Bi Color Angel Questions

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Greetings,

I have always liked this fish because of its bold color. However I read that it needs an established aquarium with refugium and will NOT survive in a fish only system. He will need to be quarantined for a month and with the bare system of the QT, what is the chance of it not making it during this time?

Also I have read that this fish is often collected with cynide and has one of the worse survival records. Anyone can comment on this? DP

[melosu58]

I had one for awhile but when I went reef he had to go. I personally dont think a refugium is necessary for this fish. I only had a 10 gallon wetdry sump when I had mine. You should always QT new arrivals anyway so that`s a moot point. I say go for it. Your tank has been around for a while.

[mandown123]

I don't see why you heard you need a refugium. This fish does not eat copepods. This is a fish that will absolutely eat your zooanthids and nip at corals. That is the thing to consider. If you are building a fish only system, this fish needs lots of live rock to feel "at home". No refugium is needed.

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Originally Posted by mandown123

I don't see why you heard you need a refugium. This fish does not eat copepods. This is a fish that will absolutely eat your zooanthids and nip at corals. That is the thing to consider. If you are building a fish only system, this fish needs lots of live rock to feel "at home". No refugium is needed.

According to information on the Net and in Fenner's book, it needs to have a refugium to thrive. But then again, he could be wrong. I have been able to keep the Powder Blue and Madarin fish alive (and thriving) that he said would not survive more than three months in an average system. I have yet to see a bicolor angel fish alive and thriving in all LFS tanks that I have visited. DP

[mandown123]

did he say why the fuge is needed?

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Originally Posted by mandown123

did he say why the fuge is needed?

I believe he said the fuge is to provide the nutrients that the fish encounters in the wild. He mentions about the cyanide collecting that accounts for the fish's high mortality. DP

[mandown123]

ah i guess he means the fuge has a much better at keeping water quality pristine for this fish. I know my friend had one for about a week. It broke out in Ich and died promptly. After eating his zoos. Lol.

Amazingly pretty fish though. It has that large angel look contained in a dwarf angel.

[divedeep1689]

is there any chance that one would decide not to eat coral? wwat if ya fed it enough and kept its diet varried is there any chance it would leave the zoas alone i have had one in my tank for a day i did not know they ate coral so far its nibbled around the zoas but has not touched the zoas themselves.

[mandown123]

If you have enough zoos who cares if he eats them, right? That's the whole trick. Odds are, he's going to bite your corals tho. Beautiful fish but meant for the ocean/fishonly/big *** tanks.

[jcmelski]

I had one in my 29 bc for months without a fuge. It did nip at my zoo's and duncan's like crazy. almost to the point that I thought I lost the zoo's and duncans. I said had because he died along with my cleaner shrimp when I did a night time feed and forgot to turn on the return pump. I got it to eat whatever I fed my other fish. I've heard that they are sometimes hard to feed.