The Regal Angel Thread - Page 38

cthetoy · #**926** 10/26/2007, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nctangman
cthetoy,

I noticed you are in Rancho,CA. Are you fairing well with all the fires down your way.?

Thanks for asking. The major fire is in Rancho Bernardo and I am in Rancho Cucamonga. We got lots of smoke from other fires nearby but our city is safe. The 2003 fires was alot worse where I could see the fire s from my house.

I also have a Golden Butterfly as well. Its in my quarantine tank and will go into the main tank this weekend. It ate pellets at the store so thats why I bought it. Did not have to worry about training it to eat from the water column.

maxxII · #**927** 10/26/2007, 09:10 AM

I would do the Regal first over the rabbit. I thought the same thing since Rabbits are so skittish, however, when I moved my Regal over from my 58 gallon to my 120 which was housing a similarly sized Doliatus Rabbit fish, the Rabbit began chasing the Regal away from the broccoli.....I took the Rabbit to the LFS shortly after that.

My Regal is still pretty small.....around 4 inches not counting the tail.

Nick

tony varrell · #**928** 10/26/2007, 12:22 PM

Great information people. I am getting my Red Sea Regal tomorrow. It sounds like my yellow tail damsel might have to go. I have had him for 7 years he cycled my aquarimum. I am also curious there is talk about agressive bi-color angles. I have a Joculator angle I hope they are completely different species. The Joculator has never shown any assgessive behavior. Should the two be able to coexist in a 150??

maxxII · #**929** 10/26/2007, 01:23 PM

Pics for the page....

Nick

nctangman · #**930** 10/26/2007, 03:00 PM

Nick (and anyone else that is interested),

Here is a good article about fish nutrition (what to feed and more importantly what not to feed your fish):

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/...ad.php?t=27014

I had the opportunity to hear Lee Birch talk about this subject last week when he visited our local fish club. This is definitely worth reading. Everyone that attended is re-thinking how and what they are feeding their fish.

Kirk

maxxII · #**931** 10/26/2007, 05:15 PM

Hey Kirk,

Lee is the person who got me on the broccoli.....he definately knows what hes talking about.

I'm over at RF alot too...

Nick

meschaefer · #**932** 12/14/2007, 03:20 PM

It seems that activity on this thread has fallen off a bit, and since it is full of so much useful information I thought I would post my recent experience.

A couple of days ago I picked up male yellow belly from Sumatra. I got him for a very good price (even better when I applied a credit I had) from NY Aquatic. I had been in touch with the owner and he advised me that the fish was eating spirulina flakes before he put him up for sale. The owner of NY Aquatic had promised me some spirulina flakes, since I didn't have any, but I was so excited about my new acquisition that I forgot to get them from him. So I stopped at an LFS on my way home and got some OSI Spirulina Flakes.

I am happy to say that he was a beautiful healthy looking specimen, nice and fat. I took about two hours to acclimate him. NY Aquatic had him for just shy of a week, and had him in a tank with copper, 1.017 salinity and a PH of 7.8. Over the two hours I slowly dripped water into a bucket, acclimating him to my tank water parameters of 1.025 and 8.3.

I then put him directly into the tank, skipping a QT period (Not normal procedure). This is a fairly new tank that has been set up for a little over two months ( I have much more experience than that, just a new tank). The only other inhabitants are a female Lammarck Angel and a male lyretail anthias. Once in the tank, the anthias was a little pushy at first but quickly lost interest in the new addition. The Regal took a swim around his new home and went into hiding in the rock.

The next morning I fed the tank, but he really didn't eat much. But he did noticeably react to the addition of some spirulina flakes. Over the next two days he has become much more bold and while not eating allot he has picked at some spirulina flakes, mysis shrimp and formula 1 pellets. I am encouraged that he is at least sampling almost all of the different foods I have tried.

T1adler · #**933** 12/14/2007, 04:50 PM

The tip on broccoli worked good as well as algae wafers & clam on a half shell or minced shrimp. Anything rubber banded to a clam shell got immediate attention.

Now my bad boy has made the transition to formula 1 pellets and pushes my green chromis aside to take them at or near the surface. IMO its very important to have LR with lot of growth for them to pick at until they get turned on by other stuff. Mine took almost 2 months to make the switch. It seemed to happen over night. Now he's a pig!

tanglovers · #**934** 12/14/2007, 09:35 PM

What have been people's experiences adding a second regal to an already established one?

I have a female (based off it having short gill/cheek spines) that has been in my 220 reef (100% SPS) for nearly 2 years now. I would love to make this fish a pair.

Any suggestions? I am strongly considering finding a male (long cheek spines) that is of equal or slightly larger size.

Current regal is a yellow belly version.

jelwyoming · #**935** 12/14/2007, 10:23 PM

I just purchased a Regal Angel from Dr. Mac's. After reading some other sites, I think perhaps that I should have waited for a Red Sea variety rather than his Hand caught Solomon Island variety.
Has anyone else had experience with Dr Mac's Regal angels?
Like some of you others, I plan on doing a dip on this one and then proceed with a lengthy acclimation, then heading directly into my display tank in order to reduce the stress of adapting twice. My main tank has much more life for him to forage on as well. I handled my copperband this way as well. It is a sure risk and the only way I can accept doing this is if the fish has been already QT'd for a good period at the retailer. Has anyone else done it this way too and had success?

jelwyoming · #**936** 12/16/2007, 09:40 PM

Well, reading more through this thread, I withdrew my Dr. Mac order and found a Red Sea variety that is already eating.
Have all of you QT'd ones that have acclimated successfully, or are there some of you that have reduced the stress by putting a previously QT'd (at the retailer) one right into your display. I have a bit of sponge and worms growing in there that I feel will help him off to a better start. My QT set is too sterile.
What do you think?

haydn · #**937** 12/17/2007, 05:47 AM

I posted this in the general fish section but realised it was more approprate here.

