Can you pair up Majestic Angels?

[Sylock]

My majestic is so cool. Would love to see if I can get a second. I've read that some people have got them to mate. Any thoughts?

[Peter Schmiedel]

You want to keep 2 in a 113g tank?
IMHO thats not even enough for one.

[EdKruzel]

If introduced simultaneously than you may be able to pair them with little to no complication.

Now that you have an established Navarchus I wouldn't try it unless the tank was very large (400+).

The second fish would have to be very small in comparison and with numerous hiding areas.

Ed

[Peter Schmiedel]

Ed,

I tried two on my 300g. Both where add the same time, both where juvenile but already adult coloration. One dominated the other so that he was not allowed to come out. Only during feeding he could get his share. After 6 month it did not change and finally had to take one out.

If you take the latest research into account one should assume that not only Genicanthus and Centropyge are able to change sex bidirectional. I can only say it did not work out in my tank.

[EdKruzel]

Hello Peter,
As we all know these are general rules and unfortunately some of the fish didn't read the rule book.

Too bad it didn't work for you; I would say that this is one of the more difficult species to pair due to their mating habits of group gatherings and harem like behavior (within a much shorter time period)

Some of the easier large angels to pair come from the Pomacanthus genus.
However with species reaching from 15-20''s and larger, you'd need one BIG tank!!!

Take care,
Ed

[Sylock]

So it looks like it can be done. When I move tanks what size / age should I be looking into to match up with the current 4-5 inch adult? As of now I think one of the keys is to add them to the new tank at the same time. I have lots of research to do yet, but it looks like there is not a definite no.

[EdKruzel]

Your new tank is only a little over one hundred gallons and although the depth is fine there is no length for shoaling angels.

I wouldn't recommend pairing unless you were to place them in an 96'' long tank.

Sorry,
Ed

[Sylock]

My new tank isn't even designed yet, my sig is a little old sorry. The 113g is my current tank. It takes me about a year to plan out what I will be doing because I want everything right. The new tank will probably be only 72" long though ... 72"x(36-48)"x30". I don't think I can go up to an 8 foot tank.

Most places say 100g for a Majestic so I figured as long as I had 300+ I'd be fine. You really thing 96" at least?

[danfishman]

I currently have two Blue Face Angels in the one tank. One has just recently changed too adult coloration
, which is 5 inches. The other is much smaller, about 2 inches. They don't get along great but most of the time the bigger guy doesn't mind the smaller one. Its only been about 3- 4 months though so I still don't know if it will work. The tank is a 180 gal, the only other fish is a Lemonpeel and PBT.

[Gary Majchrzak]

To keep this thread on track: in the U.S.A. the common name "blueface angel" refers to Pomacanthus xanthometopan- a larger cousin of the navarchus/majestic angel (Pomacanthus navarchus).

There are a couple of well informed folks posting to this thread.
How did the pairing turn out, Sylock?

Are any of these navarchus being kept in reef aquaria, or are they in FO systems?
In all honesty, I'm strongly considering adding an adult navarchus to my 225 gallon reef aquarium and I'm looking for some reliable info from those experienced with this fish in reef type systems. Should I do it?

[danfishman]

Well I will give you an up date on mine,

Currently they are both coexisting fairly well, the smaller avoiding the larger. Its been about 10-11 months so far.

[COreefer]

Gary, I have had my Navarchus for one year now...I have mostly SPS but I do have a large clam, a hammer, a scolymia and alot of zoanthids. The angel hasn't touched them. I have had other LPS corals as well and he left those alone too.

[LisaP]

I too have tried pairing up the Majestic angel, it was a dismal failure. I introduced two fish, one larger than the other, both with adult colouration, at the same time. They had been sharing the same tank at the LFS quite happily before I picked them up. For a while it looked like it was going to work out but then the larger one really went all out to get the smaller one. I had to remove the larger more dominant fish after a month when it became apparent that the two were never going to live happily together. They had a 90" x 27" x 27" to play in but it wasn't enough for the both of them.

I still have the smaller fish today and it's now a perfect specimen, the poor thing was so battered and beaten by the other one before it was removed, you'd never know that it was the same fish. My angel pairing days are over that's for sure.





P.S. It's been almost 2 years now and it's not eaten a single coral, long may that continue.

Regards

Lisa

[EdKruzel]

Gary,
I've had plenty of success with a Navarchus in both FO and full blown reef tanks.
The only corals I've had to remove were a Trachyphyllia and a Cynarina; no other coral was touched.

In my 210 reef, I used the overflows for a secondary (first exposure) refugium and aptasia filter.

I had so many large Aptasia in the overflows that the skimmer could go over a month and not be emptied or cleaned.

Because of my Navarchus I never had an Aptasia show up in the display area.

Ed

[Gary Majchrzak]

Man. You guys are doing a good job convincing me to try a Navarchus. Thanks for the info.... I think.