would a pygmy angel in a 20 gallon work?

[jamielind]

would a pygmy angel work in a 20 gallon and if so would any other fish work with it?

[K9]

I just answered this EXACT same question when someone PM'ed me and asked :lol:. Below was my response:

It's really not so much how many lbs you have as it is how mature is the tank. Angels love to pick at any filamentageous algae growing on the live rock. Immature tanks don't have this amount of growth yet. One thing you can do however, is buy some Nori sheets from a japanese market (or maybe your local supermarket) and clip a sheet to the inside of the tank for the angel to nip at. I suppose it's worth a shot. Definitely wait until your tank is at least a few months old though, and add the angel as your very last fish to reduce aggression.

Anyways, I wouldn't recommend one for a 20g tank unless you have lots of liverock for them to hide in and graze on and have a more mature tank.

Hope this helps!

[killagoby]

I've got a masssive algae outbreak in my 29 gallon. Would a Cherub Angel be good for that? I also have LPS's, Zoos, and softies in it.

[K9]

Originally posted by killagoby
I've got a masssive algae outbreak in my 29 gallon. Would a Cherub Angel be good for that? I also have LPS's, Zoos, and softies in it. Buying a fish isn't the solution to your algae problems. I'd suggest finding out what's causing the algae bloom and try to remedy that first. Buying an algae-eating fish would only be a temporary fix. Either your algae problems will continue because the fish can't eat enough and you didn't find the original cause of the problem, or the fish will eat all of the algae and they you'll have to find a way to supplement it's diet. Regular algal growth is beneficial to pygmy angels, but an algae outbreak is the result of a larger, underlying problem. I hope this helps :D.

[cj_basser]

I have a pygmy(cherub) angel in my 20g long. It has been in there for a couple of weeks, and is doing great. It is in there with a scooter blenny and a true percula clown. The angel picks ion the LR, and is eating F1 flake and frozen mysis shrimp.

I also have zoos, SPS, LPS in the tank and it dosn't nip at them.

[killagoby]

Thanks guys!

[ridinfast03]

I had success with one in a ten with plenty of rock and "good" algae.

[killagoby]

Originally posted by K9
Buying a fish isn't the solution to your algae problems. I'd suggest finding out what's causing the algae bloom and try to remedy that first. Buying an algae-eating fish would only be a temporary fix. Either your algae problems will continue because the fish can't eat enough and you didn't find the original cause of the problem, or the fish will eat all of the algae and they you'll have to find a way to supplement it's diet. Regular algal growth is beneficial to pygmy angels, but an algae outbreak is the result of a larger, underlying problem. I hope this helps :D.

What would be your solution to my problem?

[K9]

Originally posted by killagoby
What would be your solution to my problem? My solution would be finding out what the problem is in the first place. Of all the problems a person can encounter in the reefkeeping hobby, a great majority of them have very simple solutions. Cutting down on your algae growth is not a problem that requires a rocket scientist :D. There are many questions that could be asked regarding your algae overgrowth, and a wrong answer to any of these questions could be your problem. Just a handful of these are below:

1) What type of water are you using?
2) What type of lights are you using?
3) How long is your light cycle?
4) How often do you perform water changes?
5) Is your tank overstocked with fish/mobile inverts?
6) Are you overfeeding?
7) Do you have adequate circulation?
8) Is the tank immature?

And so on....

So you see, the solution can be quite simple. I'll give you an example that I encountered myself:

My old 30g tank was in front of a window that faced west. Also, the back of the tank was not painted at all. So, when MASSIVE amounts of algae started growing on the back wall, I had to find a solution. Obviously, the problem was excessive light coming in the tank. So, to solve the problem, I moved the tank to a different wall and voila! problem solved :). Your tank may have just as simple a solution. Answer some of the questions I posted above, and let me know if you can find a simple solution for yourself as well. Best of luck and let me know if you have any further questions. :thumbsup:

[dantodd]

Originally posted by K9

My old 30g tank was in front of a window that faced west. Also, the back of the tank was not painted at all. So, when MASSIVE amounts of algae started growing on the back wall, I had to find a solution. Obviously, the problem was excessive light coming in the tank. So, to solve the problem, I moved the tank to a different wall and voila! problem solved :). :thumbsup:

What's wrong with sunlight on a tank? I've been thinking about using a solatube in my next tank?

