Angelfish reef safe? & show me pic of your angel too!

[boyohboy2]

Anyone that has angel fish in your reef tank.... will you say it's reef safe?

I'm seriously thinking of getting an angelfish... most likely a Flame Angel.... second choice may be CoralBeauty or Lemonpeel. But I'm just a bit worry they eating my corals, which are mostly zoos, mushrooms and LPS.

And plz show me some nice pics of your angel! Need some help to decide which angel to get! :rollface:

[fireman03]

taging along:)

[EnderG60]

ive had two coral beauties in my 58g reef and neither have ever touched anything, brains, zoo's clams nothing. Same goes for the pygme angle in my nano.

I personally think they just like to eat the flesh off dead corals and people think they are eating the coral, but then again my boss says he has tried 4 flame angles in his tank and they all tried to eat his brains

and as for pics, my coral beauty is scared of the camera and my pygme is just plane to fast and tweekish:rolleyes:

[Potsy]

I think the poll is rather limiting considering the number of species and range of behavior. A cherub angel Centropyge argi is generally considered the most reefsafe angel - I had one for three years before giving it to the lfs (way too aggressive) and it never even pecked at a coral. So, "YES" to the cherub but, bear in mind that it is very aggressive.

Flames and coral beauties tend to be 50/50 so they're neither no or yes but "MAYBE."

Lemonpeels are high risk as they tend to pick at coral more often than not so for them "NO". According to Scott W. Michael, they are "notorious" for eating corals and clams.

Perhaps a poll listing the popular species that people maintain and whether they feel a particular species is a safe bet or not will provide a more accurate measure of the degree to which an angel is reefsafe.

[ThunderousTalon]

Of pygmy angels the only ones i'd consider somewhat reef safe are atlantic pygmy angels. every other one will go rogue somewhere down the line. altho atlantic pygmys will pick at clam mantels. You are best off with a swallowtail, lamarck's, or bellus angel, as they are planktivores and have no interest in corals.

[jkapit]

I have a coral beauty and he doesn't touch any corals. However I put a majestic angel in my tank and he quickly killed my brain and trumpet corals although he leaves my other ones alone. Now I'm not sure what other corals I can purchased without them becoming an expensive meal.

[Dubbin1]

I have had a Coral Beauty for some time now with no problems.

[bblundell]

Have had no problems with an eibli angel.:)

[fishgeeksrus]

Our multibarred angle just was caught this morning due to his appetite for our new zoos. Had a flame that was a model citizen until he got caught in a powerhead and met his demise.

[Gary Majchrzak]

Originally posted by boyohboy2
Anyone that has angel fish in your reef tank.... will you say it's reef safe?

I'm seriously thinking of getting an angelfish... most likely a Flame Angel.... second choice may be CoralBeauty or Lemonpeel. But I'm just a bit worry they eating my corals, which are mostly zoos, mushrooms and LPS.

And plz show me some nice pics of your angel! Need some help to decide which angel to get! :rollface:
'Angelfish in reef aquariums' will likely be a popular topic forever. Whether or not an Angelfish bothers any of your inverts really depends on the individual fish, the size of your aquarium and what inverts are in the aquarium.... although certain Angelfish (such as Lemonpeels) are much more likely to cause destruction in a reef tank than others (such as Genicanthus sp. Angelfish). You can always browse the Angelfish pics in the RC picture gallery to see lots of Angelfish pix. Here's a link:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=524&thumb=1

[boyohboy2]

Thanks everyone so far. Keep your experience coming, thanks :D

So at least for now I can remove Lemonpeel from my wishlist by the look of it. And I only have a 50G so I'm limited to the Centropyge sp of smaller angels I guess

[ThunderousTalon]

Depending if you have a lot of open rock work and tank dimensions, you maybe able to do a female bellus or swallowtail.

[~ChrisB~]

Another for hit-or-miss. Therefore I would say no. I have yet to see a type of Angel that is certain to not pester your corals.

[jimbo045]

I am similar to you. Coral beauty and zoo's,mushrooms,branchy coral, seems fine in there. In my other tank with fish only, I have a Flame. I think it is safer to keep only one per tank.

[asphaltpilot]

I've only had pygmy's in my tank and they didn't bother the coral. I have never known for Flame's, Rusty's and Beauties to cause problems, imo.

[CH]

The only thing my coral beauty has ever touched is Xenia. Otherwise has left everything else alone.
Pic in my avatar!

