Conspic Angels.

SARBoy · #1 08/28/2007, 04:13 PM

I have been researching into geting one of these truly beautifull fish, but have run into a brick wall. I have tried a couple of reatailers in the uk but one has said that he hasn't had any in two years and the other said there is a ban on collecting them at the moment. Could anybody shead some light on the matter or suggest another angel that might fill the gap?

hobbzz · #2 08/28/2007, 04:23 PM

I highly doubt they will, but you could check out Liveaquaria.com and see if they will ship. They have one on their website right now for $1800 US.

SARBoy · #3 08/28/2007, 04:31 PM

Hmmmmm, not a bad price when you do the exchange rate(about £900). But alas i am waiting to get my 280g(us g) tank and can't get the fish now. Any idea if it has been band or just band into the UK?

hobbzz · #4 08/28/2007, 04:41 PM

I also heard that it was banned, but I doubt LA would illegaly sell a fish...they're a pretty reputable store. You might just want to send them an email and ask about the shipping and wether or not it's banned. Nothing to lose.

nosferatu51 · #5 08/28/2007, 06:56 PM

That angel has been there for a while too, so depending on how long you are needing to wait it could still be there. Most people are pretty reluctant to drop that kinda $$ on a fish.

mile sq. reefer · #6 08/28/2007, 11:34 PM

WP

Jerry W · #7 08/29/2007, 12:00 AM

My lfs had one on his vendor's inventory list a couple weeks ago. He could have brought the fish in at his cost of $750.00. He said he'd charge around $1000.00 for it. That's my dream fish.

zemuron114 · #8 08/29/2007, 03:06 AM

they aren't banned from collection. Most, if not all, are coming from New Caledonia which it is not illegal to collect. Lord Howe island, where they are also found, is illegal to collect. they are on transhippers list from time to time, but are a very rare fish in the trade and are not that common in the wild either.

It is not illegal to sell a fish that is protected. It is only illegal to collect it. Once it is collected and shipped from the location, it is perfectly legal to sell it. The collectors dont want to be caught though

SARBoy · #9 08/29/2007, 06:00 AM

Cheers for the responce zemuron114. Wonder why TMC said it was baned if thats the case. Anybody got any suggestions for an alternative?

jmaneyapanda · #10 08/29/2007, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by zemuron114
they aren't banned from collection. Most, if not all, are coming from New Caledonia which it is not illegal to collect. Lord Howe island, where they are also found, is illegal to collect. they are on transhippers list from time to time, but are a very rare fish in the trade and are not that common in the wild either.

It is not illegal to sell a fish that is protected. It is only illegal to collect it. Once it is collected and shipped from the location, it is perfectly legal to sell it. The collectors dont want to be caught though

Zemuron, this is not at all true. Depending on the type of protection, the retailer can be just as liable as the collector for selling poached animals.

sedgro · #11 08/29/2007, 08:16 AM

Here is mine (purchased from Oldtown Aquarium in Chicago)- I am a bad photographer:

Like the others mentioned it is found predominantly at Lord Howe island, but also the southern Great Barrier Reef (Rudy Kuiter has some images of a juvenile collected as far south as Sydney is his Angelfish book) and New Caledonia. Lord Howe has been declared a "World Heritage Zone" - so no commercial collecting of any species. Ironic that it is perfectly ok to go sport fishing though.

They are very tempermental fish. Even though the one I have was eating when I got it, it has taken a year to become a really good eater. I spent many months looking at his pinched back wondering if he was going to survive. So seeing one eat in the store is no guarantee.

Big Boy69 · #12 08/29/2007, 11:30 AM

Here's one for sale.

http://www.thepetstop.com/showprofil...oc=&listpage=1

LargeAngels · #13 08/29/2007, 11:51 AM

I don't think they really have that one at ThePetStop. They have not changed their rare stuff page for years. Still showing the same interuptus and joculator.

I've heard the same as sedgro has experienced. Just cause they are eating doesn't mean they will continue eating. I've heard of others doing great and then just hunger stricking.

triggerfish1976 · #14 08/29/2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LargeAngels
I don't think they really have that one at ThePetStop. They have not changed their rare stuff page for years. Still showing the same interuptus and joculator.

I've heard the same as sedgro has experienced. Just cause they are eating doesn't mean they will continue eating. I've heard of others doing great and then just hunger stricking.

