Regal Angel Primer

[led stony]

Mine eats everything. I food soak in vitamins. Pellets and flake. He gets a cloudy eye once in a while but clears up. Good luck

[pitmindi]

Hi, I hope someone can help me. I got a mail order regal angel about 10 days ago and it hasn't eaten. It is about 5". An expert at my lfs said it will die, they always die, and they shouldn't be sold since their diet in the wild is corals. I wish I had researched this before I bought it since I hate to see a fish starve. I have a 125 gallon, 6" tank, with a 3" picasso trigger, a 6" spanish hogfish, a 6" puffer. I feed mysis and larger shrimp and tried claims but the others eat the clams and the regal just swims past everything. My tank has many macro plants and I put some zoas in it as a food source from another tank and something (probably the regal) is eating them. I also tried garlic, although its not really soaking in the fresh garlic, its more like mixing with the small garlic pieces. The other fish ate with gusto, although they always do, but the regal just ignored the food. PLEASE HELP

[Dr Colliebreath]

This is one reason that it is so important to quarantine your fish - it gives them time to adapt to aquarium food without competition from established fish.

Regal angels can be kept in aquariums and they do eat regular aquarium fare and not just corals. The lfs expert is wrong in this regard.

Have you tried nori rubberbanded to a rock and spirulina flakes?

If the regal is eating zoas, it should adapt and start eating other foods.

Keep trying the mysis and clam, and also try fresh from your grocery store chopped shrimp and scallop. Get some garlic extract from a lfs and soak the food in it (it sounds like you are using chopped garlic cloves).

Try filling the other fish up first on flakes and pellets, and then feed the foods that you want the regal to eat. Try using a turkey baster to squirt the food near the regal.

You can also try live brine shrimp, frozen enriched brine shrimp, and live blackworms to get it started eating.

Make sure none of the other fish are picking on the regal. That will shut its appetite down.

Keep at it. The larger fish can be difficult to get to eat.

[rhouse24]

Originally Posted by pitmindi

The other fish ate with gusto, although they always do, but the regal just ignored the food. PLEASE HELP

Hi pitmindi,
I have been in your shoes and lost the battle so I know how bad it feels. You need to get him eating as soon as possible. Once they start to starve they seem to get more and more stubborn about it. 9 times out of 10 they will eat clams on the half shell so I would try that today. My current regal likes new life spectrum thera A pellets. I started him eating them by putting the pellets in a dish in the sand bed. From my experience, regals are not designed to eat out of the water column. Good luck.

[Jeff000]

Great thread.
I lost one of the nicest regals I have ever seen after 3 weeks of not eating, but didn't try the live clam until it was too late.
I want to try and pair a couple of regals after this thread, but I get lost in the pages on how to actually do this,

[MIKE NY]

I just recently got my Indo-Regal...while in QT got it to start eating clam on th half shell by adding some garlic drops to it....now it devours them. I then placed it my fuge for a couple of reasons...firstly to acclimate it to eat other foods without the competition of the DT and now it eating PE mysis, brine, Angelfish forumla and Rod's foods...also there are plenty of critters to eat ..and secondly I'm testing it by placing frags of LPS and softies to see if it will eat them..so far it's been good..fingers crossed. I'm going under the assumption that if I keep it well fed it will leave them alone.

[szwab]

I had a pair of regals in my reef. Got them at different times. They were one of the most stressful fish to keep (for me). One of them started eating after a week. The other one took almost a mointh. Not sure of how true this is but for mine anyways it was almost like they had to learn to eat from the water column. The first food that both would accept was clam on the shell rubberbanded to a rock with fishing line tied to it for easy removal. Once they started eating they were good to go. The first did not touch corals. The second started in on zoas after a week which was ok. I could do without zoas. That said once the second started eating them the first did as well. After about a year for each respectfully there were no issues in feeding they would eat anything offered live, frozen, pelets flake you name it. I always have nori in the tank for the fish to pick on, however they were the fattest fish of all of mine. Had them for over 4 years and finallly they started nipping at some LPS not bad but nippping then they moved on to SPS which was when they found new homes. Like all angels each has a personality and are hit and miss when it comes to corals. I honestly believe my first learned from the second one. BTW the second one I got was a good 5 1/2 inches and did fine so hang in there. Clams are best but try to feed anything and everything. I'd only put clams in for a couple of hours so as not to foul the water. They are not an easy fiish to acclimate but once they eat they seem to be very hardy. They never did truley pair up. The larger one did become very dominant which is another reason they got split up.

Good Luck!! Keep us posted.

