Centropyge Deborae

[Ambition]

Just thought I would announce that I am now the proud owner of one of the 8 C. deborae in the U.S. Acclimation went well for me. Hope whoever got the two off of DD this week are happy with their purchases (I got mine from another retailer). For right now, all I have are some crappy pictures. Good QT lights aren't going to be put on until tomorrow.

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x450/kriben1/2DB4CD55-4DCD-4A45-90F6-9011C0624A92-8498-0000145F5689B9C8_zps2c77bc6d.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x450/kriben1/362D7A87-7E24-43D6-9130-994417D41D3C-8498-0000145F5CA3591A_zps5aa3199e.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x450/kriben1/4AA2D2B4-AAFF-41D8-9541-EABFD041301B-8498-0000145F62390BFF_zpsd6635e8a.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x450/kriben1/4C3CA973-6373-4AF1-8E6E-3F4125C44F94-8498-00001460B640B1E1_zps6d8dd466.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x450/kriben1/0C0F69FB-D533-4D0E-A758-9202D5B309E5-8498-00001460BBAAC023_zpsb99f66bb.jpg

[jaa1456]

Just curious how do you know there only 8?

[Ambition]

I have heard Toddtrex (owner of one of them) say that he only knew of three before the 5 that I know of went up for sale on DD and the retailer I got mine from. They were only recently described as their own species, and aren't very common like flame or coral beauty angels are.

[johnike]

Very nice Kyle, my herd of Angels approve.

[jaa1456]

Just curious, a high end Lfs near me had 6 come in this past week with more planned for next week. This sounds like the black tonga fox face. A few come in and a month later they are everywhere. Good luck with the new guy.

[Ambition]

Thanks!

Wow, 6? I'm lucky if my LFSs know what they are. I got mine for less (shipping included) than the ones on DD are, so I am happy. They are very good looking centropyge IMO.

[secrest]

Great pick up. Very cool little angel.

[johnc99]

Very cool and congratulations. I was/am sorely tempted but would have to give up my flame. Please keep us posted with your guy's progress. :)

[Ambition]

Thanks guys. He is getting a 45 gallon cube for himself, maybe a couple other fish later on. I'm anxious to see if he eats anything today.

[reefjunkie42]

he will eat stuff... sorry bro. sweeeet fish

[Ambition]

he will eat stuff... sorry bro. sweeeet fish

What do you mean by "he will eat stuff"?

[michael_cb_125]

Very Cool Fish!

I cant wait to see some better pictures!

~Michael

[b0bab0ey]

I saw one of these on DD. Very cool fish! Good luck!

[Gary Majchrzak]

will somebody please post pix of a "Debbie" next to nox?

[Ambition]

Very Cool Fish!

I cant wait to see some better pictures!

~Michael

Those will hopefully come tomorrow. After being out and about all day Thursday, it has been sticking close to the rocks I have in there for it to pick at. Although, I think it ate the pellets I fed overnight. Doesn't want me to watch I guess.

I saw one of these on DD. Very cool fish! Good luck!

Thanks! Should be going to the LFS to get some garlic and clams on the half shell to better entice a feeding response.

will somebody please post pix of a "Debbie" next to nox?

Deborae are a dark blue color, whereas nox are black. Mine only looks black in the pictures because of the poor lighting I have on the tank right now. Other than color, both species are very similar. Before becoming a new species, deborae were considered a color variant of nox.

[reefjunkie42]

i meant it will most likley eat sps, lps, and softies

[Ambition]

Just a small update. I have tried feeding Formula 2 flake, NLS pellets (smallest sold), mysis and brine shrimp, a frozen herbivore blend, and clams on the half shell soaked in garlic. Thus far nothing. I can't tell if it picks at the rocks or not at this point because it hides when I am in/near the room the QT is in. Going to get some macro algae for it to eat. You guys have suggestions for which ones would be best? For sure getting ulva and gracilaria, if there are any other good ones, I am open to suggestions!

[Gary Majchrzak]

what was it eating at the retailer?

[Ambition]

It was ordered from an online retailer, so I am not sure. Monday I am going to give them a call, as they don't seem to respond via email very quickly.

[Yurivd]

will somebody please post pix of a "Debbie" next to nox?

Here is sum photos i had
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg197/Yurivd/06D02640-3C75-4034-9200-2BA5D255C4DD-16673-00000DDB22B45D9F_zps9931314a.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg197/Yurivd/BEE22D48-34A3-4AD2-A0C7-B5E9DFA6970E-16673-00000DDB2403B8E8_zpsf97055be.jpg

[Gary Majchrzak]

just to be sure... there's just a coloration variance from nox?

