Six Bar Angelfish/Feeding/Soon To Be Health 2/13/08
Hello guys n gals,
<Hi Bernard>
I have a new aquarium, 6ft x 3ft x 21 inches, with live rocks and a 3-inch live sand bed. However new, the water has been cultured for 2 months at a local established marine aquarium shop. (I merely transport the water here for my new tank). Everything is fine, but here is the one problem: maybe it was a wrong choice, but I didn't know that time. My first fish for the tank is a 10-inch Six Bar Angel.
<Yep, you are right, wrong choice for such a new system.>
It is perfectly healthy, lustrous coloration and a strong healthy body, a wonderful specimen. It swims gracefully in the tank, boldly, not even scared when I approach the tank (except when I have to put my hand into the tank to fetch some water for chemistry testing). However, the problem comes when it doesn't want to eat anything for the next couple of days since its introduction in the tank.
<Not uncommon, especially in a new system. Have you observed this fish eat at the LFS?>
I tried everything, from prawn meats, vegetables, freshwater shrimps to saltwater shrimps (which I collected from a nearby clean, unpolluted beach) and even live edible clams and young anemones. The six bar merely swim past them and continue swimming after a round of inspection. As for the shrimps, it even stops by and open up its gills (is it as a sign for the shrimps to clean the flanks?
<Could be.>
But of course, the shrimps are not cleaner shrimps, so they don't bother). I tried enticing it to eat by pressing prawn flesh onto dead corals, trying to make an impression that those are coral polyps, hoping that it will come by and eat them. But still, it doesn't help. What should I do next? Will you advise me on other methods or other kinds of food to offer to? I am very sad and worried that if this marvelous fish of mine will end up starving.
<You might try Spirulina enriched brine shrimp and see if this will entice the angel to eat. Hikari is a good brand in this regard. Would not make this the only food, do try Ocean Nutrition's Angel Formula.>
And can dead corals (acropora and mushroom for example) be put into aquariums? I have quite some beautiful pieces kept over the years. But they have a strong smell though. I remember reading some articles saying that these should never be attempted into an aquarium, which will spoil the water quality, hence killing the fishes.
<Yes, these would have to be cleaned well before placing.>
Lastly, please help me with my angel. I am desperate.. Thank you for your attention and time.
<As above and do read here and linked articles/FAQ's contained therein.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/index.htm>
Thanks,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Bernard Yong

Feeding Techniques For A Finicky Fish
Hi Bob,
<Actually, Scott F. in today!>
I have your book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist". Great book!
<Isn't it? A real "keeper", IMO!>
Anyway, I wanted to tell you about my new Majestic angelfish. I bought him a couple of weeks ago....before I saw the dismal writings in your book about their failure to eat and thrive in
captivity.
<I'm sure that Bob will agree that many CAN thrive in captivity (records of 20 years or more exist!), but source and collection techniques can play a large role in success...>
Anyway, when I got him he was fat and healthy looking, but I could not get this shy fish to eat anything. After spending $179 before tax at my local fish store for this 5 inch fish, I was kind of upset as he did not eat for the first 4 or 5 days. I decided that I was determined to get him to eat. He cost too much money to let die! He would not touch flake food as he is so slow that the smaller fish in the tank would gobble it up before he even came out from the rocks to look at it. Live brine shrimp was another disaster as he is so slow that he only would catch maybe one or two before the other fish gobbled them all up or they got sucked up by the filter. I knew there must be something that he would eat...the frozen krill would float to the top of the tank and he didn't even know it was food.  Well, I read that they like to eat a lot of sponges and algae grazing on the rocks in the wild. I finally got him to eat by taking pieces of seaweed sheets and pieces of frozen angel preparation made from sponges and krill (looks pink like sponges in the wild?) and placed them on a small rock with a rubber band. The other little fish in the tank took to it right away and when he saw them he joined in. These foods last on my 5 inch rock for an hour or two which is long enough for this slow grazing fish to eat.
<Excellent technique for feeding this great food source...Thanks for sharing the idea..>
I also got a brine shrimp feeder from Brine Shrimp Direct to feed him with great success. It is a little mesh cage type thing that you put the live adult brine shrimp into. It keeps them in the little cage until the fish peck at them and suck them through the mesh....Keeps them together in an area away from the filters where a slow grazing fish like a Majestic can feed over an hour or longer.
<Another good idea...>
Maybe you can suggest some of these ideas in your next article or book that may help others keep these beautiful fish alive.
<Thanks again for sharing these techniques with your fellow hobbyists! That's what this site is all about!>
Sincerely,  Lesley Sears in Houston
<Take care, Lesley! Regards, Scott F.>

