Have You Overlooked These Fish?

[Lynden]

Fair enough. I'd call that a good wrap up.

 

[jeasko]

lynden how often should a cream angel be fed in order to keep it from picking at my polyps? what you have stated makes perfect sense as i have taken to feeding once extra every day but i want to be very careful not to over feed? also what other than the flake would best suite it?

 

[STD]

lynden how often should a cream angel be fed in order to keep it from picking at my polyps? what you have stated makes perfect sense as i have taken to feeding once extra every day but i want to be very careful not to over feed? also what other than the flake would best suite it?

IMO feeding it more will make no difference to whether or not it picks at your polyps - it's pot luck with Angels

I use the ocean nutrition flake & pellets

 

[Tommy Gun]

IME with angels, both dwarf and otherwise, providing them with a constant source of food to 'graze' from throughout the day is the best bet....such as the version you can see by clicking HERE....although I never order it through liveaquaria since I can readily find it at any LFS, so that is more of a 'visual aide' than anything else.

The only problem with this stuff is that, if left in the tank too long, it tends to fall apart and go uneaten. For that reason, I place half of a sheet in my tank as I am off to work, and replace it when I get home. This is also a good product to use for other fish as well, including, but not limited to tangs and some butterflyfish. I will also feed my fish other foods, usually once a day, obviously because not all my fish will eat these algae/seaweed sheets, and also to provide variety.

 

[Lynden]

I agree with the above... plus mysis and spirulina make good foods.

 

[jeasko]

I agree with the above... plus mysis and spirulina make good foods.

cheers guys looks like im off on a hunt tomorrow for this stuff to stop my angel attacking lol!

 

[Lynden]

If it's already nipping corals the chances of it stopping are slim, but you will probably at least see a reduction.

 

[Tommy Gun]

If it's already nipping corals the chances of it stopping are slim, but you will probably at least see a reduction.

While I realize that this is not going to hold true for everyone, I have kept quite a few dwarf angels and two large marine angels (albeit juvies though) and have noticed that they will all pick on corals when not given another option. In fact, like I mentioned before, the same can hold true for some butterfly fish (my banner fish exhibit the same behavior) and alot of the tangs too (although they may be less prone to nip on corals themselves IME, but mine have disturbed corals while picking at algae on a rock).

That being said, I honestly do not think most of us will find any great success in reducing coral nipping in many angels by simply feeding them a larger amount of food...even if we are feeding them in the morning, at noon, and at night - although this might reduce the problem to some extent but then overfeeding becomes an issue...but the most effective 'trick' I have found are those algae/seaweed sheets coupled with a once daily feeding of other foods (e.g. flake foods, spirolina...and to be honest, 99% of the time I feed frozen foods because this allows me to use vitamin C and garlic supplements with ease).

Again, I realize that this may not hold true for everyone...and I am sure someone will disagree with me...and of course, I haven't kept every angel in the world either. However, my point here is that providing a source of food which angels can graze upon at any given time has been more effective for me versus feeding more often during the day, or in larger amounts.

Additionally, I have also found great success in tying a veggie clip to an algae magnet with a short piece of fishing line and using that to hold the algae/seaweed. This has helped in two ways - 1. It allows me to position the food in the most ideal spot, whether that be in the area my angel 'hangs out' in the most or out of the way of a stronger water flow because I have noticed this leads to the algae/seaweed falling apart more quickly and 2. I have found that this is an easier method to use when trying to remove the uneaten portion of the algae/seaweed since, when I used to try grabbing it with my hand, it would fall apart so now I simply move the algae magnet to the top of the tank and net the stuff out. In fact, I actually began using this method when I started keeping a fox face, and until recently, my fuzzy dwarf lionfish, because it allowed me to keep my hands and arms out of the tank.

Sorry to babble on here...just wanted to expand upon my previous advice a bit....and also because, while I agree with Lynden in that this might be a tough habit to curb in your instance jeasko, I have a hunch this 'grazing foodstuff' might be your best bet.

 

[Lynden]

I have a hunch this 'grazing foodstuff' might be your best bet

Agreed... will add to list if it's not already there.

 

[Tommy Gun]

Lynden....

I don't mean to be overly critical, but I just noticed that fishbase.org actually gives a format for how to reference its website at the bottom of THIS PAGE. Even though I know you start your article out by stating that you garnered some information from Gregory Schiemer and went on to say that the rest of the information is yours; however, I am willing to bet that much of your research is not common knowledge, coupled with the fact that fishbase has this request for citation, it may behoove you to add that. Besides, you point out that you are basing much of your information on your research (and yourself), so you are basically acknowledging that you have taken some info, but don't really give any credit.

Just avoid their comments on "reef safeness"
as retail sites are simply not well informed, or just don't care, enough to give good info
on this regard.

I am not sure if this comment is a new addition or I have not noticed it until now, but I will make my case for this advice to 'avoid' any comments becuase an online LFS is wrong isn't really something you have holistically proved yet. Sorry to be a nag, but you know how strongly I feel that this is an unfair statement.

 

[Lynden]

Mmm.... okay.

 

[jeasko]

well managed to get hold of some green algea/seaweed and a clip and it does seem to make a difference, I replace this in the morning (if needed) and feed flake in the evening and occasionally feed a small amount of frozen instead or as well as, as you say it definately reduced the problem but has not stopped it, unfortunately my polyp has taken to not coming out now but I really dont think there is anything i can do about this.

 

[Tommy Gun]

well managed to get hold of some green algea/seaweed and a clip and it does seem to make a difference, I replace this in the morning (if needed) and feed flake in the evening and occasionally feed a small amount of frozen instead or as well as, as you say it definately reduced the problem but has not stopped it, unfortunately my polyp has taken to not coming out now but I really dont think there is anything i can do about this.

While I realize that it is not always a viable option, nor is it really an easy thing to do for most of us, but you may want to try removing the angel from your tank for a few days, possibly re-arranging things a bit, and then try again. Perhaps the feeling of being in a new atmosphere, coupled with the algae/seaweed will be enough to break the bad habit. While I have never done this for the same reason, it has helped me once when I was trying to keep two pairs of clownfish in the same tank. In fact, since I didn't have any other place to put them, I had 'stored' the newer pair of maroon clowns at my LFS for two days...but I was able to do that because my friend worked there so I am not sure that would be an option otherwise. However, I have heard of some people doing this same thing by keeping a fish in a breeder's box while the changes were made, releasing it a few hours later, but I would be hessitant to do the same myself, espeically with something like an angel.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

I just want to go on record that even a year later, Tommy replacing all of his posts with (now missing) pictures makes him look like an idiot.

Great read guys... what little I could still see of the debate.

 

[skimmy290]

great post. i agree with what you said about all those fish. people are just afraid to try something new because of rumors they hear from others and not from their own personal experience. i have pygmy angels in my reef tank and i provide a constant source of grazing for them at all times and they never once nipped at a coral as far as i'm concerned. i've also heard of the Emperor Angel (pomacanthus imperator) being kept fairly successfully in a reef tank.