Feeding a Multicolor Dwarf Angel

[ScubaPrawn]

Hey guys, I know tangs need to be fed some nori once a day but what about dwarf angelfish?

I've got a multicolor angel that I'm feeding flakes and pellets, but he doesn't like mysis shrimp at all. I want to make sure he's getting the nutrition he needs, but I'm not sure what else to give him. He didn't take to green nori--should I try some red seaweed, and if so, how often?

[MikeandNicole]

I have a multicolor and feed mostly rods reef. I throw in some mysis and he eats that as well. I have added some nori and he picked at that but he likes the meaty stuff in the rods food much better. He also liked arctic pods but that is not enough, just a supplement.

[ScubaPrawn]

Rods Reef looks like a good option, but I don't have a store near me that sells it. Any other suggestions? I'd prefer for the multicolor to be fully satisfied before I risk upgrading my tank to mixed reef.

[lcs]

Ocean Nutrition makes a Pygmy Angel Formula that has meats and algaes in it. My coral beauty seems to like it as long as the pieces are fairly small. He hasn't taken to mysis shrimp either. He'll only eat it if it accidentally goes in with a brine shrimp! :lol:

[MrTuskfish]

With all the great frozen foods available, I'd get a much larger variety of foods for your fish. IMO&IME, dried pellets and flakes are more of a goldfish diet. Dwarf Angels are omnivores and need a wide variety of meats & greens; also IMO&IME, they also need a good amount of mature LR (for grazing) to thrive.

[ScubaPrawn]

Thanks to all for their advice. What kind of frozen foods should I look into? The mysis shrimp haven't been a huge hit so far. Should I try some of the standard frozen block foods?

It's too bad Rods Reef isn't sold local--looks great.

[ta_billy]

If available in your area, you might want to try to stimulate the angel with some live brine shrimp and then go to mysis shrimp. Mysis shrimp as a base supplemented with other things is where you want to take it since you do not have Rod's or an equivalent available to you locally.

I have weaned several difficult fish this way including anthias, angel, butterflies, etc.

BB

[lcs]

My coral beauty took to the frozen brine right away. I am in the process of moving him/her over to mysis. Right now it's at 50/50. I also mix brine and mysis with the Pygmy Angel Formula (also is a frozen food) - I end up wasting a bit as it is the cubes and not the flat pack, but whatever will keep it healthy.

[MrTuskfish]

My coral beauty took to the frozen brine right away. I am in the process of moving him/her over to mysis. Right now it's at 50/50. I also mix brine and mysis with the Pygmy Angel Formula (also is a frozen food) - I end up wasting a bit as it is the cubes and not the flat pack, but whatever will keep it healthy.

Just put the uneaten cube in a cup with some tankwater and put it in the fridge. It will be fine for 2-3 days.

[Joshnlaura]

We just got a bi-color angel and so far he hasnt really liked the mysis either. I actually heard you could boil vegetables and put them on a clip for him to eat. Havnt tried that yet but may have to resort to it.

[MrTuskfish]

We just got a bi-color angel and so far he hasnt really liked the mysis either. I actually heard you could boil vegetables and put them on a clip for him to eat. Havnt tried that yet but may have to resort to it.
Bi-Colors can be really tough; not as difficult as they used to be, but still "iffY". I assume collection practices in some ares may be to blame. Just my long-held opinion;usually, if a fish isn't eating the foods it should, I doubt that just offering something else is going to change much. It isn't necessary for these fish to be fed a lot of veggies, the normal tank algae & LR growth should do. They are omnivores, not herbivores. Zuccinni, broccoli, turnip greens, romaine, etc., are often fed to the major herbivores; Tangs, large Angels, etc, but Dwarf Angels don't usually feed much on them (or IMO,) need them. Brine shrimp, gut loaded with spirulina and frozen Angel foods, Formula I&II, mysis etc, should be the mainstay of their diets. If a fish isn't eating at all, I think it is a problem other than the food being offered. If a Bi-Color is grazing on LR and eating some foods, I don't think its a crisis.

[ScubaPrawn]

Great insight guys. I'm gonna try "weaning" the multicolor on some live brine shrimp and work up towards vitamin soaked mysis.

When alternating between mysis, flakes, and pellets, how many times a week should I be feeding mysis?

[Cracken]

i just got one two he has been picking at the rocks i put in a sheet of nori. im going to try more tomorrow any suggestions that they really like and take to quick would be awesome.

[glextank]

I feed my multicolor frozen formula 2. He took right to it. when I first got him 1.5 months ago, i was feeding mostly pellets, and he didn't really like those. Would only eat 1 or 2 a meal. He loves the formula 2. I only have the multicolor angel, a b&w clown and a royal gramma in a 29g biocube.
I take the cube and defrost it in a little dish, then take my turkey baster and break it up into some bite size pieces, dilute with tank water, then squirt in 2 tube-fulls. All the fish are fat and full, and the corals like it too.
The angel also spends the day picking at the live rock.

[Cracken]

Well mine took frozen mysis and he took a couple pieces out of the watercolumn i have seen him picking at LR. next time i visit my LFS ill pick up some of the Dwarf Angel formula food for him. As far as i kno he has shown no interest in the nori.