CorlBeauSelFAQ

FAQs about the Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel Stocking/Selection

Related Articles: Coral Beauty Angels, Marine Angelfishes, Flame Angels,

Angelfishes for Marine Aquariums
Diversity, Selection & Care
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by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Is it possible? Coral Beauty Comp./Stkg.      3/18/17
<Hi Aaron, Earl today.>
Hello! Big fan here! I have a bit of a question to ask. I have a 40 gallon mixed reef with a coral beauty, approximately 3 inches and most likely male due to the fact that I got it from a shop who I saw had him in a tank to himself for around three months, anyways, I have been interested in possibly pairing up the coral beauty and was wondering if I could do it in the 40 breeder with no plan of upgrading tank size in the near future?
<This is playing with fire. Assuming they do not get along, and I would bet they will not, how prepared are you to physically remove one of them from a functional reef tank? I would not consider this but if you do, have a solid
game plan for rehousing one of the fishes if/when that becomes a necessity.
You would also need a way to monitor their interactions intensely (as close to 24/7) maybe with help from a spouse, etc.. Look up the topic of introducing potentially troublesome fishes on WWM (pasta strainer "shark
cages" and such; helped me with similar problems back in the day). In short, I would look into the many, many safer options and also ask myself "why?" as in, what is the motivation? Visuals? Interesting behavior? These
can be good reasons but with so many other options for a small reef tank and so much risk with the angels, I'd look elsewhere. All this applies to any same or similar species angelfish to some degree. Some of my favorites
and ones I will go out of my way (and budget, Argh!) to keep but they definitely have their share of attendant issues.>
Also, to add to that, I was possibly hoping to pair it with a deep water coral beauty. Would this be possible? I know pairing Centropyge species can be risky. Thank you. -Aaron
<Hope this helps and please follow up, this adds info for fellow aquarists to come! -Earl C.>
Re: Is it possible?     3/18/17
Thank you Earl! I figured it would not be possible (well maybe haha). The reason for the question was to see if I could possibly pair them and have a breeding pair as I am very interested in the breeding of marine angels
especially Centropyge and Paracentropyge species.
<If you can get that going, cha-ching! But that is a whole different ball of wax and not in the real of a hobbyist in their own home to attempt.
Breeding most marine fish is a herculean task, frankly.>
Also, it was going to be a pair only species tank with the two and the small yellow clown goby and skunk cleaner shrimp I have in the with the male right now. Maybe one day I'll upgrade but not in the near future. Thank you again!
<Get a bigger tank, use the 40g as a fuge/sump maybe ;) but this is coming from a guy who is looking at a switch to a 350 or similar to house a shockingly quickly growing queen angel. They lure you in and don't let go
once you fall in love with angelfish! Anyway let us know how it works out.>
Re: Is it possible?      3/19/17
Thanks again Earl haha, angels really do have the power to lure us in, sirens of the sea i may say haha. So i just got a hold of a lfs and the owner who i know very well due to the fact that i have worked there for a while said if i help him with his corals in his 125 frag tank he's setting up, he will give me a 100 gallon tank that he got from a guy that needs to be extensively cleaned up and resealed due to it sitting outside but once i clean it up and reseal it its all mine. So now that i have a plan for a bigger tank, maybe i could get this project going. Also, would a majestic angel be happy in a 100 gallon if there wasn't a lot of tank mates maybe just a pair of coral beauties and some smaller docile tankmates?
<Low and wide is definitely the way to go (pretty much whenever possible, imo). Probably a no on the majestic angel though...they can get 8"+. It seems like your interests and intents are better suited towards some of the
"middle-sized" marine angels (Lamarck's and other Genicanthus). Check them out. They are not hard to find in mated pairs, they are gorgeous, interesting behaviorally, and sexually dimorphic,>
I should include that the 100 gallon we are talking about is shaped like a 40 breeder just bigger dimensions. Thanks again Earl! -Aaron
<Make sure it's sealed very carefully if it's been out in the weather for any length of time. Once it's all done and seems ready, you can put layers of newspaper or similar underneath it, fill it, and leave it for a few days. If there are any leaks, the paper will reveal it. Also a good time to test bulkheads. Definitely have it drilled if it isn't. WWM has more info on this. On another note, a lower, wider than standard 100g tank is not easy to come by cheap so IMO it's probably a great score if you can indeed get it operational.>