[Yurivd]

just to be sure... there's just a coloration variance from nox?
That is what thy first was thinking
DNA tests showed that it is a new angel so it was described as Centropyge deborae ( named after Walt Smith's wife )

[Gary Majchrzak]

for that information. Interesting.

[SDguy]

http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/51.3/415.pdf

[Gary Majchrzak]

Walt must have LOVED those findings!

[Ambition]

Took some pictures today, still needs better lighting. I think some actinics would help (but this is just a QT tank). Leaving a clam in there (clam on the half shell) for a day or two to for it to eat. May have taken a nibble or two.

Pictures:
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x450/kriben1/4A2C598F-EEBD-403F-A7B8-9F9CC16A0417-748-000001CAA9446E90_zps754f1ffb.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x450/kriben1/791CC07D-D3C5-402D-BD42-39809CC3A93A-748-000001CA9AE338F4_zps11063bec.jpg

Likes to spy on me from behind this rock:
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x450/kriben1/924A5D17-E608-4E10-84DB-75CDB9B1EE48-748-000001CA832EFD74_zpsb4cf9ccf.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x450/kriben1/D8EC2D9C-1A21-42D6-944E-F40D4C088F6D-748-000001CA956D6C97_zps4eb706ca.jpg

[Ambition]

Odd, this guy was eating Hikari mysis and sprinula(sp?) flakes aggressively before being shipped. Maybe he just needs a bit more time. I did drop in a small piece of ON Angel Formula for him, but he wasn't interested. Maybe it has taken some of the clam while I was gone today.

[alexrex20]

here's my C. deborae, got it off DD in May this year.

http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv19/alexrex20/CAM00405.jpg
this is the best non-flash photo i can take with my camera. he's always on the move. i have some pics with flash, but they're a bit misleading as far as coloration. i wanted to show a non-flash photo to truly represent the deep blue hue of this fish.

he's a fatty! still does not eat any prepared food, but loves to pick at algae all day, and will also eat Rod's and frozen/live brine shrimp.

so far it has only picked at palys, but that was when it was first introduced into the tank. i removed the palys, but introduced them back in about a month later, and it does not pick at them anymore. it also picked at my RBTA a few times, but learned its lesson! it has not touched any of my other softies, LPS. i do not have any fleshy LPS or SPS.

[alexrex20]

with flash:

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/p206x206/526754_975943027184_1977145118_n.jpg

[Ambition]

Looks great! Wish mine was still alive.

[alexrex20]

:/

Sorry to hear yours didn't make it. Was it just not eating?

[el aguila]

I had a chance to purchase one a couple of months ago, but didn't because I could not find any info concerning reef safeness with clams, SPS, and my LPS are not the meaty acans (but mine are chalices, favias, encrusting types). In deliberated long enough to do some research it was gone.

May go after one the next chance I get.

I'm very interested in hearing from someone who has had one for awhile concerning their reef safeness.

[alexrex20]

Well, I've had mine for 7 months and it's thriving. It did pick at my palys and RBTA initially. It learned quick about the RBTA, and stopped picking at the palys once I removed them then reintroduced them a few weeks later. It did pick at my finger leather quite a bit. It ended up killing the leather because I couldn't remove it.

My tank is dominated by softies, but I do have lots of non-fleshy LPS (hammer, frogspawn, etc.) and they are all doing OK. I think there are more reef-safe dwarf angels than the deborae, but as you know, every fish is different. It'd be a shame to drop one of these angels in your reef tank and not have a way to remove it if it started eating all your corals.

Dwarf angels in a reef tank will always be a gamble, even with supposed reef-safe species like coral beauties and flames.


My angel is very picky, but it did eat frozen brine from the getgo. That was a lucky break. A lot of my success with this angel is my "dirty" water which allows all the different algaes to thrive. Indeed, my tank is almost overrun by macroalgaes!

[Ambition]

:/

Sorry to hear yours didn't make it. Was it just not eating?

It wouldn't eat anything. Barely picked off the rocks and I think had issues with the use of cyanide or decompression from its collection. I gave it all I had and next time I don't plan on getting one unless it is from DD or from one of my trusted LFSs.

[b0bab0ey]

It wouldn't eat anything. Barely picked off the rocks and I think had issues with the use of cyanide or decompression from its collection. I gave it all I had and next time I don't plan on getting one unless it is from DD or from one of my trusted LFSs.

Sorry to hear this. I know you went thru hell with this fish.

