept it fed, fat, and happy then it probably wont bother your corals.
 
How is your angel doing so far? Is it eating your food yet?

Not yet still in hiding will take a quick trip out front then hide. He wasn’t at the lfs long either not enough time to get used to people being around the tank. My yellow tangs I had took maybe up to a week to get used to me.
 
Haven’t seen any nipping comes to the front for a min looks at everything and just swims by
 
Should I hang nori or wait till it get used to me because I don’t think. It would even know it’s there.
 
I added a little peace hasn’t payed any attention to it yet. Tryed feeding the mysis mixed food through the rocks. No luck guess I’ll give it time to adjust
 
No species of Marine Angelfishes are Coralivores. With Marine Angelfish it is a KNOWN fact none of them will ever eat coral of any kind. However they nip at things throughout their environment, TASTING them. If they don't like the taste they usually don't nip at the same thing again. Mr. Saltwatertank has a good video of fish nipping at corals. Some other type of species will nip more than others but very few will actually eat them. And the very little nipping they do will do any damage. If a coral is damaged in a reef tank it is most likely by an invert.
 
Literally gonna spend tomorrow quartering off my tank and pulling some rockwork to get a rogue flame angel out. Gambled and lost. Had him for 6 months before he started munching.
 
I’ll be adding a bi colour to my tank at the same time as a flame and coral beauty.. BUT for me fish come first and corals that get bashed repeatedly will be removed and not the fish :)
 
This thread caught my Attention since I am dealing with Drawf Angel right now on my Thread (TRYING TO CATCH HIM to remove him)....I'll get to the point shortly.

Your choice on if you want to get the bi-Color Angel...However think LONG TERM and think about a PLAN TO GET HIM OUT if needed (For Corals or Otherwise....)


Not that My Angelfish ate any of my Corals, since SpotBreast Angels (Swallow Tail) are suppose to be Reef Safe...and CHECK on that for over 3 years....

Nothing was Damaged in this 90 Gal Tank (I never saw him nip at anything).....Except (....I'll get to the point shortly)

Plenty of Frogspawn/Torches (LPS/Acans/Palys/Shroms/Zoas)...ALL SAFE! (Angel seen on the Right side)
48269026747_499c08c435_c.jpg


NOW THE POINT....Why I don't like this Angel ANYMORE!

He was so Cute and Pretty when I first got him a few years ago.
2019-07-15_SpotBreastAngelYoung.jpg


Was actually one of my Favorite fish. GENTLE, HAPPY, Personable.....So I Fed him Well.

He grew up and still was nice....BUT he grew Faster, and FATTER than my other Fish.
2019-07-15_1-SpotBreastAngel2.jpg


TILL he BECAME a "MONSTER".....Overpowering, and Totally in Charge of the Tank.
No fish could be added anymore (if he didn't like them)....
Even Resident Veteran Fish Larger than him had to submit to his Dominance.

2019-07-15_SpotBreastAngelNow.jpg

And when I transfer this (Hand Trained to Eat Copperband Butterfly) to the DT a couple of Weeks ago...

The Angel Cornered him, and wouldn't let Copperband move at all, to the point where he stopped eating (Out of Terror)
I got the Copperband out when he got weak, but after the bully Treatment, he died a couple of days ago in my Frag Tank. (He wouldn't eat anymore, even away from the Angel)

So from my experience, if you add an Angelfish, Add it Last.
That's why I'm removing him (trying to Trap him, since Netting is impossible in a Complex Reef Tank), so I can add more fish.
 
Last edited:
I had a passer angel take out $500+ corals in 3 weeks. Was NOT worth it and No more large angels for me. I had hammer colonies of 2 years now gone amongst other pieces. was good the first 4 days and then . . .)*(*@$#@^(*&)(*

passer5.jpg
 
I purchased a Bicolor from my LFS a couple days before Christmas because they told me these were reef safe compared to all other Angel's. It didnt last a week in my tank. Within a couple days my Bower Binki had chunks taken out of it and I witnessed it swimming around and biting whatever it wanted. I had to remove my rock and my wife and I teamed up with nets all while I was in a sling from tearing my bicep tendon on Christmas eve. Fun stuff.

