regal angel only eating pellets and flakes

rebel souljah · Mar 19, 2013

I've had my regal angel for about 3 months now and he is eating pellets and flakes, normally i wouldn't be complaining but i've read that they need to be fed clams, greens and SPONGES. I've tried many times but he wont touch anything besides pellets and flakes. Any suggestions to get him to take in other foods? or will he be fine long term on just pellets and flakes? Just got done reading the ingredients on the Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flake and one of the ingredients are sea clams and of course algae but no sponge, but will that be good enough? any suggestions on how to get him to eat sponge? ive tried 3 different frozen sponge formulas with no luck. Im worried because i am wanting long term success!!!

and the pellets are NLS. he is about 3"

Saltgator · Mar 19, 2013

I personally wouldn't stress it. Mine never ate sponge until I turned over some of the DT rocks during a reaquascape and he went to town on sponges. I don't feed any clam, just hoping he doesn't get a sweet tooth for it (I have 2 6+ clams). My regal came in eating everything, but really didn't have a taste for nori until he saw the tangs going crazy. Now it's a battle between him and my vlamingi on which gets to my hand with nori 1st. Got any pics?

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Coraloliseffect · Mar 19, 2013

Kind of obvious but would combine a herbivore specific pellet. So getting a bit more greens. Also any other angles in tank. Sometimes a "birds of a feather" mentality will change behavior. Monkey see monkey doo

rebel souljah · Mar 19, 2013

thank you fellas! he is in my qt along with a PBT and will be goin into my DT by the end of this month. im very glad to hear that yours is doing well Saltgator, how long have you had time? i really would love to post some photos but call me superstitious but after i lost my purple tang, i decided to stop posting photos of my fish, just been a weird coincidence that after i post i end up losing the fish. i've since picked up a sweet leopard wrasse and a stunning pair of wyoming whites...and refuse to even take photos of them...LOL

Mike&Terry · Mar 19, 2013

Our Regal eats anything we put in the tank, but also peruses the rocks for sponge. I am sure once you move yours to your display it will also do the same.

Saltgator · Mar 19, 2013

rebel souljah said:
thank you fellas! he is in my qt along with a PBT and will be goin into my DT by the end of this month. im very glad to hear that yours is doing well Saltgator, how long have you had time? i really would love to post some photos but call me superstitious but after i lost my purple tang, i decided to stop posting photos of my fish, just been a weird coincidence that after i post i end up losing the fish. i've since picked up a sweet leopard wrasse and a stunning pair of wyoming whites...and refuse to even take photos of them...LOL

I hear ya on the superstition. I was like that too. I think I've had mine since Aug-Sept of '12.

Ghengis Keng · Mar 25, 2013

Did you guys get the Regals when they were small? I hear the adult ones are harder to get on flakes and pellets. I would love a Regal in my tank but when I tried, he ended up starving.

stunreefer · Mar 26, 2013

Consider yourself lucky! It can takes months, literally, to get a fish like this to accept pellets or flakes. Keep doing what you're doing, because whatever it is it's working

I don't worry to much anymore about supplementing sponges in angels diet. Rarely do I have one that will gladly accept an "Angel Formula"... generally I have to feed said formula first thing in the morning (when they're very hungry) for them to even accidentally take a piece.

Clams are generally used with these types of fish to initiate a feeding response. It's quite the hassle to keep clams around to entice feeding, and I frequently get yelled at for keeping little necks in the fridge. Like I said, you have one little regal that is well on it's way to a happy life in your tank.

Ghengis Keng said:
Did you guys get the Regals when they were small? I hear the adult ones are harder to get on flakes and pellets. I would love a Regal in my tank but when I tried, he ended up starving.

IMO/IME a good size for a regal is around 3-4". Smaller needs to be fed small amounts of food very frequently (at least 6-8 times/day, preferably more), and as you said larger specimens can be difficult to get feeding prepared foods. Clams would be a must for anything over 4-4.5" IME. Regals almost always come in with flukes or internal parasites, so Prazipro (or similar praziquantel treatment) is a must.

Saltgator · Mar 26, 2013

Mine was around 4ish inches went I got him. He is picky (pellets, flakes, mysis, brine, tons of nori) is all he eats.

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Mike&Terry · Mar 26, 2013

We acquired ours from an LFS as a juvenile. She had been there for 3 months and the store owner had her eating everything including blanched romaine lettuce, LOL. She's been with us for about 4 years now.