[Ambition]

Sorry to hear this. I know you went thru hell with this fish.

Thanks. This fish pushed me in a way no fish has ever pushed me (financially and mentally), and I learned a great deal from the experience. Great fish when you have a healthy one!

[Toddrtrex]

Sorry to hear about you losing it (( didn't this the thread when it first came out, hadn't been RC in a while )).

Mine has been with me for just over 2 years, and still is going strong. Still have it with a Potter with no issues, though the Deborae will do an 1 second chase a couple of times a week, and then go back to ignoring the Potters.

Eats like a pig, anything that I put in the tank it will go after and eat -- by the way it "begs" when I am near the tank you would think that I never feed it.

[Ambition]

Sorry to hear about you losing it (( didn't this the thread when it first came out, hadn't been RC in a while )).

Mine has been with me for just over 2 years, and still is going strong. Still have it with a Potter with no issues, though the Deborae will do an 1 second chase a couple of times a week, and then go back to ignoring the Potters.

Eats like a pig, anything that I put in the tank it will go after and eat -- by the way it "begs" when I am near the tank you would think that I never feed it.

Hey Toddrtrex, glad to see you back on RC! Also, thanks for sharing your experience with your deborae as your threads made me want one. :)

[b0bab0ey]

Hey Toddrtrex, glad to see you back on RC! Also, thanks for sharing your experience with your deborae as your threads made me want one. :)

The more I see pics of this fish & read about it, the more I think I might be taking a crack at one soon. :rollface:

[Ambition]

The more I see pics of this fish & read about it, the more I think I might be taking a crack at one soon. :rollface:

I would highly suggest gettin one off of DD like Todd did.

Actually, I almost bought one of the several that showed up on DD awhile back and I was going to pair it with the one I had. So close to pullin the trigger too.

[pmoneyt]

Just got one of these and now I wish I got two instead.

[b0bab0ey]

Just got one of these and now I wish I got two instead.

Pics?

[pmoneyt]

I will try to get some pics sometime this week.

[pgammon]

I've had mine since the first part of October, got it off DD. I put it directly in my display in an acclimation box. I had a C. Heraldi, that mix DID NOT work out, and I ended up removing the Heraldi. It didn't eat at first, but now eats anything I put in the tank, and so far doesn't seem to bother any corals. Mine's more deep blue, almost black, like Ambition's.

I'd like to try another Centropyge, but haven't been brave enough!

[Rapide]

Kyle, may I ask at what price did you purchase the fish?
There were two of them in my LFS not too long ago, and the store owner called me if I would be interested, but I was not. Now I am... I did not know they were this rare - so to say...
I can't help but wonder how many C. nox owners there are who are actually deborae owners :spin2:

[michael_cb_125]

I just thought that I would post a picture of this fish. Such a cool mimic of C. deborae!

http://www.pacificislandaquatics.com/prestashop/img/p/1405-3377-thickbox.jpg

~Michael

[Toddrtrex]

Need to take updated pictures of mine, until that time...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/toddrtrex/threein1.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/toddrtrex/Blue3-1.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/toddrtrex/Blue4-1.jpg

[Ambition]

Rapidae, mine came with a $114 price tag including shipping. The fish was around $80, hence why spending the extra $50 from DD may have been worth it. We learn from our mistakes, and I'm going to do my best to buy from retailers that know the origin of the fish. Going to do this so I know whether or not there is a chance that cyanide was used to catch my fish.

[Rapide]

Ok... If I remember right the price of that fish was 80€ here in my LFS, so it's like $104.
But the market is so small here, so everything is a bit more expensive...

I've been looking for "that one more" Centropyge, but can't figure out which one is it...
C. deborae would be an interesting addition ;)

[humaguy]

they are pretty lil fish...

[alexrex20]

you can catch a few glimpses of my deborae in this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LOwlZDECtU

[alexrex20]

here's a better video:

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aW3S1KHOZb8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[alexrex20]

dang forum lag and double post!!! :headwallblue:

[dvmsn]

Erythromycin is your friend.

[alexrex20]

Erythromycin is your friend.

Tell me about it!!! Red slime is kicking my *** right now. I have ChemiClean but it always kills off all my pods and causes a huge GHA bloom.

I deliberately run the water dirty to help the macroalgaes. Unfortunately, that also makes it ripe for red slime. I fear it's just going to get worse now because I think I killed one of my Vortech pumps. :/

Any other options?

[dvmsn]

I would try manual removal and straight erythomycin. One packet per 10 gallons.