A LFS has two juvenile regals- they have been there for about a month and are feeding well. Both still have their juvenile colours one is about 1" the larger is 1 1/2". The larger one has much bigger gill spines than the smaller one (relative to fish size)

They are in separate tanks- I have a 2m x1m x 1m reef tank (480 UK galls) with 250kilos of LR and SPS. I know I'm chancing them picking at the corals but I’m prepared to take that risk.

My question is could I put them together in my system or am I asking for trouble. Will they fight either now or as they grow.

Is it possible to sex them at this size??

jelwyoming · #**938** 12/17/2007, 05:25 PM

With all the talk on the Regal Angels being tough to keep, what is the best guess odds of the diligent reefer being successful? I would hate to through a few hundred bucks at a 1 in a hundred chance! So, what do you all think the odds are? From reading the thread, it seems like alot of you went through 2, if not 3 before keeping one a year or longer. Is that right?

kwl1763 · #**939** 12/17/2007, 05:38 PM

I would guesstimate the rate at no better then 25%. Lots of keys and tips. Read this thread the whole way through and you'll know about everythign there is to know!

john37 · #**940** 12/17/2007, 06:29 PM

i'd say if the regal is not eating at the fish store your chances are pretty slim, maybe 1 out of 20 but if it IS eating then maybe 1 out of 4.

Reeftanks6 · #**941** 12/17/2007, 07:39 PM

i want a regal for my 90 will he be ok in there. this will be with corals also. what corals will he eat

jelwyoming · #**942** 12/18/2007, 03:08 PM

That doesn't sound too bad. I have told the store to hold it for me for 2 weeks to see if it is eating well before I would bring it home.
Are you folks all doing a standard QT for these guys, or any thing special?

haydn · #**943** 12/18/2007, 05:00 PM

Well I did it -just couldn't resist.

1" of juvenile regal

1 1/2" of juvenile regal

Both are feeding on frozen food and picking at my LR. They have met and seem to accept each other.

meschaefer · #**944** 12/18/2007, 05:34 PM

here is an update on my 4 inch, yellow belly from Sumatra.

He has been in the tank for a total of 8 days now. He is eating spirulina flakes (he was eating this at my suppliers), formula one, and mysis shrimp. The only thing I feed that I haven't seen him eat is cyclopezee.

He is eating with some gusto. For the first six days, the only other tank mates where a male Anthias (4 inches) and a small Lamarck's angel (2.5 inches), I added two small ocelliris clowns (2 inches each) that came out of a friends tank this weekend (he had to take down his tank while he moves, other more agressive fish went into a holding tank that I have).

It seems that the increased activity in the tank has made him a little more agrressive at feeding time. This is exactly opposite from what I expected, as he had been very timid up to that point. It is almost like he figured out that if he doesn't hustle, he could miss out.

jelwyoming · #**945** 12/28/2007, 09:35 PM

I am receiving my 5" yellow belly tomorrow. The LFS has been holding it for 2 weeks to insure eating (which it's done like a pig).
I have a 55g QT set up with some live rock to pick at. I hope it goes well!

jelwyoming · #**946** 12/29/2007, 02:15 PM

Well, my day hasn't started too well with the wet arrival my Regal shipment. Of the 6 bags in the box, one exploded during the Fedex flight. Guess which one?? Yes the one with the Regal angel in it!
There was only enough water to half cover him. His fins were caught in the folds of the deflated bag and the whole box was extremely cold due to the wet heat packs and other material in the box! Believe it or not, I was able to revive the angel and put him directly into my QT tank....couldn't even acclimate him since he wasn't in any significant water. Another 10 minutes like this and I think that he would've been gone. (the rest of the shipment was compromised as well since the heat packs were soaked - 20F in Wy. right now)
Well it's 30 minutes later and he's swimming around the tank. I am hopeful now that he might make it!
Any suggests to help him overcome the stress of all this? He is alone in a 55g QT with a bit of live rock and macro algae. Lights are off. I have the circulation pumps running with alot of air to help keep the water well oxygenated.
He is even pecking at the live rock. When should I offer some mysis shrimp, tomorrow?

john37 · #**947** 12/29/2007, 05:13 PM

wow, i'm glad he's still alive.
if i were you i'd wait till tomorrow and offer a little food.

Cantonesefish · #**948** 12/29/2007, 06:04 PM

Nothing like a little drama, eh?

Haydn, that pair of juv regals makes me so jealous! Where did you find them?

nctangman · #**949** 12/29/2007, 06:12 PM

jelwyoming,

wow you are brave to order from an online vendor this time of the year. I'm glad all is OK. (for now)

haydn · #**950** 12/29/2007, 06:18 PM

They were sitting in a lfs close to my home- one was reserved and the lfs owner did not want to sell-insurance i think, in case one didn't make it. They were in separate tanks.

I said I would take the other if both started feeding and when the reserved one went. After about 4 weeks they were both feeding well and out of the blue the shop owner phoned me and said the person who had reserved had a problem with his tank and had cancelled- so I jumped in and bought both.

Mad I know!!

a quick update- one is dominent but not overly so and is out most of the time, the other hides in a large cave but is getting a good share of the food. They both accept any frozen fare and pick from the LR, so far its looking good.