[JasonF]

My Potters will give an occasional nip at the shell of my clam, but not the mantle. Leaves the other corals alone.

http://jfreeland.net/images/rebel/lillithcannon.jpg

[KDodds]

Most people here go by what they've HEARD, not what they've TRIED and STUCK WITH. Those that HAVE tried, understand the inherent problems, provided for solutions, and stuck with it have, for the vast majority, found that it is entirely possible to keep Angels of all sorts in reef tanks. There are also the same misconceptions about individual specimens as there are about bristleworms. Yeah, Centropyge will be the first to the party when snacking on a dying clam, sure, but that doesn't mean they killed it or stressed it to death, just as a simple example. And let's not forget how "reef safe" Tangs are. Yet many, many, many of them will dine on LPS like Open Brains. But, for some reason, that doesn't deter people the same way Angel keeping deters people, and most have found that, if you choose your species and specimens wisely, feed reasonably, etc., most Tangs work out just fine in a reef. Same goes for Angels, and I've been saying it for years, same as I've been saying that mutiple Angels are usually not a problem IF you do it right.

[KDodds]

BTW, SUH-WEET Potter's Jason.

[NYPD Frogman]

I just added a flame angel from Vannatu into my 180 with sps, lps and some soft corals

I know it's a crap shoot I have an open brain thats been with me for better part of 5 years.

this flame ate some myisis while I was dripping him in he actually ate it out of my hand

I was considering a regal but... the flame won

[KDodds]

Oops, forgot all about species. Scribbled here, but up until I moved and lost my Centropyge, I had an African Flameback, a Nox, and a Coral Beauty. The AFB was in for about 4 years, the Nox about 3, and the CB was a replacement for another CB killed by my Niger (which was removed). The first CB (the one that was killed) was in for about 2 years, and the second for about the same time. All 3 died in a holding vat when the heater stuck on and spiked the vat to 90ºF+.

[Zoom]

MY is reef safe.


Today
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/125105-02-05_Emperor_angel.jpg

Two years a go.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/12510104-0476_IMG__Medium_.JPG

[NYPD Frogman]

Originally posted by Zoom
MY is reef safe.

That is beautiful!!!!

[KDodds]

Gotta love a healthy Imperator. Unless you're my wife, then it's your least favorite and you prefer the pitbull-looking Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis. How long have you had it Steve? Get it as a juvie or adult?

[Zoom]

Originally posted by KDodds
Gotta love a healthy Imperator. Unless you're my wife, then it's your least favorite and you prefer the pitbull-looking Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis. How long have you had it Steve? Get it as a juvie or adult?
Sorry , I post the old picture.

[AJ69]

Great Pic:D BTW I have a flame and a Pigmy with no problem.:D

[KDodds]

:thumbsup: Steve... sweet fish.

[revclyburn]

I myself have found out personally that Pygmy Angels are ok in a reef tank. I've had Cherubs, Imperator, Potter's, Coral Beauty's, Flame, and Flamebacks, some in the same tank at the same time. And currently have a 1/2 black, in my 90 reef. I've have Leathers, Mushrooms, Zoos, GSP's in the same tank with them and never had a problem with any of them. I really think it depends on the fish it self. We need to remember these fish come from all over the world, and there eating habits are a part of their environments. We can't expect a fish to be anything other than what it is. I've learned that if you're feeding your fish right, and keeping them on what they like to eat, like live brine shrimp, they tend to leave other things alone. If someday my Pygmy's go nuts and start eating what little corals I have. Oh well, that's the way it is, and will probably try to find something they won't eat. So get one and see, may turn out to be your best fish ever. PYGMY'S RULE! LOL

RevClyburn

[new2u]

I've always thought of my coral beauty as reef safe. I actually about a year ago when I was shopping for angel fish went to many many fish stores before I found my beauty (who BTW is really hard to photograph so this is the best pic I've got)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/new2u/CoralBeautay.jpg

She is so incredibly active, which is rare for the coral beauty. I voted yes, although I've seen her take a nip or two at my open brain, but no damage *knock on wood* I'd suggest coral beauty!

[Pandora]

This topic comes up like every other day. The answer as always is "depends"... every individual is different, not just every species alone.

My flame:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/7408Flame1.jpg

[jwedehase]

I have a hybrid half-black/lemonpeel. It's a really pretty fish, and the mature ones are even prettier. Unfortunately, he's a serious pecker (haha). He really likes nipping at SPS. And he cleaned the tank of all reachable sponge within two weeks, though I didn't have a problem with that. I haven't seen SPS polyp extension in months.

While he's the prettiest fish in my tank, I'd rather have the coral. I've been trying to figure out how to get rid of him without removing any rock work.

