Best & Worst "Reef Safe" Angelfish for Your Reef

Do you house a "Reef Safe" Angelfish in your reef tank?

  • YES and it's going good

    Votes: 247 42.3%
  • YES but it's not working out

    Votes: 15 2.6%
  • NO I have tried it in the past and it didn't work out

    Votes: 53 9.1%
  • NO I haven't tried yet

    Votes: 247 42.3%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 22 3.8%

  • Total voters
    584

ckripp

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
12
Reaction score
7
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had a flame angelfish, which nipped at an elegance coral and the coral died - I had to evict the fish,
 

CourtNjoeZreef

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 22, 2021
Messages
196
Reaction score
158
Location
New Jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I HAD a coral beauty. it was a nasty mean fish. until i have a larger tank i will not consider another angel.

The devil was the most beautiful angel... so you know they can be mean. I have a freshwater angel named Morningstar... he earned that name
 

i cant think

Wrasse Addict
View Badges
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
16,986
Reaction score
31,764
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The best behaving Angel is my Holo Holo ( Bandit Angel )

IMG_9596.jpeg
Can we just talk about the healthy looking moorish at the top, along with things such as the angels. Now that’s a nice tank there
 

i cant think

Wrasse Addict
View Badges
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
16,986
Reaction score
31,764
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Are smaller angels (Centropyge) bad in macroalgae/softie tanks? I’m planning on that for my nano - I’m thinking on an Angel when it’s upgraded for mainly wrasse
 

LPS Bum

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 22, 2021
Messages
561
Reaction score
819
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
There's no such thing as a reef safe large marine angel. Not even close. I've seen my Queen, French, Emperor, Annularis and Asfur just devour any overflow coral frags or Bubble Tip anemones I've tried to put in my FOWLR.

Dwarf angels might work with SPS or softies, but they'll destroy fleshy LPS corals and clam mantles with gusto. Best not to get too attached to those inverts if you plan to keep a dwarf angel in your reef.
 

reeftivo

skim junkie
View Badges
Joined
Apr 26, 2010
Messages
1,193
Reaction score
636
Location
Chino, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Flame angel here. Never picks at anything but can be a bully to my clown and Copperband Butterfly. That i don't like!
The copper band out swims him and can spike him if things get rough so i think the flame knows that. My Clown stays to the back of the tank though out of his way. Very entertaining fish, but sure is an butt at times.
 

NowGlazeIT

Happy to help, Ask away.
View Badges
Joined
Oct 28, 2017
Messages
6,119
Reaction score
11,438
Location
Coachella Valley
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Will those of you reporting success please state what kind of corals you keep them with, too?
I have a swallow tail and a Lamarck Angel in a tank with euphyllia, and zoas. The PBT is the coral nipper but I don’t have it in me to take him out just yet. He’s my favorite, tough swimmer with gorgeous coloration.
 

Tim McLellan

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 15, 2021
Messages
131
Reaction score
196
Location
Albuquerque
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Glad to see this topic. Technically mine is not a reef tank as I have yet to put any corals, but that is the goal once I feel conditions are correct and stable. Started my first ever saltwater tank in June and things are going well, so I'm thinking possibly by the end of the year I may be able to try some corals. Anyway last week I put a Flame Angel, which I understood to be somewhat risky for corals, but I think it is a gorgeous fish so I really wanted to give it a try. Reading some of the comments here gives me hope that it will behave once I do put corals. If not my backup plan is to try to trade it for a Coral Beauty, although I don't think those are as stunning as the Flame.
 

Attachments

  • 20210924_135434.jpg
    20210924_135434.jpg
    364.1 KB · Views: 130

Gordon Marvin

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2021
Messages
51
Reaction score
23
Location
Lawrence
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Generally in my experience, genicanthus sp. are the best, Koran angelfish and Other pomacanthus sp. are the worst.
 

zachtos

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 21, 2009
Messages
176
Reaction score
141
Location
Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Dwarf angels seem to do the least damage in my reef, and I've had full sized angels like the emperor, and watched him eat tips and hear the snap of SPS all day long. The trick is to have a big full reef tank, so the damage done is trivial by that time. It is difficult to get a young tank to mature with all the polyp pickers.
 

BradB

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 27, 2009
Messages
562
Reaction score
326
Location
Hudson
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Every Genicanthus is safe. Supposedly every Chaetodontoplus is too, but I have no experience. I've seen Holacanthus destroy any coral in its tank within seconds. The rest (Apolemichthys, Centropyge, Paracentropyge, Pomacanthus and Pygoplites) are all individuals and all equally safe or risky in my opinion. Some people say some are better than others, but IMO, that's based on their experience and luck with individual fish and there is nothing general that can be said about the other species or genera.

I have an Emporer that eats Aiptasia and won't touch SPS or clams. I've never seen him eat LPS, but I suspect he does - I can't keep Euphyllia alive but do well with animals that are thought to be harder to keep. I also had Elegance doing well suddenly die back in my display but recover once moved to a frag tank that shares the same water.
 

Dorsetsteve

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 3, 2020
Messages
82
Reaction score
103
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have had many, in my opinion a reef tank isn’t a reef tank without an Angel. I’ve had most of the common dwarfs.

My previous set up I kept a fireball, a bicolour and a majestic without any real issues. I steered away from clams and Acans but Lobos and various Euphyilla where fine. I had these fish for about a decade. My current reef has a coral beauty who is fine, even with Acans.
Ive found the yellow dwarfs, lemon peel for example a bit of trouble. A had a Koran but he ate fleshy LPS, fine with Euphyilla though.

It would seem my experience doesn’t tie with the majority here.
 

Aquatic acrobat in your aquarium: Have you ever kept an eel?

  • I currently keep an eel in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.2%
  • I have kept an eel in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 35 17.2%
  • I have not kept an eel in my tank, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 37 18.1%
  • I have no plans to keep an eel.

    Votes: 100 49.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 1.5%
Back
Top