Pygmy angels in a reef... what's your experience?

[Peanut]

I've had just about every angel listed here, and all but one were model citizens. Here is the problem, that one, was the last angel I have ever put in my tank. It was a beautiful flame back that I had for years without any incidents...and then one day all that changed. It took me a week to catch him, I literally caught every other fish in the tank and kept removing them until it was the last one left. I will probably never own one again, to spend $50 on a fish and possibly have it munch on $1000s in coral is not something I'm interested in experimenting with...

 

[1stNoel]

Ditto. I love angelfish, but my expirement with them is over. I don't mind occasional nips, but when I basically overfeed my tank and they're still attacking my SPS...it gets old fast.

I still have an Eibli Angel in my 300g tank that has avoided capture. Beautiful fish and very active...but not a good citizen in my SPS-dominant tank.

 

[Dennis92]

I've been looking for a Caribbean cherub angelfish for a while and I'm having a hard time sourcing one. One LFS got one in for me but while I had it on hold to make sure it was eating, it passed away. Which leads me to consider the flameback. I know there are risks involved with any centropyge, but I'd like to know your experiences with your pygmy angel.

Also, anyone know where I can find a cherub online, with a good reputation and health warranty?

Yes https://www.caribbeantropicals.com/
I get a lot of my fish from him he keeps them for weeks in copper and make sure they eat.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Yes https://www.caribbeantropicals.com/
I get a lot of my fish from him he keeps them for weeks in copper and make sure they eat.

I'll look them up. Still unsure on getting one.

 

[SteadyC]

I have a Pygmy angel, first in my 25 gallon cube with a clown and fire fish and LPS corals. It never touched the corals, but did bully the fire fish. I got so mad, I moved it to my 110, that has much bigger fish, 2 blue throat triggers, sailfin tang, hippo tang, chromis, coral beauty angel, and others. Even in a 110, the coral beauty will chase the Pygmy from time to time. Nobody else minds the Pygmy, and of course the Pygmy doesn’t have the opportunity now to bully anyone. I really like it in my larger fish tank, but I will never put one in a small tank with timid fish it can bully. Clowns should be fine. Still doesn’t touch any corals, 110 is a mixed reef, softies, LPS, and SPS.

 

[RudyB]

I have my three for about five years together. I have a 150g with a flame, coral beauty, I believe its call a fireball. I used to have a potters as well but he pass when I moved them to the 150g for the 65g. The rest are doing fine. I never had an issue with them picking on the corals or fighting. I guess I have been lucky.

 

[Evan West]

Yeah mine thinks it runs the reef and so does my female clown so that creates tension at times but other than that my cherub is a model citizen and has never once picked at a coral but I keep my fish very well fed.

 

[User1]

Coral Beauty here - mostly harmless or so I believe. Picked it up on the smaller side for my 40 breeder that is in process of an upgrade to 210 - 240 gallon. I keep mostly soft corals (xenia, green button polyps, kenya tree) with 4 rather large hammer corals and 6 rose bubble tip anemone's. I believe it is nipping at the hammers but nothing causing death. I see it picking on a few sponges on some of my rock. Other than that it eats pretty much everything that lands in the tank. Mysis, brine shrimp. Pellet and flake. Great fish that gets along with others.

I had a flame angel back when I had a 100 gallon. That one, well, wasn't very nice. Ended up having to remove since he or she was a bully to my purple tang of all things. That was new to me anyway.

 

[Jesterrace]

Coral beauties get closer to 5" and at full grown get too big for 30g.

Cherubs are active, but with enough to explore and graze can be fine. In fact they are the only angel I would recommend for a tank that size.

I would agree that size-wise that the Cherub is a better fit for his tank. I was just saying they are more prone to aggression (as are all pygmys) but if he does go for a pygmy, it would be the one to get.

 

[Jesterrace]

Ditto. I love angelfish, but my expirement with them is over. I don't mind occasional nips, but when I basically overfeed my tank and they're still attacking my SPS...it gets old fast.

I still have an Eibli Angel in my 300g tank that has avoided capture. Beautiful fish and very active...but not a good citizen in my SPS-dominant tank.

My LFS said that in their experience they are among the worst for coral nipping. I was really liking the idea of getting one until I heard that.