[SuperNerd]

Originally posted by cj_basser
I have a pygmy(cherub) angel in my 20g long. It has been in there for a couple of weeks, and is doing great. It is in there with a scooter blenny and a true percula clown. The angel picks ion the LR, and is eating F1 flake and frozen mysis shrimp.

I also have zoos, SPS, LPS in the tank and it dosn't nip at them.

My cherubs never picked at any corals either, although they did rip the crowns of the little feather dusters growing in the sand and LR.

You will usually not see its good natured behavior until it becomes very comfortable in its new home.

I had one in a 70 gallon back in the day and it didn't bother any of the other fish for months. Then one day BAM!

It became such a mean thing, fighting with any fish that stood its ground and charging after passive fish that didn't stand their ground.

There is a big possibility, especially in a smaller tank, that soon it will start to bully the rest of the tankmates, stressing them out and even injuring them.

Originally posted by killagoby
I've got a masssive algae outbreak in my 29 gallon. Would a Cherub Angel be good for that? I also have LPS's, Zoos, and softies in it.

No, a cherub won't eliminate your algae outbreak.
I agree with the watchdog. You should try and fix the underlying problem first.

[K9]

Originally posted by dantodd
What's wrong with sunlight on a tank? I've been thinking about using a solatube in my next tank? Nothing wrong with using natural sunlight. A SolaTube would be a great idea actually. I think my problem with the sunlight was that it came through the wrong side of the tank (non-viewable side) and also was uncontrollable. If I was at work all day, the sun either came in if it was clear outside, or didn't come in if it was cloudy. A sunlit tank is a great idea (see Dr. Mac's greenhouse at www.drmaccorals.com), but it was just too unreliable for me. Well, that and the fact that I has big time hair algae problems from it. Plus, no one likes the yellow look of natural sunlight in their tanks anyways :lmao:.

[dantodd]

Don't want to get too far off topic so I'll just say thanks here and start another thread if I have any more questions.

[K9]

K, no worries :D

[jamielind]

thank you for the info

[killagoby]

Originally posted by K9
My solution would be finding out what the problem is in the first place. Of all the problems a person can encounter in the reefkeeping hobby, a great majority of them have very simple solutions. Cutting down on your algae growth is not a problem that requires a rocket scientist :D. There are many questions that could be asked regarding your algae overgrowth, and a wrong answer to any of these questions could be your problem. Just a handful of these are below:

1) What type of water are you using?
2) What type of lights are you using?
3) How long is your light cycle?
4) How often do you perform water changes?
5) Is your tank overstocked with fish/mobile inverts?
6) Are you overfeeding?
7) Do you have adequate circulation?
8) Is the tank immature?

And so on....

So you see, the solution can be quite simple. I'll give you an example that I encountered myself:

My old 30g tank was in front of a window that faced west. Also, the back of the tank was not painted at all. So, when MASSIVE amounts of algae started growing on the back wall, I had to find a solution. Obviously, the problem was excessive light coming in the tank. So, to solve the problem, I moved the tank to a different wall and voila! problem solved :). Your tank may have just as simple a solution. Answer some of the questions I posted above, and let me know if you can find a simple solution for yourself as well. Best of luck and let me know if you have any further questions. :thumbsup:

1) What type of water are you using? RO/DI H2O from my LFS
2) What type of lights are you using? Coralife 130w PC; 6 months old
3) How long is your light cycle? 12 hours for the 10k; 14 hours for the actinics.
4) How often do you perform water changes? 4 gallons once a week (the tank is a 29 gallon)
5) Is your tank overstocked with fish/mobile inverts? Fridmani Psudo, Target Mandarin, CBS.
6) Are you overfeeding? No, I stopped feeding 2 weeks ago. Before that, 3x a week.
7) Do you have adequate circulation? Aquaclear 30 and 20 powerheads. One of each.
8) Is the tank immature? 6 months old, w/ 50lbs of LR, CPR's DUAL BacPak, and CPR's 12" HOB Fuge w/ 2" of Mineral Mud and Cheateo algae in it.

