Large angel fish with coral

T33BLACK · Oct 25, 2023

Anyone have any suggestions for reef safe larger angels? Would like to add some larger tangs or angels and I get conflicting stories on which ones are reef safe and what tangs are ok to house together. Any suggestions or personal experiences with multiple tangs or larger angels being reef safe.

argiBK · Oct 25, 2023

If you want a truly reef safe larger angel, you’re limited to the Genicanthus.

Otherwise, it’s really YMMV with each fish with some corals being almost guaranteed to be eaten over others.

I have a Blueface and a Conspic along with a Genicanthus semifasciatus pair in my 180. The conspic has generally bit a good citizen but may nip at my SPS when they’re first introduced (no permanent damage), I cannot keep meaty corals and zoas with the Blueface. The semis have been completely reef safe.

o2manyfish · Oct 25, 2023

It' going to vary on the fish and the corals. I had 2 pairs of Regals (Yellow Belly) that didn't touch anything. Then got one that devoured torches.

I have great luck with Goldflakes, as long as I don't keep Acans, and don't mind losing Zoa colonies a couple of times a year.

I have an almost adult Imperator that I have grown up from quarter size. He leaves SPS alone, rips aparts Zoas to get to the sponge underneath, and will decimate any Elegance within 24 hours.

I know several people that have Good Luck with Imperators in full reef tanks. I had a Navarchus I raised in an outdoor frag tank that was a model citizen. Moved it from frag tank to display tank and was still well behaved.... But then lost in a disaster.

Geniacanthus are 100% safe because they are planktivores.

I had a client decades ago that loved his blue face and he was happy to montly replace Rose bulbs and GSP colonies to keep his tank looking the way he wanted, his wife and clownfish happy, and his beautiful Blue Face.

To keep a big angel in a reef you are going to have to make some kind of compromise. And from fish to fish that may vary. But is it worth it to you.

So maybe you don't keep Zoas and Elegances, or maybe you don't keep torches. It can be expensive and frustrating to find out what each Particular angel will or won't eat. And being fish they can change their minds. I had a Chryurus that was fine in a mixed reef for almost 18 months and then in a 5 day period ate thousands of zoa heads.

The other Caveat is where the fish is from. When we think of the bigger angels they are from tropical reefs, hence we want them in our reef tanks.

But I kept a Clarion for years in a 400g reef. Clarions come from a less tropical zone, and away from tropical coral reefs - so they aren't aware of the coralvore diet. But then you have a beautiful fish that leaves your corals alone and kicks the hell out of your other fish.

Dave B