Fish and Diving (A Navarchus and HI)
Hi Guys!
<Hello Lesley>
Hope you are all keeping well.  Got a couple of quick questions on fish and another one related to diving so here goes:-
<Okay>
We bought a 4" Majestic Angel 
<A good size to start with>
last week (unfortunately, without reading your info first). He'd been at the LFS for a couple of months, feeding well etc.
He did eat during the first couple of days but after that he discovered he could hide in the reef so now we hardly see him and if he sees us first, he's off, faster than a speeding bullet!  I am worried that because of this hiding, he is not getting enough, if any, food at feeding times, however we do have a few corals which I am sure he nibbles on when no-one is around. Do you think we should be worrying? And will he become more gregarious as he gets settled in?
<Is this a large system? Hundreds of gallons? With lots of hiding spaces, rock...? I hope so>
Secondly we have a fairy wrasse (not sure what sort, pinky purple and orangey in colour - very technical!).  This fish was incredibly shy at first too but now is always out and about and feeds from our hands. We want to get a Scott's wrasse. We have a 100g tank - as they are completely different colours, will they be less likely to fight, if they fight at all?
<There is a possibility that if these are two similar size, markings males... that they might. Is this the same tank the Majestic is in? It's too small... I encourage you to return the Angel>
Finally, we are going over to Hawaii (Big Island) in May (hurrah! Can't wait!) Staying at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.
<A beautiful hotel... We have a place on the Big Island (just mauka, or up hill from Kailua (the principal town, on the lee/Kona side of the island), and have had a few friends visit the last weeks that I've taken to stroll through the Waikoloa Hilton... great grounds and artwork... the "Dolphin experience"... and neat swimming pools with slides!>
My husband is a certified diver and just wondered where the best dive sites are in and around Kona and what animals he is likely to see.  Also, are the reefs around Hawaii really as bad as we have heard?
<Bad? As in...? Some are easier, harder to explore, access... for shore entries? There are MANY possibilities>
Fish are his first love and he's hoping to see some turtles and manta rays.
<Many good places, mainly depending on the weather/waves... it's been terrible the last few weeks, with very high surf coming in to the west... but will likely improve. Do cruise up to Puako (north of the Hilton), perhaps through Mauna Lani (the resort... and take in the Puako Petroglyphs as well... many Green Sea Turtles on the large area for shore entries there... And a good distance to the south is "Two-Step" that you can visit along with Honaunau, the City of Refuge... your concierge or rental car company can give you good directions to this and other attractions off the 11... There is Kuhaluu or White Sands Beach along Alii Drive as well (near the 5 mile marker)... Ali
<I is the "main drag" in Kailua Town... There are many more spots depending on weather, your degree of comfort/ability... The Mantas here are fantastic to see, but you need to go on a specialized scuba boat dive to experience them first hand. Check with any of the excellent dive services re. My fave is "Big Island Divers"... ask Norm there most any question re local diving>
He's dived in the Maldives, Mauritius, Turks and Caicos, Bahamas and Grenada.
<He'll enjoy it here then... usually 100-150 foot visibility, temp. of water mid to upper 70's this time of year... and a good quarter of the animals only found here... MUCH to see, enjoy>
We're going to Bonaire in December - any particular dive sites you would recommend there?  We're hoping to do the Red Sea and Great Barrier Reef next year - pennies permitting!
<All excellent places. I strongly suggest you do what I do... read cursorily over the Net, the usual "travel guides" and specialty print works on diving, natural history of the areas>
Anyway, thanks for all your help and advice as always.
Lesley
<A pleasure to share. Bob Fenner in Holualoa>

Majestic Angel not eating!! 1/8/03
Hello Robert & Crew  You guys (gals) have helped me in the past with my Blue-Ring Angel and Golden Puffer; which are still doing EXCELLENT!!
<Hi Gary. Adam with you today.  Glad to  hear things are going well!>
My question is as follows: I purchased a Majestic Angel from my LFS about 3 weeks ago, quarantined him for 10 days (not one problem) put him in another tank (parameters are excellent!!) with a Christmas Wrasse and a Pearlscale Angel (those 2 are as thick as thieves!!).
<Kudos for quarantining, although I would go a bit longer as a rule (two weeks minimum).
The Majestic barely ate in quarantine at all!! He ate fine at the LFS; he was there for 4-5 weeks.
<This could be the stress of moving, being in small quarters, etc.  This fish did have 4-5 weeks to settle in at the LFS.>
I've been feeding him EVERYTHING!! i.e. Spirulina flakes, Sea Veggies, Emerald Entree, Formula 1 & 2 etc. all with no avail.
<Sounds like a nice variety.  You may consider trying frozen Mysis.  These are often irresistible to stubborn feeders.>
I was thinking of putting him back in quarantine and dosing with Maracyn (it contains B vitamins which stimulate appetite).
<I have never heard this about B vitamins, and would hesitate to medicate a fish that isn't sick.  If time and other foods don't entice him to eat in a couple more days, I might move him back just to eliminate the competition.>
I know the species of Angel takes some time to relax in a tank setting. His color, fins, scales, eyes, behavior (swimming fine, all around the tank.) is superb, (THIS IS ONE BEAUTIFUL SPECIMEN). Any suggestions, comments would be greatly appreciated!!!
Regards, Gary Lewandowski
<You are right on the money.  I would give the fish a few more days to get used to it's new surroundings and tank mates.  Do try Mysis too.  As long as it remains healthy, I would only move the fish again as a last resort.  Good Luck. Adam>