Question Follow-up about Coral Beauty Trio 1/7/13
I would just like 1 clarification to make sure that I did not misunderstand something. If I purchase 3 Coral Beauties under 3" and place them together (in my now 180 gallon mixed reef), things should be go well regarding the 3 Coral Beauties cohabiting, correct?
<Likely so>
If I buy them this small I will not need to try to sex them, correct?
<Yes>
I have not been able to find reliable information about sexual dimorphism among Coral Beauty angels.
<Don't know that there is such>
Thanks again for all your help.
<Welcome. BobF>

Coral Beauty Hardiness- Location, Location, Location! 5/24/07 Hello Crew! - and specifically a big Texas "Howdy" to Bob, as we haven't spoken in quite some time. I need to drop him a special "line" some time soon and I still need to get to Fiji. <Hi there! Scott F. with you tonight!> I have searched the site for specifics on this issue without seeing it addressed, but being "timing/event" sensitive it is probably best to ask the question again anyway. So, please forgive if I am redundant. <No problem...that's why we're here!> My questions are in regards to the current availability/hardiness of Centropyge bispinosa, the beautiful Coral Beauty Angel, one of my personal favorites. <One of mine, too- a favorite in one of my favorite families of fishes!> First of all, knowing that you remain abreast of all things salty, where are the hardiest specimens of C. bispinosa being collected currently that are making their way to dealer's tanks? Does one region surpass another at this time for exceptional hardiness over another and is there really a preferred origin with this genus-species as with many others? <Great questions. I've been doing a lot of personal research on various Centropyge species lately, and I've been talking to some of the local wholesalers here in L.A., as well as shop owners and others in the know. The current consensus is that the hardiest C. bispinosus are coming from Australia and Polynesia. The collection practices in these countries are much more conscientious and yield consistently healthier, hardier specimens than those that come from areas such as The Philippines. Much effort has been put into training local fisherman into utilizing better collection practices (without chemicals, dynamiting reefs, etc.), but change is slow. Bottom line- at this time, I'd try to find a Coral Beauty out of Australia or Polynesia. Reputable e-tailers, such as Marine Center or Live Aquaria can help you locate specimens from these locales and others where better collection practices are common.> I ask primarily because I feel that the quality of these animals that I am seeing today is superior to the ones that I have owned or viewed 3 to 4 years ago. This may be an aberration or coincidental to my experience but they seem to be far more robust, inquisitive, and active at the LFS. I would like to think progress has been made and the industry is ramping up in terms of knowledge, resulting in increased environmental awareness, and subsequently more acceptable collection, transportation, and transfer methods. <Agreed...change is happening for the better. As Bob has mentioned often, we as hobbyists can "vote with our pocketbooks" and pass on specimens that appear to have been collected with chemicals, or from locales that have not embraced more conscientious collection practices. We should speak up and let our local fish stores know that we want specimens from reputable collectors/suppliers. Not always an easy thing to do, but it can and will make a difference in the long run.> I ask because four to five years ago I owned two Beauties, one immediately after the demise of the first (which didn't last more than 5 months). The second also succumbed after only a few months in the tank, manifesting the same symptoms - a brief period (less than a week) with loss of vitality, appetite, activity and awareness. They went down fast. <Sad to hear...Many possibilities as to why this happened.> Looking back, these specimens seemed to meet the criteria of healthy animals when acquired but comparatively did not display as much vigor as those I am now seeing. This 55 gallon reef system had already been running successfully, without the loss of any other fishes, for about 3 years - all parameters in check. It contained 70 lbs. of live rock, which served as constant forage and cover and these fish were good eaters of all other fare. There were no signs of any disease present or any harassment/conflict from and with mates, as well. <An excellent environment for Centropyge species.> This particular system is still running successfully, going on 8 years now. It currently houses a 5 year old Tomato Clown, a smaller Foxface of about 3" (which will need to move eventually, requiring larger quarters - YES!), an Azure Damsel, and a Yellow Dottyback, all healthy and getting along remarkably well. I am planning on acquiring another C. bispinosa and would like to know the current state of the species as far as origin, availability and hardiness are concerned. <Just a word of caution: The welcome this fish receives may not be all that warm if the Dottyback, Clown, and Damsel assert themselves..!> I would like to be armed with updated information when I enter the store. I would feel a sense of confidence in knowing that the order of things is superior today, if this is indeed the case. <Again, I agree that there are many better quality specimens arriving today than ever before.> Thanks, Crew, for your dedicated support to all of our efforts. David Bell Highland Village, Texas <And best of luck to you, David! Hope that your Coral Beauty works out great! Regards, Scott F.>

Angelfishes for Marine Aquariums
Diversity, Selection & Care
New eBook on Amazon: Available here
New Print Book on Create Space: Available here

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

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