[fishfreak2009]

I just got my regal. It is a regal from the Red Sea (it was brought in with a semilarvatus butterfly and a larvatus butterfly, along with 8 line flasher wrasses). It is a 5 inch beauty. So far it won't touch clams or nori, but it will eat flakes that are floating on the surface. I'm going to try soaking some food with garlic tomorrow to see if I can get it eating more than flake. The angel will be in quarantine for 6 weeks, along with the sweetlips in the video (which is eating greedily).

[alton]

One caution with Garlic, I soaked PE mysis in Garlic and he ate it, but if I added too much he would not touch it. So just be careful on how much you add. I use a 100 gallon rubbermaid tub for QT on my angels.

[fishfreak2009]

Well, I put some clams in the other day to tempt the regal angel to eat. I then went to bed because I work 3rd shift. I asked my parents to take them out within 3 hours. 10 hours later I woke up and the tank was white. It reeked of ammonia. The sweetlips was dead and the angel was gasping at the surface and darting about. I immediately moved him to the display. He seems to have suffered no ill effects, and is feeding on frozen mysid, nori, pellets, and flake food (although he only eats it if it is floating on the surface). I added prazi pro to the display just in case, and I am thanking God he didn't die, as well as that he had been treated with cupramine at the LFS for a week before I got to pick him up.

[vamaro]

After losing a Regal a couple of years ago, I did not think that I would try again. Yesterday, I stopped by my LFS to see a nice Atlantic Blue tang. There was two Regals in the same tank with the Blue Tang. This place has Regals often but I never bother to see if they eat becasue they normally dont.

When food was dropped in the tank, the Regal chased after the food like a hungry tang! I had them bag it up Regal and I purchased the same food the Regal was eating which is Spirulina flakes and pellets.

I have a 30 gallon established QT with rock and sand. I put the Regal in there to treat it for flukes overnight. The Regal ate 10 minutes after being in the QT.

I just moved her into my display today. I know better and usually use my QT but the Regal wont last in the 30 gallon tank for two weeks. My display is a FOWLR and I can dose with Cupramine if I need too as I have done this in the past without any issue.

So far, none of my fish have even given the Regal a second look and there are no other angels in the tank. I will get a pic up shortly.

UPDATE - The Regal just ate in the display. Its been in the tank less than 2 hours. I hope it keeps eating........

[alton]

An update on my female which has been in my 100 gallon rubbermaid Tub that I use for QT for large angels. After 4 weeks she finally ate some yesterday. I got her from Quality Marine through my local fish store, same place I got my male. She came in very fat and healthy but stayed in the rock hidden only coming out if I turned the pumps off. I fed everyday even though I did not see her eat until yesterday. Hopefully she is over the hump. Hoping I can have all three of my regals in my 3oo by Christmas? Following everyones ideas on this thread has helped with all three. The best where having rock in the QT tank, keeping a cleaner shrimp with them, and trying almost every food on the market to get them to eat.

[Chicago]

question when you QT the regals.. did you do it in a tank with rock..or bare bottom. did you do copper and did they tolerat copper well. i was doing great with mine in a QT tank with some rock only.. no copper.. today he is not eating and breathing a little harder than normal and is basically in a holding swim.. i mean he is mid water in the 20 GAllon QT tank in a facing up swim position. i do not see any signs of ICK. Thinking of putting in some copper.. i have been doing water changes every other day. yester day a llittle anomia spike.. looking at the food but not eating today.. thoughts

thanks

[alton]

No copper and about 20 lbs of live rock. A friend told me no copper unless you need to. At week six she has gotten very friendly, waits to eat from a spoon. I also added a juvenile blue face which helps on feeding. It seems to make her less shy with two fish feeding? She has lost some weight but with her eating much better I am still shooting for an introduction into my 300 with my male by Christmas. I saw a blue belly sub adult in my fish store yestersday, and like my juvenile eats very well. Maybe collectors should leave adults in the ocean and only collect juveniles?

[Dr Colliebreath]

Mine was in a bare tank with pvc for hiding. No live rock. It went through Cupramine just fine.

You will need to remove your live rock if you use Cupramine or other copper. What other biofilter do you have?

Why did you get the ammonia spike?

Have you used PraziPro to treat for flukes? Without visible signs of ick or velvet, I would treat for flukes and get rid of the ammonia before treating with Cupramine.

[Chicago]

got ammonia spike only a little.. per the seachem in tank monitor.. you now the tab.. just a little.. so will do a water change. i think flukes is the correct call.. trying not to do cupramine.. which means take the rock out which i think helps with the regals

spike was from feeding..

[rhinonm]

The best where having rock in the QT tank, keeping a cleaner shrimp with them, and trying almost every food on the market to get them to eat.[/QUOTE]


From my experience: I recieved a 4" yellow belly regal 10 days ago (bzaquatics). I placed him in a 10g qt with good filtration (100g bubbble magus skimmer) display tank rock (created a cave).

