Dwarf angels have different social structures, if given the opportunity most prefer harems of 3+ individuals.
Just going off of FishBase, the species that are confirmed to prefer monogamy seem to be (obligate monogamous):
(1) Cherub (which you already have a pair of)
(2) Japanese Pygmy (Interruptus)
(3) Potter’s (only available CB through Biota)
(4) Half-Black
(5) Lemonpeel (read in another study)
These species (again going off of FishBase) are OK in both pairs and harems (selectively / optionally monogamous):
(1) Yellow (False Lemonpeel)
(2) Bicolor
(3) Multi-Bar
(4) Purple-Masked (Venusta)
(5) Narcosis (I guess not many have one)
(6) Keyhole (FishBase says harems but an old book by Rudie Kuiter says they form both pairs and harems)
The rest naturally prefer harems, or are unknown. Of course pairing is possible and I’ve seen people with Centropyge pairs work out over several years, but it seems like relatively few species naturally prefer pairing over 1 male and 2+ females if there’s the possibility of forming a harem. I would like to see studies over the course of 10+ years for pairs of the species that naturally prefer harems more.
There is a user on here who’s had his wild caught Joculator pair for 8 years and counting, and maybe Sanjay Joshi’s Joculator pair he’s had for about this long or longer. Also had a guy who had a pair of Fireballs (Brazilian Flameback) for over a decade. But not sure if these are cases where the owners got lucky or the fish themselves are flexible despite what the sources say. Dave Botwin (o2manyfish) I believe had a pair of Golden (Aurantia) for over a decade, and several people have kept pairs of the Paracentropyge (Multifasciata and Venusta).
I never heard of anyone with a Flame Angel, Coral Beauty or any of the more “common” haremic species (in theory) keeping just a pair for many years, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they exist and I just don’t know about it.
Pairing vs harem forming also depends on population density and coral growth, from what I gathered. So some of the species I mentioned could be considered “obligate” monogamous, while others are facultative / flexible.
The common Bangaii and PJ Cardinals are also examples of a fish many keep in groups, but are functionally monogamous with age. They only spawn in pairs and don’t change sex.
Flame Hawkfish and Longnose Hawkfish are protogynous hermaphrodites and are obligate monogamous (other Hawkfish are haremic).
Not sure about Chrysiptera damsels (if they can change sex) but my understanding is that “pairs” are really just FWBs that come together when spawning but otherwise don’t stick around each other much. So this is a MAYBE as far as I see.
Orchid Dottybacks, many have successfully kept in pairs but I prefer Basslets. I heard with a spawning pair, however, the males tend to die a lot earlier than the females because they exhaust themselves spawning and taking care of the eggs.
Blennies I believe don’t change sex and I don’t know how to sex them.
People have kept Matted Filefish in pairs and I think there’s a way to sex them by the growth of their bristles, but I have no idea. They don’t change sex.
Maybe a pair of Chalk Basslets? They occupy a slightly different niche than the Grammas and are more open-water than the Grammas, so I guess less conflict over territory.
Are you considering any larger fish to keep singly?
@Silly clownfish
And leave room for a larger fish or a pair of slightly larger fish. You don’t seem to stock overly heavily, so I believe this could be a decent way to go about it.
Not sure about pairs of some Wrasses as there are instances of male and female spawning but the female ends up changing into a second male. So, a MAYBE.
I like
@Griev Genicanthus pair suggestion if you want a pair of larger fish (but I’d make them your only larger fish). They will complement your Centropyge pair well. Some other “medium” sized Angels, Poma Lab’s Red Sea Angel gets to 6” max, maybe smaller if grown from a juvenile and not something commonly seen in tanks. Singapore Angels (Chaetodontoplus mesoleuceus) also don’t get big but wild ones can be a bit fragile. What else? I don’t think Tangs are your thing.
Marine Betta is a cool fish, but not sure how to pair / sex them and I don’t believe they change sex. Not overly active, more of a reclusive fish so I worry wild ones are still regularly caught with cyanide or anesthetics. You would want to wait for one or maybe a pair of CB ones from Biota.
So you could end up with something like this:
(2) Cherub Angels (already have them)
(2) Royal Grammas
(2) Flame Hawkfish
(2) Chalk Basslet / Matted Filefish / Blenny of your choice
(2) Genicanthus sp (Spotbreast, Watanabei, Bellus) OR Marine Betta OR Singapore Angelfish OR Red Sea Angelfish or some combination of 2 different larger fish
Let me know what you think.
I didn’t mention a pair of Shrimp Gobies and a Pistol Shrimp because of the Flame Hawks and I would hate the possibility of any bottom dwellers getting dive bombed by the Hawks. And the Hawks are more out and about than many Shrimp / Goby combos.
