Imperator Angelfish Types

[adamsky27]

I was looking on liveaquaria and the Imperators that they have come from different places, and are priced differently. Any recommendations on which type to get? I'm sure that one looks better than the other two. I wanted to get an adult due to the fact that I have heard that when they change in captivity they don't look as good as if they had already changed. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

[Creetin]

They both look identical. The only differance is on has a streamer on the back of their top fin. (Pacific)
The maldives one looks the same but doesent have that streamer.
Thats it the color and patterns are the same.

Do you plan on upgrading tanks? Your one in youre sig is on the small side for an adult emp. I wouldent put one in under a 6 ft tank. They will use every bit of it. They dont do well when stressed.

[Creetin]

Here's a pic of my maldives emp. BTW good choice getting it from liveaquaria!!! I got mine from there and it ate the first day, and was fat!!! Mean though, But he greets me everytime i walk by the tank looking for food.
http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/uploads/1142225659/med_gallery_30_23_575511.jpg

[Kahuna Tuna]

I have also heard that emps in certain locations have tails that are more orange and others more yellow, that and the streamers are the only difference. I would choose an emp that was collected from one of the better areas, like the Red Sea, Australia, Maldives, Fiji, Tonga, ect. and stay from ones coming out of the Phillipines or Indonesia. A good honest retailer knows where his fish come from and expect to pay more for a fish coming from one of the better areas.

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6978167#post6978167 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kahuna Tuna
I have also heard that emps in certain locations have tails that are more orange and others more yellow, that and the streamers are the only difference. I would choose an emp that was collected from one of the better areas, like the Red Sea, Australia, Maldives, Fiji, Tonga, ect. and stay from ones coming out of the Phillipines or Indonesia. A good honest retailer knows where his fish come from and expect to pay more for a fish coming from one of the better areas.

I agree. There are emp's with orange tails, yellow tails (red sea/maldives), and then these faded, almost transparent yellow tails (phillipines/indo).

I honestly thought the streamer was an age/size factor, not location.

[Seafood Tank]

NO.1 choice: X'mas island-higher body shape and more purple-bule background and thiner yellow line.

2nd: Cook Island -----with steamer
3nd: Maldives, Red Sea----with orange tail
4nd: Indoneasia-----longer body
5nd: Philipine, South China sea----longer body shape and thicker yellow line

[SDguy]

That makes sense. The Emp's they showed in IMAX's Coral Reef Adventure had streamers, and they were filming in Tahiti and Fiji (cook islands are right in between).

[jnc914]

not to hi-jack the post but can someone who has had a juvenile emperor report how its transition to adult has gone. did the color not come in as sharp and vivid as adults caught in the wild? What did you have to supplement in order to make this transition successful?

[Kahuna Tuna]

BTW Creetin that is one awesome looking emp you have there! :)

[hdtvguy]

My Emp 10". It is true the adults you get out of the ocean have better colors and straight thin lines compared to a juvi raised on in a tank IMO

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/240FOWLR/6bf64d1a.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/240FOWLR/2b69a34f.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/240FOWLR/3408d70c.jpg

[adamsky27]

Wow, beautiful fish! Thanks for all of the information so far! I'm also curious to know about what jnc914 was asking also...

[Creetin]

Thanks!! and hdtv's is not too shabby at toll.
I am a sucker for emps. Mine always follows me around, One of the most personal fish i have had since my triggers.
I can hear him grunt from across the basement. The only fish he would tolorate is my hippo tang, but not around his food.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6981618#post6981618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kahuna Tuna
BTW Creetin that is one awesome looking emp you have there! :) :D

[adamsky27]

Can anybody else chime in about the adult coloring after changing in captivity?

[Black71gp]

i plan to get one.. as small as i can.. i want to try one in my mixed reeef.. i have seen others do it.. raise him in my 150 gallon sump getting prepared foods only and then move him to the reef... i love them

[Live_Rock'r]

I have had my juvenile for about 5 months now. When I first got him, he was 3.5 inches and deep blue with white juvie pattern and no sign of change. Now he is showing his mask, showing horizontal yellows and deep pruple background hue with bright white highlites along his dorsal at 5 inches. In my opinion he has another 6-8 months of growth before complete change, but, in my opinion, I believe the variations in colors across the oceans are in most part due to diet. I am going to stick to what works so far:

black worms
spectrum pellets
nori sheet on a clip
Krill

He is fed twice a day and is a good but kind of clumsy eater.

[marrone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6990845#post6990845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by adamsky27
Can anybody else chime in about the adult coloring after changing in captivity?

First it help that you have a good size tank as a lot of them don't fully change over into adult colors. Having a large tank does help. Adults coming out of the wild usally have much better colors than Juv that change over. Some of this maybe from them being sexually mature in the wild where in the home tank they don't have the same competion to change over.

The bottom line is if you want a fully adult buy one, and not a Juv with the hope it will change over. You'll be much more happier in the long run if you do.

As for liveaquaria, I don't have the same requard for them as others in this thread do. A lot of corals and fish, through group buys that where done, either died or came in bad condition and then died. And this was quite a # of times.

[adamsky27]

If not liveaquaria, where do you recommend?

[Creetin]

Well i cant say a bad thing about live aquaria. They quaranteen ther fish and only ship them if they are perfect shape and EATING.
Every fish i have gotten from them was fat and eating the same day i got them.
Do a search o ther feedback.

[marrone]

Well I can't say the same, and a lot of people in my RC club have come to the same conclusion about them. I'm not sure if they quaratine them or not and the same goes for making sure that they're eating before they go out. They may quaratine them for a while but I'm sure not the 2 - 4 weeks that they should be quaratine. Also when you call into Live Aquia to make an order they're in a different place them where the fish are coming out of. They can't even tell you what size the fish or if it is even what it's suppose to be. Actually they seem to be more of a middle man and the fish/corals are shipped out of different places.

I would check with www.petsolutions.com or www.thatpetplace.com(they actually sent me a picture of the fish before I purchased it) or the www.marinecenter.com( you will probably pay a little more but the quaility is really good here).

[adamsky27]

I understand that you had a bad experience with liveaquaria, but I have heard way more good abou them than I have bad. Another great thing is the 14 day guarantee...