A "REEF SAFE" DWARF ANGEL any ideas

[daghostryder]

I really lik ethe Mindnight Angel but not sure of its reef safetiness

Any ideas or help for a nice dwarf angel that is REEF SAFE would be appreciated .

Thanks!

[yellow dog]

No such thing as a reef safe pygmy angel. Some limit their nipping to certain corals, others nip at everything, some don't nip for a while then suddenly begin nipping. This all depends on how much you can tolerate (e.g. living without the certain types of corals your angel nips or highly tempting corals like xenia or open brains). I personally like these fish enough to tolerate some coral munching. I'm not experienced with the midnight angel but have kept flamebacks and coral beauties in reefs - on the whole not too much damage. As an alternative, the angels in the genicanthus family are reef safe (eat plankton) but the colors are not so nice.

[Tennsquire]

I've kept different types of Pygmy Angels over the last ten years, and have found it to be hit or miss with their degree of reef safety. I had a Cherub for years that was very well-behaved, then another one a few years later that nipped everything it saw. Same with coral beauties, Potters, Flamebacks. You just never know, and it's pretty much up to the fish. Hopefully, your reef is mature and doing well enough to support the occasional polyp bandit. If not, they do make really tiny fish hooks.....

[mammon]

My personal favorite has always been the flame angel. I agree with the others it seems to be more about the individual fish not the type that makes them "reef safe". Members of the same species often seem to have different appitites. Potter's Angels are also very nice but are more subseptible to water problems then the Flame Angel.

[intekhab]

I've recently gotten a Midnight Angel. Oh, its a thing of beauty :thumbsup:

So far, so good... He's left alone all the coral and proving to be a voracious eater (uh, well, at least he's eating everything I provide ...flake or frozen) .. :D

Well, may be a tad shy, but he's getting bettter every day. In the early morning before the light is on, he's the first to come out of the cave to greet me next to my Percula :D

[Leonard]

My recommendation is to never introduce Centropyges into a reef tank. Because most Centropyges are impossible to remove from an aquarium once introduced, it is not worth the risk.

As yellow dog recommended, Genicanthus are better candidates, although you'll need a larger aquarium (55+).

[marinelife]

I have a Half-Black Angel in my 180 reef and I have never seen him go after any of my corals. I have SPSs and clams, in the past I have had softies. I have had the little guy almost 7 years. Great little fish

[daghostryder]

Well the overall results sounds promising. I will jump in both feet and hope for a flake eating angel who just hates corals. lol

[marcq]

Probably of limited utility but your best bet is to be patient and find someone who is returning an angel for some reason that does not bother corals in his tank. It is hit or miss with these guys; some are worse than others but in the end it is luck. If you can't inherit a good angel, the next thing to do is to try a few and trap and return the ones that peck until you get lucky. Or, alternaltelt, live with the pecking. Except for the odd terror-angel, most of the naughty ones aren't that bad if you remove the real temptations (clams, maybe xenia, LPS like open brains but euphyllias are fine.)

Marc

[Haji]

My angel has picked once or twice at the polyps in my tank. It has never bothered any of them just picked once and moved on. They still grow as fast as always and the fish eats all the food I provide it. It is one fat and happy midnight and if you can find one you like good luck.