Social Structure of Large Angels

[Zionas]

Many people keep Centropyge in pairs and harems, and many people keep Genicanthus in pairs and harems too. What about other genuses of large angels, do any form harems or do the others only form pairs? (Apolemichthys, Holacanthus, Pomacanthus, Pygoplites, Chaetodontoplus)
I’ve seen a few people keep a trio of Regals though not sure whether it worked out in the long run.

Do butterflies “pair” or form harems?

 

[jaganshi066]

Many people keep Centropyge in pairs and harems, and many people keep Genicanthus in pairs and harems too. What about other genuses of large angels, do any form harems or do the others only form pairs? (Apolemichthys, Holacanthus, Pomacanthus, Pygoplites, Chaetodontoplus)
I’ve seen a few people keep a trio of Regals though not sure whether it worked out in the long run.

Do butterflies “pair” or form harems?

I’ve seen golden butterflies and pyramid butterflies group.

 

[alton]

On Regals I first tried one adult with one juvenile. After several months the aggression wasn't bad but it wasn't the greatest. Second try I got two juveniles, one larger than the other and it is going well over a couple of years.
Blueface, one 5 to 6" adult and add a sub adult ugly phase with plenty of liverock. Imperator add juvenile with full adult and never had an issue. All these ideas worked well for 2+ years before I sold them except the regals I still have them when I downsized from a 310 to 120.

 

[Rmckoy]

On Regals I first tried one adult with one juvenile. After several months the aggression wasn't bad but it wasn't the greatest. Second try I got two juveniles, one larger than the other and it is going well over a couple of years.
Blueface, one 5 to 6" adult and add a sub adult ugly phase with plenty of liverock. Imperator add juvenile with full adult and never had an issue. All these ideas worked well for 2+ years before I sold them except the regals I still have them when I downsized from a 310 to 120.

How do you keep your blue face away from corals ?

 

[Zionas]

You had an awesome tank! I followed your build thread. What made you downsize though?

Do you think keeping 3 large angels (non Genicanthus, more like the medium sized ones such as Regals) added as juveniles will likely lead to a harem?

 

[alton]

How do you keep your blue face away from corals ?

Adults do not bother Euphyllia, GSP, softies, or SPS. Junveniles are a nightmare.

 

[alton]

You had an awesome tank! I followed your build thread. What made you downsize though?

Do you think keeping 3 large angels (non Genicanthus, more like the medium sized ones such as Regals) added as juveniles will likely lead to a harem?

Money? Between upgrading lighting and a skimmer, and wife complaining it wasn't worth it. We also enjoyed a much cheaper electric bill this summer.
I tried adding a third regal to my first pair, even though the last introduced was larger than the smallest of the pair it caught heck from the larger one and the smaller one. You might have a chance adding all three at one time, but it would be expensive?

 

[angelsandtangs]

Adults do not bother Euphyllia, GSP, softies, or SPS. Junveniles are a nightmare.

I had a adult blue face and he ate every zoa or paly in site but didn’t mess with any other sps or lps so weird how each individual fish can be so different

 

[Zionas]

Ahh that makes sense lol. What about Majestic Angels do they get any bigger than Regals, and do they get any more aggressive?

 

[alton]

All I have ever heard about Majestic is they are passive easy going, good with certain corals?

 

[KevinC]

Money? Between upgrading lighting and a skimmer, and wife complaining it wasn't worth it. We also enjoyed a much cheaper electric bill this summer.
I tried adding a third regal to my first pair, even though the last introduced was larger than the smallest of the pair it caught heck from the larger one and the smaller one. You might have a chance adding all three at one time, but it would be expensive?

So you have 3 regals and 2 blue face in the same tank?

 

[alton]

So you have 3 regals and 2 blue face in the same tank?

The three regal trial was in my 300DD many years ago. Before I sold the 310 Planet I had 2 regals, 2 Blueface, 1 Chrysurus, and 1 African Imperator. All got along fine. The only Angels I kept are the two Regals in the new tank. Plus the three Flame Angel Harem.

 

[Zionas]

That’s an awesome list. Do you think you would have been able to keep all of them for their whole lifespans at full size?

 

[alton]

The tank was 96" x 30" x 25" so there was plenty of room and liverock. Except for the large Blue Face everything else was grown from a Juvy or Sub Adult. In time I may have had issues with the Imperator becoming the boss?

 

[Zionas]

I see. So you managed to keep 3 Regals successfully for years? Did they spawn at all? What about your current pair? How big have they grown?

What about livestock for your current 120 I assume the Regal pair are the centerpiece?

 

[alton]

On the three regals it did not work even though the last added was larger than the smallest, both of the existing picked on it until it was removed. It was strange watching a smaller regal chase a larger one. Hence I named it the misfit. A friend gladly took him. No spawning from either group, my Flame angels have spawned

 

[LaloJ]

Ahh that makes sense lol. What about Majestic Angels do they get any bigger than Regals, and do they get any more aggressive?

I remember reading in the Kuiter & Tanaka book that they liked to pair up, I don't remember exactly but it would definitely take a huge tank to try and pair them up.

 

[Zionas]

I see. Yeah I actually have that book and I think that’s what it says. From your experience how big in size do Majestics get in captivity? I have seen maximum sizes listed from 10-12” (25-30cm). Perhaps 8” (20cm) would be a realistic max size in captivity?

 

[LaloJ]

I see. Yeah I actually have that book and I think that’s what it says. From your experience how big in size do Majestics get in captivity? I have seen maximum sizes listed from 10-12” (25-30cm). Perhaps 8” (20cm) would be a realistic max size in captivity?

A few days ago LADD took out a show-size P.navarchus, the size was 8" and according to the quick stats of the fish, it can measure up to 1'.

 

[Zionas]

Would you expect 1’ in captivity though?