 

[Alexcus simon]

I currently have a pygmy angel and as of the 2 months at least that i have had him I had experienced no issues with him bothering coral, now that may change later on. One of my lfs had one is an even smaller tank than my 40 gallon with lps and no issues either. The only issue I had had is aggression to dish similar in body shape, if thr fish cannot hold its own it will get terrorized. This includes clowns and damsels. To give you perspective he almost ripped one of my maroon clowns to shreds although my SA black and chromis hold their own just fine.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Maroons are usually the bully in a tank. That's odd a small little pygmy angel tore one up. My female ocellaris used to be super aggressive to fish smaller than it. Never aggressive to me tho. It almost completely bit the tail off of a VERY small coral beauty I had before I got velvet in an old tank. Saved everything but the beauty... but since the velvet outbreak and changing tanks, she's calmed WAY down and doesn't care who she's roommates with. Complete 180 in behavior.

I've decided against an angel in this tank... just too many snack shaped corals in a small tank. I have a beautiful Lobophyllia coming from the divers den today. I did pick up a nice Lubbock's wrasse yesterday and he's in QT now to make sure he's healthy. That's my last fish in here. When I upgrade tanks in a year or so, I'll probably stick with wrasse.... MAYBE another coral beauty. We'll see.

 

[datBme150]

This is just my experience... I had a coral beauty that was just awesome looking in my 40g cube AIO. Over time he became the boss and just started to torturing every other fish in my tank. So much so, that 3 were killed off, and the rest that survived just stayed in hiding. I had to get rid of him and now everyone is way happier and out more in the water column

 

[SashimiTurtle]

This is just my experience... I had a coral beauty that was just awesome looking in my 40g cube AIO. Over time he became the boss and just started to torturing every other fish in my tank. So much so, that 3 were killed off, and the rest that survived just stayed in hiding. I had to get rid of him and now everyone is way happier and out more in the water column

Sounds like it didn't have enough space so it became agressive.

 

[Jaag]

Flameback Angles are quite Aggressive. I would stick to the cherub personally. I had a Red Stripe, and he was not only a delicate fish, but also peaceful. Didn’t munch on anything, but high susceptible to Marine Diseases.

As for stocking, you have Marine Spheres in your Refugium and have low nutrients all ready. I would add one at a time and watch your numbers. Your tank will let you know when it’s had enough. I have a 65 with 14 fish in In it. Including a Tang. By that logic I’m “overstocked”

-Zack, who may be following the Deep Blue Sea

When you say your tank will let you know what do you mean by that? What are the signs of it letting you know?

 

[Zack K]

If you see a rise in Ammonia especially but any other parameters, your tank is maxed out in stocking. If you see Ammonia rise, you have either added too many fish, or added too many to quickly. If you see Nitrates and Phosphates rise, you will either need to stop adding more fish, or bump up your source of removal.

 

[Jcat2k]

I added a flameback angel that appears to be eating my SPS argh! I'm going to give her a couple of days to get acclimated and feed her well and see if she stops - otherwise its bye bye baby!

 

[EmdeReef]

I added a flameback angel that appears to be eating my SPS argh! I'm going to give her a couple of days to get acclimated and feed her well and see if she stops - otherwise its bye bye baby!

Although that’s unusual guess it can happen. Are you sure it’s the flameback?

Most angels are not reed safe and may find corals appetizing at one point or another. I think anyone who adds an angel has to be ready for that even if you read countless success stories.

 

[Jesterrace]

Ditto. I love angelfish, but my expirement with them is over. I don't mind occasional nips, but when I basically overfeed my tank and they're still attacking my SPS...it gets old fast.

I still have an Eibli Angel in my 300g tank that has avoided capture. Beautiful fish and very active...but not a good citizen in my SPS-dominant tank.

Yeah, I've heard that Eibli and Lemon Peels are about on par with each other with their Coral Nipping proclivities.

 

[Jcat2k]

Although that’s unusual guess it can happen. Are you sure it’s the flameback?

Most angels are not reed safe and may find corals appetizing at one point or another. I think anyone who adds an angel has to be ready for that even if you read countless success stories.

Yes I'm sure - tried to upload pic to no avail lol I did know there was a risk, so I'm gonna keep an eye peeled and see if we can work it out