[cj_basser]

Actually, my angel has never shown any agression towards its tank mates. In fact, the cherub angel and the true percula clownfish swim together most of the day, and then the angel will break away and pick at the LR

[K9]

Originally posted by killagoby
1) What type of water are you using? RO/DI H2O from my LFS
2) What type of lights are you using? Coralife 130w PC; 6 months old
3) How long is your light cycle? 12 hours for the 10k; 14 hours for the actinics.
4) How often do you perform water changes? 4 gallons once a week (the tank is a 29 gallon)
5) Is your tank overstocked with fish/mobile inverts? Fridmani Psudo, Target Mandarin, CBS.
6) Are you overfeeding? No, I stopped feeding 2 weeks ago. Before that, 3x a week.
7) Do you have adequate circulation? Aquaclear 30 and 20 powerheads. One of each.
8) Is the tank immature? 6 months old, w/ 50lbs of LR, CPR's DUAL BacPak, and CPR's 12" HOB Fuge w/ 2" of Mineral Mud and Cheateo algae in it. OK, some of the things I would do to try and reduce your algae problem are:

1) Reduce your light cycle. Try 8-10hrs for the 10000k and 10-12hrs for the actinics.
2) Try adding a bit more flow. Perhaps swap out one of the AquaClears with a Maxi-Jet 600 (160gph) or 900 (230gph)
3) Try redirecting your flow so you are sure to eliminate any dead spots.
4) Make sure Nitrates and Phosphates are testing at 0. If they're not, they can be a sure source of food for algae.

BTW, what are all your parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, salinity or SG, temp, etc.)?

[Jovreefer]

1) What type of water are you using? RO/DI H2O from my LFS
3) How long is your light cycle? 12 hours for the 10k; 14 hours for the actinics

These are your problems. I agree with K9-take the light cycle down to 8 & 10 hours.

Also LFS rarely ever change their filters in their RO/DI units. Get a tds meter.. I bet the TDS will be high. While your at it...grab an RO/DI unit hehe.

[SuperNerd]

Originally posted by cj_basser
Actually, my angel has never shown any agression towards its tank mates. In fact, the cherub angel and the true percula clownfish swim together most of the day, and then the angel will break away and pick at the LR

lol

I said with time it will become more "bullyish."
It's only been two weeks.
Mine took months but then again maybe your is an exception. :)

[killagoby]

Originally posted by K9
OK, some of the things I would do to try and reduce your algae problem are:

1) Reduce your light cycle. Try 8-10hrs for the 10000k and 10-12hrs for the actinics.
2) Try adding a bit more flow. Perhaps swap out one of the AquaClears with a Maxi-Jet 600 (160gph) or 900 (230gph)
3) Try redirecting your flow so you are sure to eliminate any dead spots.
4) Make sure Nitrates and Phosphates are testing at 0. If they're not, they can be a sure source of food for algae.

BTW, what are all your parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, salinity or SG, temp, etc.)?

I'll change the lighting times. It seems like there is alot of flow in the tank to begin w/ The CPR Dual BacPak I have on the tank has 2 Maxi-Jet 600's running on it, and the CPR Fuge has a PH on that too. All of that combined on full blast make corals like my Cynaria close up.

Amm - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate -0
Phosphates - Not tested (could be my problem!)
Ph - 8.2
SG - 1.025
Temp - 78-80

[SuperNerd]

Originally posted by killagoby
6) Are you overfeeding? No, I stopped feeding 2 weeks ago. Before that, 3x a week.


I wouldn't completely stop feeding the animals. They need to eat. :)

I feed my tank twice a day.

What exactly are you adding to the tank in terms of chemicals and elements?

[killagoby]

The Target Mandarin and Fridmani Psudo both feed off of the critters that reproduce in my fuge.

[SuperNerd]

Are they both nice and fat and how the heck did this pygmy thread turn into a discussion about chubby mandarins?! :lol:

[killagoby]

lol. I just checked my phosphate level and it is a 0 too. Once a week I add B-Ionic to keep my alk and calcium up. So you think it's my lighting cycle?