Tips for a new regal

[Ben jammin]

I've been wanting a regal angel for quite some time, but hesitant to try because of their reputation as a difficult fish to get to feed. Last weekend though, my LFS got in a beautiful red sea specimen that appeared healthy and showed an interest in frozen mysis. I brought him home and acclimated him (they dip and QT their fish at the LFS, and my tank is a FOWLR that I can treat if necessary so I do not QT at home), and he seems to be getting more and more comfortable in my tank. The first day or two he stuck to one side of the tank but recently he has been exploring a bit more, and he has occasionally picked at some algae on the rocks, but so far he has not shown an interest in eating. I feed a few different kinds of pellets in the morning (mix of various NLS and Hikari pellets) and various frozen foods in the evening (usually PE Mysis and either frozen Hikari mysis, mega marine algae or mega marine angel). It's a big tank (260 gal) and most of the food doesn't even make it near where he hangs out on the bottom before the other fish eat it - I definitely have a lot of bold eaters (other large angels, tangs, and triggers).

I had similar issues with my emperor, but after about a week or two he started eating and now he's a pig. I am hoping the same thing will happen with the regal but I am getting nervous, especially cause of their reputation. I have social acclimation box I could place him in to make sure he got food, but I am reluctant to do that since I want him to be comfortable in the tank (I was home sick the past few days so I was able to observe a lot, and no one is picking on him so that's not the issue). I've tried using algae in clips and other feeding block type foods, but my other fish destroy those like piranha on a sick cow.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to entice him to eat? Anyone have a similar experience with a regal?

 

[maxxin69]

I work at an LFS and have gotten multiple Regals to eat using clam in half shell soaked in garlic. Food in the water column really doesn't seem to interest them all that much. I personally have one as well and after a week it would eat the clam out of the water column.

 

[Humblefish]

The last Regal I had was a bit timid (for an angel); I got it eating feeding live blackworms. It hid a lot early on, and took awhile for it to "feel at home" in the DT.

 

[Ben jammin]

Thanks for the suggestions. I only wish I had posted this a few days ago. When I got home tonight he was virtually gone, on his side and struggling to breathe. I don't think he'll make it through the night. ****. I hate losing a fish, especially like this.

 

[Humblefish]

If he's that bad off, I would implement alprazo's salvage protocol: Salvage protocol for very sick fish. - Reef Central Online Community

 

[Confuse]

Was he inspected for flukes? The majority of time, Regals come in with flukes and must be treated. A freshwater bath would confirm this, but could prove stressful to it. I've had my regal for the past week and a half in QT and am going to dose Prazipro just to be safe.