Good luck though. It is hit or miss and like others have said, I am sure if you kept it fed, fat, and happy then it probably wont bother your corals.
Well @h2oh2o you may hate hit the head on the Nail (Angel Must be Fed/Fat and Happy to remain Coral safe).
I posted just above how REEF SAFE I THOUGHT my Swallow Tail Angel was.
My issue was aggression to other Fish. Well I just caught him yesterday.
2019-07-16_AngelFishCaught1.jpg


See the Frogspawn on the LEFT that I thought was closing up (for weeks) due to Moving too high up (Lighting).

I didn't move Down the Frogspawn yet, but I did remove the Angel.

In JUST one day (without the Angel) The Frogspawn and others mystery corals (I couldn't figure out why they were closing up).....Are now opening up.

I can't say for sure since this is one day with the Angel that I had for 3+ years.
He got bigger, hungrier, and I may have not ramped up feeding to Match.
Was he pecking at my corals? I trusted him, so never paid close attention as he circled the Tank Waiting for Feed Time (VERY HUNGRY).

If this is true it would explain another Mystery I have been trying to solve over last couple of years.
I would loose the Odd Torch (slowly it would recede to Nothing). Same for one Hammer.
NOTHING WRONG IN TANK [lighting/water] (since many other LPS doing Very Fine).

And now thinking in Hindsight. My LPS would open and close during the Day. Couldn't figure out why they closed up (Pecking?)
And weirdest mystery I had, was a Single Colony of branching LPS heads, would have one head fully open and one closing up and receding a lot. Was it the Angel's favorite Peck Branch.

NO MORE ANGELS for me. (Will be watching my Reef Safe Wantabei Angel in my SPS tank now)
 
Last edited:
Well @h2oh2o you may hate hit the head on the Nail (Angel Must be Fed/Fat and Happy to remain Coral safe).
I posted just above how REEF SAFE I THOUGHT my Swallow Tail Angel was.
My issue was aggression to other Fish. Well I just caught him yesterday.
2019-07-16_AngelFishCaught1.jpg


See the Frogspawn on the LEFT that I thought was closing up (for weeks) due to Moving too high up (Lighting).

I didn't move Down the Frogspawn yet, but I did remove the Angel.

In JUST one day (without the Angel) The Frogspawn and others mystery corals (I couldn't figure out why they were closing up).....Are now opening up.

I can't say for sure since this is one day with the Angel that I had for 3+ years.
He got bigger, hungrier, and I may have not ramped up feeding to Match.
Was he pecking at my corals? I trusted him, so never paid close attention as he circled the Tank Waiting for Feed Time (VERY HUNGRY).

If this is true it would explain another Mystery I have been trying to solve over last couple of years.
I would loose the Odd Torch (slowly it would recede to Nothing). Same for one Hammer.
NOTHING WRONG IN TANK [lighting/water] (since many other LPS doing Very Fine).

And now thinking in Hindsight. My LPS would open and close during the Day. Couldn't figure out why they closed up (Pecking?)
And weirdest mystery I had, was a Single Colony of branching LPS heads, would have one head fully open and one closing up and receding a lot. Was it the Angel's favorite Peck Branch.

NO MORE ANGELS for me. (Will be watching my Reef Safe Wantabei Angel in my SPS tank now)
Yep and this is why no more for me in a reef tank. They are among the most beautiful fish to me but not worth the risk. Down the road I plan on a FOWLR tank and then I will add them but until then..........
 
I have a dwarf bicolor in my 20 long acclimation tank right now. He's been in there for 3 months with a stubby clown and doing fine. I have both sps and lps in the tank, and he nips at the lps every once in a while. I feed pellets twice a day and frozen every couple of days.

The one thing I have found is that they love places to swim through rock. Lots of arches and swim through spaces.

I'm not planning on keeping it in the 20 long long term, it will get moved to the 190 or 180 in a another month or so.
 
Bicolor is doing good in reef tank. So far been in take 5 days. Took a few days to eat. Did a rescape on the tank yesterday and the angel is out and loving it.
 
I have an Emperor and a flame in my tank. +100 fleshy lps like Acans/blastos do not survive. They dont bother my torch, hammer, duncan, monitporas, leathers etc. (so far anyway). I get it, I almost bought a 1 inch french angel yesterday too. Lol
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
Back
Top