Reef Fishes - Be Careful What You Wish For

[jda]

I know that many, many people want bonded pairs of fish and stuff. However, about once a month, I want to kill my Watanabei Pair as they dig up the substrate to make a nest.

Funny how one man's desire is another man's poison in this hobby.

Sorry... just wanted to vent.

[Half Vaped]

Sweet, you have a mating pair of Genicanthus Angels. I thought I read somewhere that Genicanthus males tend to turn female without a harem to control. How long have you had them? Pictures?

[ThRoewer]

Since when do angels make nests? They are pelagic spawners.
Whatever they do in the substrate has nothing to do with nests and spawning.

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[Bret61081]

I agree with ThRoewer....when I had a trio and they used to do the mating dance, they chased each other around and swam side by side over and over again. I dont think they are making nest....I be looking more for flukes if they are rubbing on the bottom. Mine never once touched the sand.

[snorvich]

Since when do angels make nests? They are pelagic spawners.
Whatever they do in the substrate has nothing to do with nests and spawning.

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This.

[jda]

Every few months for 6+ years they make a tornado and stir all of my sand up on the right side of the tank and coat everything in a thin layer. Every once in a while, the female gets beat up a bit.

[snorvich]

Every few months for 6+ years they make a tornado and stir all of my sand up on the right side of the tank and coat everything in a thin layer. Every once in a while, the female gets beat up a bit.

They are hungry and looking for food.

[jda]

No they are not, or they would do it every day... and they would not have grown the nearly full since since I have owned them. It is part of their mating dance. It is not mistakable.

You know, I am sorry that I even posted this. I am so glad that everybody know so much without even really having any, except for Brett who did say that he saw them dance in their tank.

FWIW - my bellus pair dances too, but they don't do it near the sand. They are also not as big yet.

BTW - for anybody who is not just internet smart who might be reading this, be prepared with a screen top or tank cover since any of my watanabei or bellus can get airborne some when they are dancing.

[Half Vaped]

No need to be upset. From what I read, it sounds like you were mistaking their mating dance as them making a nest. Then the others were correcting you that Angels don't make nests. Adding some pics or better yet, a video might have made things clearer.

I have a single female Bellus now. I'm kinda interested in a pair, but I don't like the look of the male Bellus. The male Watanabe, on the other hand, I think is beautiful.

I might try a Watanabe pair, maybe a trio some day. But my tank is at max capacity, so it will be a long while (hopefully) before a vacancy opens up.

[ThRoewer]

I've had quite a few spawning dwarf angels (the "Genicanthus" genus is just a sub family of the larger Centropyge family) so I know from first hand experience how they spawn. The jumping is due to insufficient height of the tank. It's the moment when they actually spawn.

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