Angel Fish Food

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JM

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Aug 18, 2004
Messages
330
Location
NJ
I am just curious to see what everyone feeds their angelfish. I'm trying to find a frozen food with a high concentration of sponge in it. I really haven't been able to find any other than the Ocean Nutrition Angelfish Formula and i have been told that it's a pretty crappy quality food. So i just wanted to see what everyone else was feeding their medium to large angelfish.
 
The only other brand I know of is San Francisco Bay brand Angel and Butterfly Food. However...looking at the ingredients, Ocean Nutrition has more sponge than SFB, so unless you're willing to buy coral periodically for the angel to eat, that "pretty crappy quality food" is going to help that angel live longer in captivity than anyone else's food.
 
Well I have had a few angels over the course of 15 years. A majestic, asfur and now a maculosous. The diet that has worked out for the best health and color is: Clip of nori every other day, cyclopeeze in the morning, spectrum pellets in the evening and high protein frozen food with meaty ingredients (Clam, mussels, etc) soaked in garlic every three days. Hope this helps.
 
FishDude...that's a good menu, but coral protein lacking. They may have been healthy with good color for a while but lacking nonetheless and eventually they die prematurely. This is typical of angels in captivity. These animals can live for over 10 years and possibly twice as long. Three angels in 15 years may be good on the trade standard, (I'm sure most die within the first year of being put into a tank) but as of meeting their potential longevity, it's no where close. With a sponge fortified food included in that menu, they may have lived a lot longer. Please don't be offended. It sounds as though you've done well considering the majority of these angels don't survive even one or two years in captivity.

It's easy to spend 20 bucks a month on frozen foods for their angel...even ones with sponge in it and still doesn't compare to when they are given free access to graze on coral, but sponge fortified foods will up their chances of a longer life in captivity. It can be just as easy for someone to buy a piece of coral like polyps once or twice a month or so. I know someone who has a 300 gallon tank with seven different species of large marine angels. It's largely an SPS tank and these fish have been in there for nearly 7 years now...peacefully together without any signs of old age or disease. They don't seem to damage much of the coral. What they eat grows back. Stuff like feather dusters and clams don't stand a chance, but they do graze on some of the coral like polyps, mushrooms and natural growth sponges, sometimes even on a SPS. They are the healthiest marine angels I've personally have ever seen in captivity and that's because of the free access to coral protein. SeaWorld's marine angels don't look that good!! LOL.
 
Who said they died. Both the Majestic and asfur are still living in my son's tank The majestic is 9 years old and the asfur is 14. I have a maculosous in my tank. Guess I should change up their diets quickly before they expire... :roll:
 
Are they among natural growth of live rock? Or are they in a FO tank with fake or dead decorative coral?

The statement you made "I have had" is very easy to assume that they died (sorry)...but you do still have them (in sense...they are in the family). And I would not believe anyone saying they've had a marine angel living that long in a FO tank without live rock, so you must have live rock.

How big are they?
 
My son has a 180 with a lot of rock. He lives in New York, but the last time I visited I would say the Maj is about 8 inches and the Asfur a bit smaller. The Asfur looks like it is showing signs of old age. Kind of sluggish but I am confident he has seen a full life and then some. My Mac is only a year now and growing quickly 4-5 inches at this point. I love to watch them mature from juv coloration. I bought the maj as a juvie and watched him lose the rings over the course of a solid year. Very excited when you know that you are doing a good job as a hobbyist. Agreed as far as sponge and coral matter, but the diet I have mentioned has worked for me. I do throw the occasional clam, mussel, brine shrimp and blood worms in there when I can as well.
 
I never diagreed with the diet you listed. The rock in a good established system will maintain to grow coral bits that were on it when it was first placed in the tank. That itself with the diet you mentioned is probably why they have lived so long, but without that live rock and access to coral protein, they'll live a while, just not as long. Pat yourself on the back. It's not easy and certainly not cheap to do.
 
I think i am just goin to supply my angels with live sponges on top of their other algea and meaty foods. My LFS has some fairly inexpensive species(30$-50$) so i am thinkin of buyin a couple peices each month for them to graze on.
 
If you have live rock, you can wedge pieces in shaded crevices. This may give some of it a chance to grow and spread. Also, try not to let it touch air. Request the LFS to bag it under water. Not many do without that request.

Where in Jersey do you live? I lived there for 22 years (right across from Staten Island).
 
I live right outside of Newark. My LFS is Absolutely Fish. Its probably the best store anywhere around here.
 
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