RIP my goldflake angel

[jmicky41]

Sadly my favorite fish, my goldflake angel died today. No signs of disease or trama. Two days ago it was hiding more than normal and only ate one pellet. Yesterday it wouldn't eat at all; today he was gone. All the other fish are fine, and no new fish have been added in the past year. All I can think is that it was some kind of long term capativity related problem such as nutrition or maybe some kind of organ failure. Possibly he tangled with the foxface and got stung? Besides being pretty I liked him because he would follow my hands around the tank during water changes or glass cleaning, instead of hiding like the rest of the bunch. I had him about 3 years.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/jmicky41/4fish.jpg

[Kawaii]

:( very pretty fish, i'm sorry for your loss.

[Bebo77]

beautiful fish....

[jmaneyapanda]

I dont know if i would blame the foxface. it would be pretty hard for a rabbitfish or foxface to purposefully jab another fish. That defense is meant to aid in prevent predation, not bullying.

[snorvich]

It could also be a nutritional issue. Just because a fish eats, does not mean it gets what it needs nutritionally. Most angels require some amount of sponge or leafy materials which is why a variety of foods is usually the best strategy.

[CeeGee]

I hate that. I lost my emperor a long time ago. It caused me to leave the hobby for a long long time.

I like your solar wrasse as well.

[SDguy]

Wow, three years....that sucks. Did you introduce anything at all recently (I killed a long term PBT once with the addition of caulerpa)?

Would you mind listing your foods and feeding schedule for reference.

[sunfishh]

That is truly a bummer :(

[jmicky41]

Thanks for all the kind words. The only thing recently introduced was 10 astreas about 3 months ago. As far as diet, staple foods (several times per week) were spectrum or Marine A pellets, lifeline green, nori, angel formula, and mysis. Occasionally lifeline red, red nori, live brine, and Rod's food - a local "kitchen sink mixture type" favorite. The last feeding before he took sick was the Rod's food, although I don't blame this in the slightest - as hundreds of local aquarists use it with great results. The fish get selcon or vita-chem on the mysis or pellets several times per week. In my 15 years of fish keeping this loss was one of the hardest; only rivaled when I found my 5 year old flame hawk "buddy" dried up behind the tank. I don't really think it was the foxface either, just a remote possibility. One of my neighbors asked what I was doing with the shovel at 11 at night. When I told him he looked at me kind of strangely.

[flameangel88]

Sorry for your loss.

'One of my neighbors asked what I was doing with the shovel at 11 at night. When I told him he looked at me kind of strangely.'

Only us reefers will understand.

[snorvich]

The nutrition seems fine. So sorry for your loss, gold flakes are normally very tough fish.

[BTTRFLYGRL]

Sorry for your loss

I disagree about the diet though...Try feeding your other fish some better frozen foods. Formula's one and Two, Prime Reef, Marine Cuisine, Emerald Entree and so on ..Feed different colors of the algae strips....
The Vita-chem and Selcon are excellent, they just need a better variety of foods

[Rare Angels]

Your goldflake was beautiful. It looks a like "different" for some reason like maybe its a hybrid of some sort, the amount of balck in the dorsal and anal fin looks unusal.

The mitratus in the picture also seems to have a lot of white in it, is this due to a flash on the camera or is that how they look?

Dave

[jmicky41]

Bttrflygrl, you feel that formula 1 and 2 is better than lifeline green and red? Rod's formula is similar to the prime reef. The fish do get green and red nori.

Rare angels, my mitratus does have a more white background to it with just splashes of yellow. I've seen some that are almost all yellow, and some that are mostly white. Perhaps this is due to where they are collected, though most come from the maldives. I've had him about 2 years. It was purchased about 1-1.25". The goldflake did have the yellow color pattern going up onto the fins, while the tail fin was mostly clear. Inintially, the tail was black; but over the years it changed to the clear. This seemed to start when a nasty powder blue took a large piece out of it's tail, when the new new tissue grew it was mostly clear.

[ACBlinky]

I'm so sorry you lost your goldflake. I was devastated when I lost my flagfin (also with no signs of stress, disease etc.) Angels are gorgeous and have so much personality, it's really hard to lose such a beautiful centrepiece.