The Regal Angel Thread - Page 4

Steve Atkins · #76 02/12/2006, 06:27 PM

The aggressive damsel in my tank chases everything up to, but not including, the Blue Tang and the larger of the two Javanese damsels, if they happen to get too close to it's cave. It also gets beside itself with frustration/rage if I dare to re-arrange the sand near it's cave and will spend several frustrated hours getting it right again (funny to watch but I feel a bit mean doing it).

When I put in the Regal, I also put in a Yellow Tang and three Yellowtailed blue damsels plus stuck 3 mirrors up around the tank. The combination of the new fish and all the reflections caused the damsel to get so wild it attacked every other fish in the tank (the plan to divert attention from the Regal certainly worked in this respect). I actually got a bit worried as it was obviously loosing many of it's fights and it's fins became more and more ragged. Luckily he/she carmed down after a day or so.

I look after another tank, about 25% bigger than mine and it contains a Flame Damsel that will often bite me.

Perhaps my tank is an exception with only one really aggressive fish out of 7 damsels and 4 chromus, but I do not know why that would be so. I have to admit, I rather like damsels.

Steve

Milleme · #77 02/12/2006, 08:00 PM

Do yall think a regal would do ok in a 58 gal w/ 3 bartlett's anthias? I havent really done any research on them yet.

sonofgaladriel · #78 02/12/2006, 10:37 PM

Thanks for all the replies guys. As of today I have not seen him eat any prepared foods and I've tried just about everything.
The good news is that he continues to constantly pick at the rocks and sponge AND I have seen him munching on my yellow colonieal polyps AND he is definately deficating! I'm glad to see him munch on these yellow polyps as I consider them a weed and was about to Joe's Juice them before the grew into my SPS colonies! There are enough of them to feed him for some time. I hope he eats them all and then gets hungry enough for some of my food.
He is such a beautiful fish. Fortunately, he continues to swim out in the open all day. He no longer hides when I stick my hand in the tank to feed or adjust corals. I think he has settled in and feels comfortable in the tank.

Psionicdragon · #79 02/12/2006, 11:44 PM

how do you convert a regal eating fresh clams to prepared food??

Project Reef · #80 02/13/2006, 03:21 AM

Regal One: RIP, died after adding a PBT. PBT was living happily in an established system AND QT'd for almost 4 weeks, yet still came down decided to get sick. Never picked at corals, ate formula 2 flake, spectrum pellets and red sea weed selects with gusto.

Regal Two: Took about 3 1/2 weeks before he decided to eat prepared foods with gusto. Found zoanthids delicious but never picked on other corals. Now living happily in a friend's 240.

Now,

Regals 3 and 4:

Small juvis straight off the Red Sea shipment. Getting along well together and began eating formula 2 flake food with gusto after just a few HOURS in the system. Pride and joy specimens which have completely ignored corals.

Definitely a cool reef aquarium phenomena. I'll try to get some video if possible.

sonofgaladriel · #81 02/13/2006, 08:51 AM

Video would be great! Congrats on the healthy pair!

Psionicdragon · #82 02/14/2006, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Milleme
Do yall think a regal would do ok in a 58 gal w/ 3 bartlett's anthias? I havent really done any research on them yet.

no, the tank is too small.

kalare · #83 02/14/2006, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Milleme
Do yall think a regal would do ok in a 58 gal w/ 3 bartlett's anthias? I havent really done any research on them yet.

You should really do the research if you plan are interested in keeping difficult species...

john37 · #84 02/14/2006, 02:03 AM

just aquired a 3.5 in regal this weekend and he will eat a little mysis but just spits out the spectrum pellets. Anything i can do to get him to eat the pellets? What else do they like?

kalare · #85 02/14/2006, 02:09 AM

You're asking a little much a little early. Feel good about it eating mysis. Give it some time and it may eat the spectrum (especially since it's trying and just spitting them out already). This thread is full of info on their different eating habits and likes. I suggest you read the whole thing...

Quote:

Originally posted by john37
just aquired a 3.5 in regal this weekend and he will eat a little mysis but just spits out the spectrum pellets. Anything i can do to get him to eat the pellets? What else do they like?

Project Reef · #86 02/14/2006, 03:45 AM

My little Regals, chase formula 2 flake down all over the tank and seem to never get full. The spectrum pellets, they catch but spit out, catch again and spit out again. My very first regal did the same thing, but eventually after a 7 to 8 feedings, began eating them. The pellets obviously have a much different texture, taste and hardness to them so it will take some getting used to. You may try to soak the pellets for 20 to 30 seconds in some tank water to 'soften' them up a bit.

64Ivy · #87 02/14/2006, 04:28 AM

Mine is beginning its third week of QT...or rather, isolation in my frag tank. Still doing very well on a diet of clams, oysters, PE Mysis, Pro-V, Formula's One and Two, and Prime Reef. Will even rush out of its hiding place and hang at the front of the glass in anticipation of being fed whenever I walk into the room. So far, it hasn't picked on any corals or zoanthids either; a model citizen.

Hey Ali, congrats on the twins! You GOTTA post up some pictures.

