Dwarf angel or butterfly fish?

dmh41532 · Apr 6, 2016

My wife wants a 'fat' fish for our 65 reef. I've been racking my brain looking for a fish that will fit...she wants either an angel, tang or butterfly. Given the size I told her its unlikely, but, ourr local store told me that there are some butterflies that should be okay in a 3' tank. A dwarf angel would work too, but some can be pretty nippy. I'd prefer to not out a fish in that should be okay.
Current livestock:
Orchid dottyback
Banggai Cardinal
Pair oscellaris clowns
Tuxedo urchin
Mixed coral.

4FordFamily · Apr 6, 2016

dmh41532 said:
My wife wants a 'fat' fish for our 65 reef. I've been racking my brain looking for a fish that will fit...she wants either an angel, tang or butterfly. Given the size I told her its unlikely, but, ourr local store told me that there are some butterflies that should be okay in a 3' tank. A dwarf angel would work too, but some can be pretty nippy. I'd prefer to not out a fish in that should be okay.
Current livestock:
Orchid dottyback
Banggai Cardinal
Pair oscellaris clowns
Tuxedo urchin
Mixed coral.

I can't think of a butterfly offhand that would work in a 3 foot tank, and I see 95% of them as worse coral nipping potential.

A centropyge angel should work. They may eventually nip, but in a 3 foot tank unfortunately your options are pretty limited. I don't know of any tangs for a 3 footer either :(

Jmas4 · Apr 6, 2016

I think a dwarf angel is best. Coral buety angel or flame angel. They have the least chance of eating coral and are quite hardy compared to tangs. Tangs will get to big and butterfly will eat coral.

Jmas4 · Apr 6, 2016

Other dwarf angels are too agressive

Tahoe61 · Apr 6, 2016

I agree, only the Dwarf Angel type is appropriate for the system. Remember the LFS may steer you in the direction of fish totally in-appropriate for the size of your tank. My Coral Beauty and my previous Potters Angel were model citizens, never nipping corals or other inverts. Feeding Angels the appropriate foods goes along way in preventing their nipping of corals.

dmh41532 · Apr 6, 2016

they said pear scale butterfly could work in a 65. They also said a kole tang should be fine in a 3' tank. The fish dosent need to be coral safe, I have another tank I can move the coral to if I would need to, but the urchin isn't moving.
She does like flame and coral beauties, so that may be what we add.

Tahoe61 · Apr 6, 2016

I see what you did there. :-) Picked minimum that size of 70 gallons and went with that. If you want those fish and they are what you feel is appropriate go with it. Just research appropriate foods for the choice you make.

Jmas4 · Apr 6, 2016

Small tang should have 4 feet min. And pearlscale butterflys are highly unreef safe but a tank with corals look better so a dwarf angels seem the best.

Jmas4 · Apr 6, 2016

Dwarf angels do seem to be more hardy then the other two. Just my observations.

eatbreakfast · Apr 7, 2016

A 65 is borderline ok for a kole tang.

The pearlscale is definitely a coral eater, but should be ok for a 65.

Experiences vary from specimen to specimen within the dwarf angels. Flame and coral beauties seem to have the best reputation, but I have seen specimens from just about every Centropyge species pick at coral.

dmh41532 · Apr 7, 2016

I'll probably get a dwarf angel, if it starts to pick at coral, I'll move them. I don't want to put a fish in unless it'll have enough room.

NeuroticAquatics · Apr 7, 2016

I've got a Cherub Angel in my 60g cube. It has been a model citizen.

Bdog4u2 · Apr 7, 2016

If plan on upgrading one day you could get a yellow tang if you start with a small one. I have a 6 ft tank and mine never swims back and forth but I have a ton of rock set up so it can swim in and out the rock. When it was in my 4ft tank it stayed mostly on one side and it was in that tank for 15 years