The fish came with what I believe is lymph. Kinda (very small) white growths on the body. I added a blood shrimp on day 4 and he immediatly went to work removing most of the growths.

On day 9 I gave him a 1 hr bath in fish flox (cipro) a wide spectrum antibacterial in a 5 gallon bucket and rereleased him into the qt.

Day 10- After offering the fish everything under the sun to include mussles on half shef, clams on a half shell, formula 1 flake, mysis, pellet, and angel formula I got him to eat formula 1 flake floating on the surface. I do notice a consistency in this thread about flake floating on the surface!! He followed by accepting mysis shortly after,

I am very pleased because I belive if I can get him nutrition he will beat the lymph. I do not know if the antibiotic, stable, stress free and clean water, or time got him to eat.

[stuifbol]

Still doing good...

[caribfan]

Originally Posted by Chicago

question when you QT the regals.. did you do it in a tank with rock..or bare bottom. did you do copper and did they tolerat copper well. i was doing great with mine in a QT tank with some rock only.. no copper.. today he is not eating and breathing a little harder than normal and is basically in a holding swim.. i mean he is mid water in the 20 GAllon QT tank in a facing up swim position. i do not see any signs of ICK. Thinking of putting in some copper.. i have been doing water changes every other day. yester day a llittle anomia spike.. looking at the food but not eating today.. thoughts

thanks

Disclaimer: I have not owned a Regal before, but I have owned many other angels and difficult fish, including moorish idols.

It sounds to me like flukes. This may be a little old school, but I would do a freshwater dip on the fish and see if anything comes off. If it is in good health, the fish should be able to last for up to 10 minutes, and I have even seen recommendations of 30 minutes. Be sure to match temperature and pH and obviously if using tap water treat for residual chlorine.

If it is flukes, Prazipro is a highly used treatment and I have also had good luck with De Los. The treatment period of De Los is longer, but it also kills fluke eggs, which Prazipro does not.

Hopefully your angel gets better. I was cruising the primer because I am getting ready to pull the trigger on a regal from my LFS. I'll post pictures if the deal goes down. Good Luck!

[roni]

Great thread! I recently got an indo regal which is hanging out in my frag tank. He's eating pellets aggressively and looking at flake and mysis (which is better then the juvenile imperator in there that is only eating frozen mussels).

They hang out together and have been doing great. After I got the regal, however, I got an opportunity to buy a pair of regals that has been in captivity for 4 years and was actually collected together.

I've gone from no regals to a possible trio. I know Copps had a trio but I believe he added them separately. I know others have had pairs that they either introduced together or separately.

My concern is that since the pair is a bonded pair, I wonder if they'll accept a third. My thought was to get the single eating well and then introduce him to the display. Then introduce the pair to the system as well. I figure since he'll already be in there, the single will be less likely to get picked on.

Any other thoughts/suggestions?

[roni]

double post

[rgentry123]

Just received a tiny regal from LA on Tuesday, I know it hasn't been that long but it came in a little thin and hasn't taken to any food yet that I've seen, I've tried clams on 1/2 she'll, my sis, brine, cyclopeeze, squid and emerald entree and so far no bites. Any suggestions to get it eating or just more time.

[Laddy]

Originally Posted by rgentry123

Just received a tiny regal from LA on Tuesday, I know it hasn't been that long but it came in a little thin and hasn't taken to any food yet that I've seen, I've tried clams on 1/2 she'll, my sis, brine, cyclopeeze, squid and emerald entree and so far no bites. Any suggestions to get it eating or just more time.

Is it in quarantine or no?

Right now variety is key along with known attractors like garlic soak. G/L

[Dr Colliebreath]

Originally Posted by rgentry123

Just received a tiny regal from LA on Tuesday, I know it hasn't been that long but it came in a little thin and hasn't taken to any food yet that I've seen, I've tried clams on 1/2 she'll, my sis, brine, cyclopeeze, squid and emerald entree and so far no bites. Any suggestions to get it eating or just more time.

Depending on the fish, it could take up to a week or 10 days for the fish to start eating. Two days is too soon to worry.

I would focus on feeding Hikari mysis and Hikari spirulina-enriched brine shrimp. Are you using those? Try them with and without being soaked in garlic extract.

You also might try some live brine if it doesn't start eating the frozen mysis and brine by Sunday.

Is the fish in a qt or the dt competing with your other fish.

Make sure to maintain water quality high and that the regal isn't being hassled by other fish.

[orangegoby]

got a 5.5" indo adult 4 weeks ago, so far so good,
was eating pellets(from surface) the 3rd day.
no qt, straight into the dt with egg crate divider away from the tank boss.
was eating steadily every day. need to train him eat flakes or else he wouldn't be able to compete with other aggressive tank mates.
i love this fish, he got style.