Question about Blue Face Angel
Bob,
I have a med. size Blueface Angel (6 inches) and it's diet is supposed to be sponges and growth from LR. I have been feeding him frozen shrimp and plankton, formula 1 but I am concerned about his health & diet, (although he is fairly new and adjusting well). Will he eventually break down & get sick or starve if I do not feed him with a sponge diet? Is there some kind of sponge supplement for fishes that feed primarily on sponge?
<Very good point... and glad you have been investigating. Many subgenus Euxiphipops angels (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/euxiphip.htm) go on to do well on "non-natural diets"... My standard pitch here is to encourage hobbyists to supply such "cryptic" fauna in/on/as live rock. Bob Fenner>

Euxiphipops navarchus
Hi Guys - My LFS has had an exceptional specimen for the past week now - It is full bodied and healthy looking. I have gone each day now for a week and observed it feeding and becoming less shy. All the literature suggests that this is not an easy angel to keep, however based on the suggestions from Bob's book I feel I have a good candidate here. I was going to pick your brain for any other suggestions that the group may have regarding this particular species. Any thoughts that you have would be most welcome.
Regards, Ric Raley
<I do have a few suggestions for this challenging fish. First off, select what appears to be a healthy specimen, which it seems you have. You need a large tank, at least 90 gallons, and a good bit of liverock. Another good piece of equipment would be a refugium connected to your main tank. Not so much for the plankton it would generate, but to give your liverock a place to re-grow some more food stuff for the angelfish. You might want to cycle rock from the main display into the refugium for a month to recover from overgrazing.
Best of luck, Steven Pro>

Euxiphipops navarchus Follow-up
Thanks - I do not have a refugium per se, however I have a 10 gallon shrimp tank that houses several flame shrimp for my wife - it is currently also hosting a Firefish that recently developed a dislike for his compadre in the main reef (supposing that 2 juvenile males got along until spring sprang) - this tank has a rather healthy growth of 2 Caulerpa species and I have recently introduced the Sawblade to my larger reef - currently it is propagating just fine, so I believe I can meet that requirement - currently my Sailfin tang enjoys this along with some Nori and Spirulina flakes.
<Besides the above mentioned items, do be sure to get some sponge matter into the Angelfish's diet. Ocean Nutrition makes an Angel Formula that has sponges in it.>
Ok looks like the last check off the list is complete and later this week a new addition can join the reef.
Thanks for the input! ~Ric Raley
<Good luck! -Steven Pro>

The Majestic (Angel)
Dear sir,
<Hi there! No "sir", just Scott F. here today!>
I would like to know that I have a tank with the size of 30 inches in length, 28 inches in height and 20 inches in breath. I have a few live rocks and a few dead corals. I'm  Using an Eheim 2213 external filter and a power head with a trickle filter, and also a under gravel filter. Protein skimmer is on the way in a day or two. I Just set up my tank 12 days ago but used old water and gravel (50 percent) and new water and gravel 50 percent. Nitrites are good but ph is between 7.7 to 8.0
<Do keep an eye on this. It's not too bad, but it is on the lower end of "normal". Perform regular water changes with high quality source water, and use one of the many buffer products available for this purpose.>
I have two small clowns about 2 inches and one majestic angelfish about 4 1/2 inches to 5 inches. Is it a big enough tank for them I just plan to add one or two fishes one about 4 inches and one about 2 inches.
<Well, the Majestic Angelfish can reach 8-10 inches in length. I'd really consider the ultimate size of this fish, and be prepared to move him to larger quarters soon.>
In the next few months (max 7 months) I plan to increase my tank to about 48 inches,28 inches in height and 20 inches in breath is that ok?
<Much better, but I honestly think that you'll need to provide this fish with a tank that is at least 100-150 US gallons (and at least 60 to 72 inches in length) for the long-term maintenance and health for this fish.>
Please let me know. What is the best food I can give the angelfish ? He has been eating from day one and eats chopped prawns, clams, spinach and also marine pellets. What vitamins are good for him.
<The items that you mentioned are quite good, with the exception of the spinach. I'd try to provide vegetable matter of marine origin, such as sushi Nori, macroalgae, like Gracilaria, or commercial foods containing Spirulina. Frozen Mysis shrimp are also a great dietary item for this fish. If you want, you can enrich these foods with products such as Selcon, which provides added lipids and HUFA's, and vitamin supplements, such as Vita Chem. I have used both of these products for years with good results>
And one last thing is that how long can angels live in captivity if kept well. Thanks,  Mustu
<Well, Mustu, I have read accounts of this fish living up to 20 years or more in captivity if well cared for! It's truly a beautiful fish, so just adopt a long-term view with this fish, and keep providing a stable, consistent environment and the fish will enjoy a long, happy life in your care. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>