Singapore Angel: Reef-Safe No more

[Mark Goode]

After seven months as a well behaved, model citizen, Boo, my Singapore Angel has spent the last week tearing chunks off my prized Duncan coral. I have Pineapple trees growing like weeds, Green Star polyps appearing everywhere, but will she eat those? Nope, no way. Expensive tastes my Boo, just like my first wife.

If this fish had a neck I'd throttle her.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Angelfish aren’t reef-safe that’s why.

 

[i cant think]

Angelfish aren’t reef-safe that’s why.

There’s one genus that is 99% reefsafe (The deeper water species will be more reef safe than the others).
Here’s a photo of my old brute ‘Stripes’ the Hybrid Genicanthus melanospilos.

 

[i cant think]

After seven months as a well behaved, model citizen, Boo, my Singapore Angel has spent the last week tearing chunks off my prized Duncan coral. I have Pineapple trees growing like weeds, Green Star polyps appearing everywhere, but will she eat those? Nope, no way. Expensive tastes my Boo, just like my first wife.

If this fish had a neck I'd throttle her.

I now fear for my Regal and my 20+ head Duncan… Uh oh

 

[Mark Goode]

Angelfish aren’t reef-safe that’s why.

My pre-purchase research, such as it was, had the Singapore as 'reef safe with caution', something I was told meant some were reef safe, some were not.

Boo was. Now she's not.

 

[o2manyfish]

Singapore Angels are in a unique group of angels that are very very similar to butterflies, and have similar tastes. I'm a fan of Singapore Angels and think they are a beautiful fish for a Fish Only tank, but in almost 40 years of keeping a reef have never once even thought about 'testing' a Singapore.

The Genicanthus are 100% reef safe as a group. They are open water fish that are plankton feeders, not polyp or crustacean.

I like angels and keep a bunch in my reef tanks. I've had good success for the most part with - Goldflakes, Goldens, Joculators, Interuptus, Flame Back, Venustus, Flames, Bellus and Regals.

I've had temporary success with Multi-Bar, Multi-Color, Chrysurus and Navarchus.

The amount of success you have is going to depend alot on the maturity and size of your reef tank. A mature reef tank has an abundance of natural food on it. There is lots of life for the angels to nip and pick at.

And a mature reef tank with a dense coral population has alot of places for Angels to Nip without doing damage.

Most angels will nip at a coral and move on, maybe causing only the slighest bit of damage that recovers in a day or so. But pending on the angel, and the coral, once they get a taste they may devour the coral. My Goldflakes were awesome in a densely packed SPS tank. But Acans were just something to grow out for a few months before they decimated all of them in 24 hours.

Chrysurus are good for removing Zoanthids from a reef tank - And they are smart too - They won't remove all of them, just all of your favorite and most expensive.

I have an Imperator that I have raised in an SPS frag tank for over 2 years. I moved it into a populated SPS tank and it did awesome. But Elegance Corals were just something it could not leave alone. And I worried that something that liked Elegance that much would eventually realize the hammers, bubbles, torches and frogspawn were just as tasty.

Dave B

 

[Mark Goode]

Singapore Angels are in a unique group of angels that are very very similar to butterflies, and have similar tastes. I'm a fan of Singapore Angels and think they are a beautiful fish for a Fish Only tank, but in almost 40 years of keeping a reef have never once even thought about 'testing' a Singapore.

The Genicanthus are 100% reef safe as a group. They are open water fish that are plankton feeders, not polyp or crustacean.

I like angels and keep a bunch in my reef tanks. I've had good success for the most part with - Goldflakes, Goldens, Joculators, Interuptus, Flame Back, Venustus, Flames, Bellus and Regals.

I've had temporary success with Multi-Bar, Multi-Color, Chrysurus and Navarchus.

The amount of success you have is going to depend alot on the maturity and size of your reef tank. A mature reef tank has an abundance of natural food on it. There is lots of life for the angels to nip and pick at.

And a mature reef tank with a dense coral population has alot of places for Angels to Nip without doing damage.

Most angels will nip at a coral and move on, maybe causing only the slighest bit of damage that recovers in a day or so. But pending on the angel, and the coral, once they get a taste they may devour the coral. My Goldflakes were awesome in a densely packed SPS tank. But Acans were just something to grow out for a few months before they decimated all of them in 24 hours.

Chrysurus are good for removing Zoanthids from a reef tank - And they are smart too - They won't remove all of them, just all of your favorite and most expensive.

I have an Imperator that I have raised in an SPS frag tank for over 2 years. I moved it into a populated SPS tank and it did awesome. But Elegance Corals were just something it could not leave alone. And I worried that something that liked Elegance that much would eventually realize the hammers, bubbles, torches and frogspawn were just as tasty.

Dave B

I'll stick with the corals she hasn't damaged (the softies), and keep my fingers crossed.

 

[IrezumiHurts]

Singapore Angels are in a unique group of angels that are very very similar to butterflies, and have similar tastes. I'm a fan of Singapore Angels and think they are a beautiful fish for a Fish Only tank, but in almost 40 years of keeping a reef have never once even thought about 'testing' a Singapore.

The Genicanthus are 100% reef safe as a group. They are open water fish that are plankton feeders, not polyp or crustacean.

I like angels and keep a bunch in my reef tanks. I've had good success for the most part with - Goldflakes, Goldens, Joculators, Interuptus, Flame Back, Venustus, Flames, Bellus and Regals.

I've had temporary success with Multi-Bar, Multi-Color, Chrysurus and Navarchus.

The amount of success you have is going to depend alot on the maturity and size of your reef tank. A mature reef tank has an abundance of natural food on it. There is lots of life for the angels to nip and pick at.

And a mature reef tank with a dense coral population has alot of places for Angels to Nip without doing damage.

Most angels will nip at a coral and move on, maybe causing only the slighest bit of damage that recovers in a day or so. But pending on the angel, and the coral, once they get a taste they may devour the coral. My Goldflakes were awesome in a densely packed SPS tank. But Acans were just something to grow out for a few months before they decimated all of them in 24 hours.

Chrysurus are good for removing Zoanthids from a reef tank - And they are smart too - They won't remove all of them, just all of your favorite and most expensive.

I have an Imperator that I have raised in an SPS frag tank for over 2 years. I moved it into a populated SPS tank and it did awesome. But Elegance Corals were just something it could not leave alone. And I worried that something that liked Elegance that much would eventually realize the hammers, bubbles, torches and frogspawn were just as tasty.

Dave B

Interesting. I'm surprised you have only had measured success with multi bar, i thought they are a deep water species. But 8 never really considered that being a deep water (at least wild caught) might not have an affinity for corals, since there may not be n much coral that deep in their habitat.

I have a biota one planned as my only angel going into my reef tank under the assumption it would work