Regal Angel Primer

[secrest]

I agree this thread has helped me alot in finding the information i needed to feel comfortable about keeping this great fish.

[HOZERTHEBONEFISH]

I waited and I found the right fish.

This little girl is my pride and joy. Had her for a month. After not eating for 2 days, slowly she became bolder.

Now, she loves OSI spirula flakes, cyclopeeze flakes and frozen mysis. Eating from my hands for the most part. I am hoping to hook her up someday!!


http://images.snapfish.com/343484%3A...3C4%3A38nu0mrj

[nctangman]

Hozer,

Is this fish in your 90g tank? If so, what other fish do you have in this tank?

I have a 90g myself that has a Purple Tang, Foxface and Maroon clownfish. I was hestitant that a 90g might not be big enough for a Regal.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Kirk

[malegolf]

That's borderline??????? For sure wouldn't add anything else??????? Nice looking though, congratulations for finding a nice one..... Enjoy

[HOZERTHEBONEFISH]

NC tangman-I have her in the 90. I have percula clown, pseudochromis and sailfin tang(baby at 2inches). I used to have c argi and pair of black saddle backs but they have been moved to another tank. The reason was they ate faster than the regal initially. I guess for your situation, it would depend on how big your purple tang and maroon is.

My regal is a juvi at most 4 inches. I fully realize that all of the above fish at maximum will outgrow my 90. I am currently planning a much larger(400 plus gallon) That will house all of my fish even if they grow to their max.

[HOZERTHEBONEFISH]

And another thing. Check out sept 04 TOTM. That regal was in a heavily stocked 65 gallon. So I think you can do it

[MrMongoose]

I talked with Rob Copps before adding mine to my 65G. They key is to have minimal to no stress on the fish, and keeping them in a near natural envorment. Ofcourse there are exceptions to the rule, mine is about 4.5 inches I wouldn't want to go any bigger than that in a smaller tank. I also have plans for a 120 upgrade that I'm going to make, when 1. Regal gets too big or 2. Corals outgrow the tank whichever happends first.

[Rao]

I post a question about this fish and mrmoogose send me here, (thank`s btw). Maybe i`m wrong but reading here i gess is more important to obtain a healty eating Regal than the experience of the keeper, i see many normal reefs here keeping healty regals, and the regals that don`t eat for the first many days mostly dye regarding of the keeper experience, just don`t eat. I think the experience needed here is making a good enviroment for the fish and to choose the good regal from the lfs. For now choosing a "good one" is imposible to me so i`m gone to keep my hands of this fish FOR NOW. I think we (better you my english is terrible)must keep this post alive to continue sharing experiences, maybe in a near future this fish will be a usualñ succes in aquariums.

[maxxII]

Rao, good points, and a good post. You're english is certainly better than my spanish...

Nick

[PITSTOP]

Question for all:

I have a 120 display, 40 breeder sump, 15 fuge; fish - yellow tang, Kole yellow-eye tang, blue tang, copperband butterfly, 6-line wrasse, 2 sebae clowns, citron goby (8 fish); 150 lbs live rock, SPS, clams, rose anemone (big).

I have been watching a Red Sea Regal Angel at my LFS for a week, the owner said it was eating frozen this morning, but by the time I went to see it at 5:30 pm, it was not interested. The store owner agreed to hold it for me until this Sunday, he also said he would feed the tank Thurs and Fri, no food at all on Sat., then feed when I come in on Sunday.

Soooo...if it is feeding on frozen in the store tank on Sunday, and given my system info I provided above, what do you folks think, should I take the plundge? Do I really need to fish out the Yellow Tang?

[HOZERTHEBONEFISH]

Pitstop

You cannot expect a regal angel to beat most other fish (esp the tangs) for food if he is not eating well now. Relatively high likelyhood that it will starve to death in your tank even if he took some frozen food at the LFS.

My recommendation is if the regal looks healthy and eating,(fat belly, perfect fins no dzs)is do what I did. I removed all of my hyper "piggy" fishes(dwarf angel, yellow tang, blue damsel, some clownfishes) initially before the regal was put in. Only recently did I put in a sailfin tang and some clowns back in.

It took a long time (2 days) before my regal ate anything (live brine). Took a week for frozen mysis, and another week for flakes. This is a regal that ate frozen very well at the LFS but 2 hr drive and being put in a new tank stress the heck out of it. Only reason is that it is alive and thriving is there were no other fish that could outcompete it for food or harass it which for this sensitive fish is certain death.