He's free to anyone who can do it. I'm in central CA. :)

http://www.cvreefers.org/d/15579-2/angel.jpg

[boyohboy2]

KDodds: you have a point about 'misconception' being passed along. So you see, it's a good thing ppl (me) ask the same age old question again to gather some more new opinion, rather than just searching for old stuffs heh :)

So far the poll is almost 50/50.... but funny tho ppl who posted are more toward angel being reefsafe :)

I'm quite firm on getting an angel now I'd say. Deciding either a Flame or a CoralBeauty. The Flame looks better, on picture at least, but kinda wondering if it'll be too much like a percula clown, in terms of color. The CoralBeauty doesn't seem to look as sharp on pictures, but could be just due to the dark blue color being hard to capture by digital camera?! I think I need to see it in person to decide..... IF I can find any around...

[floridareefs]

crapo---i want one of those imperaor anger--shhheeeesweet. i have alot of zoos and lether though. I wonder----but im one to test it out anyhow. i dont play is safe.hehehehehe

[Mariner]

Well, after a good bit of research on this myself, I went with the Flameback/Fireball in my 40g. I was talking with an LFS last Saturday who does a lot of high-end tank set-up and maintenance. He said that the Flameback is the only one he really trusts with LPS, and that he has one in most all of his tanks.
Here's a pic of mine in my SPS tank . Been there for two or three months -- no problems.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/stevexpnt/40g/flameback5-29-05.jpg
Mariner

[KDodds]

Have to agree on the "Argi" complex of Centropyge, which includes the Cherub, both Flamebacks, and the extravagantly expensive Resplendent, on being the "most reef safe". It's extremely rare to hear of individuals of these species bothering corals. Unfortunately, they're probably the most belligerent of the Dwarves as well. Coral Beauties are pretty much right up there with the "Argi" complex. Flames are slightly more risky.

Probably the worst offenders, or the species with the most offending specimens, are the Eiblii, Vroliki, and Lemonpeel.

[Gary Majchrzak]

Originally posted by Gary Majchrzak
'Angelfish in reef aquariums' will likely be a popular topic forever. Whether or not an Angelfish bothers any of your inverts really depends on the individual fish, the size of your aquarium and what inverts are in the aquarium....
This is a great example of my previous post. I'd be very careful about making generalizations about Angelfish. Even some people that have introduced planktivorous Genicanthus Angels have witnessed their supposed "reef safe" fish attack certain corals.
I had an African Flameback for several years that pestered all my softies (in some cases) to death. It didn't bother SPS, though.
I had a Chaetodon mesoleucus in my aquarium at one point and it went straight to my large home grown table Acropora and started nipping off polyps. It also destroyed a very large red Scolymia. It never bothered my other LPS, though.
I now have a Majestic Angelfish in my aquarium. I would have thought this species to be more destructive than the aforementioned, but it's been the best behaved by far. I've yet to see any questionable nipping from the fish.
I was fortunate enough to get my navarchus fom someone tearing down a reef aquarium, so the nature of the fish's taste buds were known well in advance. (I like the odds stacked in my favor when gambling with Angelfish and inverts.)
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/524/7144new_pics_11691460_1_.jpg

[KDodds]

Good point Gary, no matter how much success people have with how many specimens of how many species, there's a definite risk. But that risk is not limited to Angels, either. Tangs, Triggers, Damsels, and, heck, even Clowns can be risky, and some moreso than the Angels. No one should be running out to by Angels on a whim, even in the face of their questionable "not reef safe" status, not at all. If you do it wrong, you definitely have to get lucky, but if you do it right, most of the time, luck is more with you than against you, IMO. So yes, I fully agree with your quoted statement, and would say that MOST people should heed it's warning but not eliminate a wonderful family of fishes, either.

[MrPike]

Here is my so far reefsafe potters
http://www.geocities.com/garrettgrossmann/potters.jpg

[floridareefs]

No angel is reef safe, but I agree with the later. just have fun with the hobby and take some chances. thats the only way you can get the fullest enjoyment for the amount of jack you spend on it..imho

[KDodds]

Originally posted by jagsy
No angel is reef safe,

Upon what do you base this assessment?

[floridareefs]

Kdodds-- base it on experience. My best freind owns a lfs. I have tested or had every pygmy and full sized angels in my tank. did they all nip. no! its inherent to their nature. I have had good and bad coral bueatys and same fore flambacks and flame angels. IMHO, there is no rhyme or reason why one nips and the other doesnt. Maybe its the way they are captured, raised etc. I'm not sure. I suppose its just based on its species.