I have experienced this with Conspic's, Meredithi and Blue Lines. I have kept multiple specimens of each and in all cases they would eat when first introduced and continue to eat but slowly there health deteriorated. I had one Conspic. a couple of years ago that did well for 8 months in my tank and then got transferred to a friends and is still going strong. I have wonder for years if these fish are not getting specific nutritional requirements in the foods that we have to offer. I heard recently that they mainly eat a certain type of jellyfish in the wild. Can anyone else confirm this?

triggerfish1976 · #15 08/29/2007, 01:25 PM

Also for the record the one that I had that did very well came from Old Town Aquarium as well. They seem to have a good source for Conpsics because they recently had a very rare 3" speciman.

mile sq. reefer · #16 08/29/2007, 02:27 PM

Conspics are not subjected to the same collection, shipping, holding facility and transport stress as other fish coming out of Indonesia. Most fish collected from Australia, New Caledonia fare much better.

triggerfish1976 · #17 08/29/2007, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mile sq. reefer
Conspics are not subjected to the same collection, shipping, holding facility and transport stress as other fish coming out of Indonesia. Most fish collected from Australia, New Caledonia fare much better.

I agree that most fish do fare better that ship from AUS because most are transhipped but I don't think that shipping stress is the main contributing factor to Conspic. husbandry problems because most make it to the hobbyist in pretty good shape.

sedgro · #18 08/29/2007, 03:02 PM

The first one I had never really wanted to eat anything other than brine shrimp and wasted away to nothing. My current conspic started out picky (would eat mysis and squid) but now will take pellet and just about anything else offered except Nori.
I have a french language book showing pictures of conspics taken in New Caledonia that I will try and post some images from tomorrow.

SARBoy · #19 08/30/2007, 05:26 AM

so it sounds like shipping is not a problem. but are they baned and if not why does TMc think so. those of you who have had a conspic did you get a juv or adult and how do they compare to other large angels in requirements. Again can anybody suggest an alternative because its looking less likely thay i can get one over here?

triggerfish1976 · #20 08/30/2007, 06:16 AM

I have personally never seen a juvenile in the US and I due to the very limited amount of photos taken of juv. Conspics I wouldn't be surprised if there has only be a couple of them collected and made avail. in the trade. I have seen a couple of 3" specimans in the last few years but they looked like subadults.
As far has there husbandry goes, I would put them in the select group of Angels that are notorious for not acclimating to captive environments. I recently spoke to one of the larger online vendors here in the US that occasionally gets in Conspics. and he told me that they have had to physically force feed these fish in many cases to keep them healthy. In each case the fish eventually started eating and did ok but they generally will only get a couple of these a year due to their problematic husbandry.

Based on my experience with large angel species in general I find that larger adult specimans 6" + have a harder time acclimating to captivity. They tend to prefer to pick at the substrate more and are reluctant to eat prepared foods with any gusto. I find that I have to QT these fish for several week in a tank without live rock or sand in order to ween them on prepared foods. Conspic's and other angels in their genus like Meredithi's and Blue Lines are also highly suseptible to C. Irritans infestation and should be medicated before putting them into a tank. You also want to make sure that there isn't any ich currently in the display tank because they will more than likely become infested if they are brought into contact with it.

If you're looking for other rare angels you could try and obtain any one of the following fish that are currently available in limited numbers:

Centropyge Interruptus
Holacanthus Africanus - Try and get a juvenile if you can
Christmas Island or Red Sea Emperor Angel
Bandit Angel - Husbandry requirements similar to Conspic.
Meredithi Angels - Husbandry requirements similar to Conspic.
Blue Line Angel - Husbandry requirements similar to Conspic.

LargeAngels · #21 08/30/2007, 07:25 AM

Only juvi pic I have ever seen was a guy in Aus. who caught it and kept it in his own tank.

Rare Angels · #22 08/30/2007, 09:39 AM

I had a conspic that I obtained from The Marine Center. I got the fish in 1998 and it was about 5.5-6.0 inches.

It eat live clams on the half shell immediately and could eat an enitre large cherrystone clam. It took a few weeks to convert it to other foods but it eventually would eat anything offerred. It died last year for unknown reasons, its have perfect the night before and died mid-day.

My experience has been that they are awesome and amazinf fish, extremely beautiful and curiuos. Anytime I viewed the tank he would swim right up to you and look back at you. Someday I hope to get another.

Dave

SARBoy · #23 09/01/2007, 09:56 AM

Triggerfish thanks for the suggestions. I already have a juv RS Emperor. Not that uncommon in the UK. He's doing fine and eating anything i put in the tank. I am still looking into getting a conspic but it will have to be around X-mas time because my new 360g system should be up and running by then and had a little time to bed in.

mile sq. reefer · #24 09/01/2007, 06:28 PM

Do you have the RS Imp in the 30 tall listed in you sig.? Say it ain't so.

SARBoy · #25 09/03/2007, 08:47 AM

No, he's in a 48" at the moment and waiting to be rehoused in my new 360g system, when work gives me time to get it sorted. He's very small at about 2". Haven't updated my page in a while. The 48" houses a Cromis, Hippo tang (approx 2"), TB Perc, Splendid Leopard wrass, Banded Goby, Mandrin and the RS Emp. Not to mention 10 sps, 3 LPS and a couple of softeis. running about 15-20kg of LR with a deltec AP650, a 250 1400k MH and turnover about 20x/h. The tank is just a temp home while i get my new tank sorted.