Keeping an angelfish in a reef tank sometimes goes wrong

[Prestigereef]

I have a regal angelfish in my reef tank, shes been good as gold for over a year...until now...

Who else has success mixing corals and large angelfish? What angels with what corals?

 

[EmdeReef]

All my tanks have been angel safe. I usually keep several large and dwarf species in all my tanks. Every fish is an individual and you never know but I've had good success with SPS, limited success with LPS, very little success with any meaty corals or softies. Apart from the "reef safe" angels Scribbled, regal, personifier, black velvet, conspic, goldflake, blue-line, multibar, and majestics will usually leave SPS alone apart from some occasional nipping. The number of angels in a tank also plays a role IME, if there's some competition (no aggression or too much dominance) it's rare for an angel to specifically munch on a single coral. There are some exceptions though, some of my sps frags disappear fast... I also heavily overfeed which helps and feed 3-4x a day.

 

[Prestigereef]

All my tanks have been angel safe. I usually keep several large and dwarf species in all my tanks. Every fish is an individual and you never know but I've had good success with SPS, limited success with LPS, very little success with any meaty corals or softies. Apart from the "reef safe" angels Scribbled, regal, personifier, black velvet, conspic, goldflake, blue-line, multibar, and majestics will usually leave SPS alone apart from some occasional nipping. The number of angels in a tank also plays a role IME, if there's some competition (no aggression or too much dominance) it's rare for an angel to specifically munch on a single coral. There are some exceptions though, some of my sps frags disappear fast... I also heavily overfeed which helps and feed 3-4x a day.

That's very interesting to hear you feel the number of angels makes a difference... I guess the more there are they more likely one will start nipping and teach the others. Do you think age has anything to do with it?

 

[EmdeReef]

That's very interesting to hear you feel the number of angels makes a difference... I guess the more there are they more likely one will start nipping and teach the others. Do you think age has anything to do with it?

I think it helps to have more, don’t have any evidence for this just observations over the years. But I feel like it helps bring their natural behavior out which generally means not staying at one spot to feed for too long.

Usually the older they get the worse the track record IME, but by then you will also presumably have well developed coral colonies that can survive more nipping.

 

[lion king]

For the most part, if you wait long enough, any angel(I do mean any angel), will not be completely reef safe. Please don't fall into the trap of people posting their success with juvi angels and new additions. Wait until the fish has matured or been in the tank for a while, I mean like over a year if not going on 2 years. The success is a very delicate proposition; it's a combination of species, tank size, maturity when introduced, types of corals in your reef, and your tolerance as to how much destruction you are will to put up with.

 

[Prestigereef]

For the most part, if you wait long enough, any angel(I do mean any angel), will not be completely reef safe. Please don't fall into the trap of people posting their success with juvi angels and new additions. Wait until the fish has matured or been in the tank for a while, I mean like over a year if not going on 2 years. The success is a very delicate proposition; it's a combination of species, tank size, maturity when introduced, types of corals in your reef, and your tolerance as to how much destruction you are will to put up with.

Mine has been in the tank around 2.5 years now... maybe now is her time to go rogue

 

[Rumplestilskin07]

How is your scribbled doing worh your corals?

Mine has been in the tank around 2.5 years now... maybe now is her time to go rogue