[KDodds]

Interesting. Yes, they do "switch targets" in the wild, sometimes seeming to prefer one food item over another. But a little nipping doesn't mean that a fish isn't reef safe. It's only when that nipping is incessant that it becomes a problem. I think many reefers "freak" at that initial nip. My Scribbled nipped at my Zoas once or twice, but that was it, as well it nipped at Xenia maybe once a day. But this type of nipping doesn't cause any damage or lasting harm. Same went for my two CBs, well one actually. The first never touched a thing, not at all. The second nipped here and there on Frogspawn, but didn't cause any problems with it.

[klasiksb]

Here is a picture of my townsend angel I've had about 10 months. I did have to move some zoos, an open brain and a trumpet coral to another tank. I also have a coral beuaty and a flame angel in the same tank. They all nip at the xenia.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/klasikb/angelwheresthezoosCustom.jpg

Here us a full tank shot

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/klasikb/fulltankSmall.jpg

[Mark]

I've had a Pomacanthus imperator in my mostly sps reef for the last 7-8 months. He's been harmless to the corals, but can be a bit of a bully towards other fish. Nothing too bad though. Just letting them know who's boss. :)

[boyohboy2]

Well, my final decision is a Coralbeauty angel :) Saw a few speciments in the few LFS that I visited. Picked one up, and he's definitely looking even better at home with the better lighting than in the fish store!! :)
He's been in the tank for 2 weeks, so far no problem with tthe corals ... still trying to take a good pic of him tho.

[HOZERTHEBONEFISH]

My regal's been a model citizen for past 6 months although their track record is a bit suspect. Ive got sps clams lps, and she leaves them be.
http://images.snapfish.com/3445%3B87523232%7Ffp46%3Dot%3E2323%3D%3A27%3D645%3D3232%3A27554%3C7%3Bnu0mrj

[GorillaReefer]

Female Bellus Angel. I just got her a week ago, haven't had any problems yet. Suposed to be reef safe. (Check my avatar for pic)

[jarice1978]

Found this post a little too late. I have recently introduced some soft coral frags into my 55 gallon. I also have a lemonpeel angel. He did quite a job on the purple xenia. I transferred the purple xenia to the fuge. However it doesn't seem to bother the pink xenia as much. Guess it doesn't tast as good! hehe

[Kent E]

Updates please, still behaved?

[gina6one9]

this is my baby, i haven't had any problems nippin!
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/104053__448.jpg

[jarice1978]

I got rid of my lemonpeel angel and traded for a small yellow tang. Awesome fish! He hasn't bothered any of the coral. I didn't realize how much damge the angel was doing until i got him out. Now all the coral open up completely and are growing superfast!

[ol'reefer]

Had my imperator for close to seven years. Loved to eat open brains and zoo's. Never touched SPS. Died a few months back from eating a purple urchin that I added to the tank.
http://users.adelphia.net/~millipora/IM000023.jpg

[CrazyLionfish]

Any one starting to notice this 50/50 thing is mostly a myth? Out of everyone that posted in this thread, only 3 or 4 had a bad experience and usually with only a certain type of coral, and over 30 people had great experiences. Seems more like a.. 85% safe 15% not safe.

[fishfanv]

i posted this on another angel thread earlier, so bear with me if you've seen it before, but my coral beauty has been good so far. keep in mind that i've only had it for about a month. hasn't touched any of my lps but i have seen it nipping at the base of a small mushroom rock, not sure if it was nipping the mushroom itself or the rock.

here is one of the few good photos i have of the cb, it is really active, so i have a hard time getting anything other than blurry lines of blue & orange.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v681/valeen/cb10small.jpg

[marcelo gomes]

Rgal and Genicanthus melanospilos near 16 months in my tank.

Regal - almost reefsafe.
Will pick all kinds of sponges. Mine almost destroyed an scolimya and if allowed will eat my open brain. Also picks in my trumpet and my leathers occasionally.

G. melanospilus - never touched anything in my tank with softs, LPS ans SPS.

I also had an large derasa clam, and both angels ignored it.

Marcelo.

[blackie lawless]

I have a Flame angel in my 90 and so far so good. It's been 3 months now and he hasn't touched a thing. I have LPS, Zoa's, and shrooms.

[eng55]

Here is a pic of my blue face. Definitely my new favorite fish.
Later
E
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/eng55/Blue%20Face%20Angel/IMG_0454.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/eng55/Blue%20Face%20Angel/IMG_0496.jpg