By the way, what are Spectrum pellets?

moonpod · #88 02/14/2006, 04:54 AM

spectrum is a company that makes a pellet food. My fish dig 'em.

slobound · #89 02/14/2006, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Project Reef
My little Regals, chase formula 2 flake down all over the tank and seem to never get full. The spectrum pellets, they catch but spit out, catch again and spit out again. My very first regal did the same thing, but eventually after a 7 to 8 feedings, began eating them. The pellets obviously have a much different texture, taste and hardness to them so it will take some getting used to. You may try to soak the pellets for 20 to 30 seconds in some tank water to 'soften' them up a bit.

Hey Ali, I picked up a juvi regal about 3 weeks ago. It's eating well too - mysis, brine, chopped shrimp, and a little spectrum. Won't touch the spirulina flake though. It's in my sump with my mystery wrasse and perc pair. Still a little sketched out to put him in the display... fearing for my corals. Decisions decisions...

Rao · #90 02/14/2006, 01:08 PM

Quote:

just spits out the spectrum pellets. Anything i can do to get him to eat the pellets? What else do they like?

Soak the pellets in selcom or vita chem, mine loves it!!

Psionicdragon · #91 02/14/2006, 10:47 PM

so no one knows how to make a fish eat other things beside clam?

Project Reef · #92 02/15/2006, 05:21 AM

Garrick,

Go for it! What the heck are you waiting for?

Michael, these are Spectrum pellet foods:

Some of the best fish food on the market. I use the Thera+A non-medicated anti-parasitic formula.

The twins are really going after the pellets now as well. Starving lunatics, they're tearing it up. I love 'em. I'll do my best to get some shots or a vid.

Psionicdragon,
You can try injecting the pellets right into their stomachs using certain aiptasia applicators on the market. Seriously though, there is no way to answer your question. If we knew how to make a fish that doesn't want to eat, EAT, then we wouldn't be having long, drawn-out, informative discussion threads such as this in the first place. Just be consistent in your feedings, try a variety of foods of different textures/consistencies and provide the fish with a good environment. Another tip would be to have several 'pig-like' dither fish such as small chromis or wrasses which can 'teach/show' the finicky fish how to eat and help them recognize what is food. This may help them get accustomed to the 'new' foods.

64Ivy · #93 02/15/2006, 11:22 AM

Okay then. I just ordered some; the Marine Formula and both sizes of The Thera+A. Thanks for the tip.

Steve Atkins · #94 02/15/2006, 02:57 PM

Quote:

...... Another tip would be to have several 'pig-like' dither fish such as small chromis or wrasses which can 'teach/show' the finicky fish how to eat and help them recognize what is food. This may help them get accustomed to the 'new' foods.

That was one of the keys in my case. The fish was always interested in eating but didn't have a clue about chasing food down in the water column. Living in a tank full of greedy gluttons and being a naturally inquisitive sort of fish (as most angels are) it gradually learned that anything I put in was likely to be food and how to chase it down.

Steve

GSchiemer · #95 02/15/2006, 03:13 PM

I don't know why but the Spectrum pellet foods work well with finicky angels. My Regal greedily eats it as well as a finicky Blue-Face.

Greg

slobound · #96 02/15/2006, 07:53 PM

Here's my juvenile regal angel... all 2.5" of him

HOZERTHEBONEFISH · #97 02/15/2006, 08:58 PM

Thats a cute little guy(or gal) Slobound. How long have you had it for?

About them spectrum pellets,(and I think we should all get paid or be sponsored by spectrum at this point) its gotten to a point where my regal doesnt really like frozen mysis compared to the pellets!!

In the past she used to attack the mysis but now she eats a few and looks as if to say... where are the pellets?

Lately I have been mixing cyclopeeze flakes and spirulina flakes with spectrum and the regal also digs them flakes.

Psionicdragon · #98 02/15/2006, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Project Reef

Psionicdragon,
You can try injecting the pellets right into their stomachs using certain aiptasia applicators on the market. Seriously though, there is no way to answer your question. If we knew how to make a fish that doesn't want to eat, EAT, then we wouldn't be having long, drawn-out, informative discussion threads such as this in the first place. Just be consistent in your feedings, try a variety of foods of different textures/consistencies and provide the fish with a good environment. Another tip would be to have several 'pig-like' dither fish such as small chromis or wrasses which can 'teach/show' the finicky fish how to eat and help them recognize what is food. This may help them get accustomed to the 'new' foods.

They are actually eating...clams only. I have tried mysis, brine, spectrum, flake, seaweed, pellets, etc and they won't go for it besides clams. It isn't that they aren't eating..its that they won't eat something else.

Steve Atkins · #99 02/15/2006, 10:42 PM

One thing I have recently discovered that all the fish, including the Regal, are very keen on, is diced up frozen baby squid tubes. I had previously used these is part of the frozen food mix I prepare but recently started feeding just the diced tubes to a Tubastrea I keep in the sump. When I put the remainder into the tank there is a major stampede, even more so than the usual stampede at feeding time.

Steve

slobound · #**100** 02/15/2006, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HOZERTHEBONEFISH
Thats a cute little guy(or gal) Slobound. How long have you had it for?

About them spectrum pellets,(and I think we should all get paid or be sponsored by spectrum at this point) its gotten to a point where my regal doesnt really like frozen mysis compared to the pellets!!

In the past she used to attack the mysis but now she eats a few and looks as if to say... where are the pellets?

Lately I have been mixing cyclopeeze flakes and spirulina flakes with spectrum and the regal also digs them flakes.

I've had my little guy for about 3 weeks now.

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