It may sound painful but regal angels are worth all the trouble.

[malegolf]

I agree especially if the Tangs are bigger than the Regal, the Regal will not fight for the food. I have a Tang that's the same size that I added a couple months later..... My Regal will eat three or four times a day if I would feed him that much.

[brahm]

Here is my regal... Healthy, Eating great... Only problem is.. MMM MMM LOVES TO EAT MY SPS.. Besides that it will basically eat anything I throw in the tank, Spectrum Pellets, CE, Mysis, Brine, Aglie, whatever.. Sigh I woudln't mind if it "nipped" @ my sps, but it will pick a colonie and wipe it out..

Any chance of it growing out of this as it gets older? I've tried adding zoas for it to eat instead but.. it didn't take..

[HOZERTHEBONEFISH]

Brahms

How big is your regal? Looks like a relatively small juvi with the big sharp false eye on the back.

BTW, did your regal start out as a pig or did it start shy and then end up eating everything? You got me worried a little.

[dvmsn]

I would be EXTREMELY wary of a claim that a fish was eating this morning but is not now interested.

[brahm]

Originally posted by HOZERTHEBONEFISH
Brahms

How big is your regal? Looks like a relatively small juvi with the big sharp false eye on the back.

BTW, did your regal start out as a pig or did it start shy and then end up eating everything? You got me worried a little.

It's between 2.5 to 3" Yea it just cruises around and picks @ stuff. If it finds something it likes it just keeps going back and picking and picking until it's all gone. It's ate threw 3 acros @ this point. (trap is on the way)... and yet it still has a very HARDY appetite.. I have a school of anthias so I feed my tank 2-3 times a day. It NEVER turns down food. I was hoping if I fed more "other food" it would leave the corals alone but nope. It also eats Lps (which was expected) but it won't touch zoas, clove polyps, or my clams.

[HOZERTHEBONEFISH]

Some updated photos...and also have to keep this thread alive.

She is less shy and sensitive. Begs for food. Havent touched my coral/clams. I just got some lps couple weeks ago (acan lord frags) and is ignoring it so far..I'm psyched.

Hope all your regals are thriving too.

[HOZERTHEBONEFISH]

I dont know why that pic didnt come up. Here it is.

[PITSTOP]

Super sweet Regal...it looks just past juvenile, am I correct?

[HOZERTHEBONEFISH]

Pitstop

Thanks for the compliment. I agree that it is transitioning into adult colors/size.

btw did you end up getting the regal?

[Project Reef]

Here are updated pics I took of Brian swimming around last night ..(My photography sucks, as his colors are even more vibrant in person, especially the nice red markings on his anal fin)..

[moonpod]

Hey Ali, that juvi regal is looking good. SDC had a whole bunch of just tiny bluefaces today. Makes me wonder about trying to make a pair....

I was looking for a small juvi regal too, but the only had adults, but they looked good.

[BlkWolfe]

I might as well join in. Would have earlier but im a little paranoid something will happen to her as soon as i show her off...



Got her about 3 weeks ago. Appeared healthy and was eating eagerly at the store. Brought her home and straight into the 150. Was moderatly bullied by an established purple tang but they settled into each other after a day.

She's taken to eating flake, nori, mysis, and ON angel formula.

Over the last 10 days she's had a small line of about a half dozen rough spots form on the very leading edge of her dorsal fin. Only thing i could relate it to seemed to be Lymphocytis. So ive been soaking all the mysis and angel formula in garlic/selcon, as well as upping the water change schedule until my skimmer comes online.

Her eating hasnt been affected so far, and the growths seem to have slowed. Hopefully it will pass.

Thanks

[JDS]

I've had my Regal Angel for about a week and a half .It started to eat after the first day. Now it eat's just about everything I put in the tank. I think the place that I got him from had him for a while. Just because he seems quite belligerent even towards me.

[Matt Sable]

Just for added info, in the archives at AdvancedAquarist.com, Gregory Schiemer tells of his accounts with his Regals. Someone on this thread asked what was the minimum tank size for a full-grown Regal; Scott W. Michael stated,in an article, that a juvenile Regal can fit in a 55g, but you need a 75g for an adult Regal. By the way, I'll soon be getting a Red Sea Regal for 180g deep-reef tank that I'm planning . Good Luck with your Regals everybody!!!!