Any one have experience with a Potter's angel? (pics)

Radioheadx14 · #1 10/30/2007, 09:54 PM

So i have had him for about 3 days and so far so good. Each day he ventures further and further from his "home" and already saw him eat formula 2 pellets yesterday... and lots of food today. I read that the biggest thing is to get them to eat. I purchased him at Phishy business(in store, not shipped) and they said he has been in their tanks for 6 weeks with out a problem. Which makes me assume that he 'adapted' to aquarium life quite well (i used adapted in quotes because he didn't evolve... i should have used acclimated but that get confusing too).

Any one know of any other special requirements for these guys? He is currently in my 75 with 2 medium sized ocellaris clowns, who seem to swim in his home and look at him but dont really bother him. He also doesnt appear to have any stress. spends most of the day pecking around rocks and the sand and checking me out when i have my face against the glass.

I'll be honest... i did not QT him, But please read on before anyone goes berserker on me... hehe. I was going to but when i was floating him in the qt tank i read somewhere that they should not be QT'd b/c they could starve and need dense rock work to hide and feel comfortable. So i added him to the DT... The LFS said he never showed signs of illness in the 6 weeks. I'm still unsure of my actions but there is nothing i can do now.

Pics: (not that great at tank photography)
i couldn't focus on him... he didn't stay in the light very long.

just seeing whats going on...

clowns! always trying to steal the show.

rssjsb · #2 10/31/2007, 09:46 AM

I've had one for about a month. He was in a coral tank at the LFS for about two months before I bought him and was fat as a pig. He eats anything I drop in the tank, including pellets. Great fish, but a bit of a bully.

As to requirements, I think they're like any other dwarf angel. I would make sure he has some greens in his diet. If you don't have any algae, offer him some nori or spirulina.

Radioheadx14 · #3 10/31/2007, 11:06 AM

It seems the census on these guys is that if they eat prepared foods and they have been in captivity for a while then they should be rather hardy... which i hope to be true. i guess that label "expert only" scares me.

/\/\ What else do you keep with your Potter's angel? i want to add another fish or two later down the line. I heard that several types of fish should be avoided because they may scare him or keep him from eating.

He eats formula 2 pellets mostly and pecks around the tank and rocks. I have a slight diatom growth, which i know they eat, but i dont have any dense algae growing. i have seaweed strips in there but he doesn't seem to bite. Maybe I'll try my FW spirlina wafers i feed to my plecos. I'm going to keep a close eye on him to make sure he stays healthy.

MegsB · #4 10/31/2007, 12:03 PM

i have had one for about a month now, doing very well in my 33, always picking at the rocks (so far not my corals) nice active little fish, eats anything i put in the tank. his tankmates are a yellow watchman goby, a twin spot goby, small mandarin and a tiny little yellow clown goby, so the potters is by far the most active fish in the reef, and i didnt add anything that would be agressive.

Radioheadx14 · #5 10/31/2007, 02:20 PM

hmm, im feeling better and better about this guy. It have read from a few sources that the 1 year mark is when things get bad. Any longterm success stories?

Toddrtrex · #6 10/31/2007, 03:36 PM

I had one about a year ago. Had it for about a month and a half, ate like a pig and was over all a great fish. Then one morning dead as a door nail, had been eating and acting normal the night before. I MAY try one again one day.

Here is an older picture of the little guy.

Radioheadx14 · #7 10/31/2007, 09:22 PM

looks very similar to mine.. very pretty. That is why i am debating whether i should keep him or not... but at the same time, i dont think i have a choice unless i tear apart my entire tank!

Sigmund · #8 11/01/2007, 09:59 AM

Here's a pic of mine. Have had him for about 10months. Eats everything, can be rough on new fish if he sees them as a threat, other than that he has been great.

Radioheadx14 - I noticed that your rock in your tank looks pretty new, not a lot of coralline algae, or things growing off of it. Generally Potters due better in established reefs. If you cannot get him to eat prepared foods quickly, you might want to get a few small pieces of established rock with algae and such growing off of it so he has something to graze off of.

Sigmund · #9 11/01/2007, 09:59 AM

Here's a pic of mine. Have had him for about 10months. Eats everything, can be rough on new fish if he sees them as a threat, other than that he has been great.

Radioheadx14 - I noticed that your rock in your tank looks pretty new, not a lot of coralline algae, or things growing off of it. Generally Potters due better in established reefs. If you cannot get him to eat prepared foods quickly, you might want to get a few small pieces of established rock with algae and such growing off of it so he has something to graze off of.

Sigmund · #10 11/01/2007, 10:03 AM

Sorry forgot to add the pic:

zotzer · #11 11/01/2007, 10:12 AM

Mine is very peaceful, and a hearty eater. Nori, pellets, mysis, etc...

He isn't mean, but will force new fish out of feeding zones by swimming at them kind of sideways. It's a trip to watch.

He shares my tank with a pair of a. percula, orange spot blenny, and a candy hogfish. All seem to get along well, and he has not picked at corals to date (although I make sure to keep him well-fed)

Tracy

Radioheadx14 · #12 11/01/2007, 09:49 PM

My rocks are about 2 months old. i have a few peices of live rock that are covered in stuff and some uncured. So there is some natural stuff... but he has been eating pellets off the ground and some other stuff, so im not too worried at this point