Success with regal angelfish

[KevinC]

Hi everyone, just want to put it out there so more people can have success with keeping regal angelfish from my experience.

****regal angel required your undivided attention the first 2 week but it is absolutely rewarding****

having kept many regals, (and few dying unfortunately) it is without a doubt one of the MOST docile fish there is, disregarding the size. I finally manage to get a pair thru QT and survive in my display tank (1 month now)

First of all, a eating one is a must. It is actually a pain to get one to eat, on the same level as copperband butterfly actually. I do not support getting fish straight from LFS as soon as it arrives. I have no idea why people straight off buys wrasse and finicky fish as soon as it arrive; it's almost 90% it'd die especially if it isn't even eating at the LFS.

I feel like QT with angel is a must, it gives it a chance to put up some weight before going into a even bigger environment/tank. The use of prazipro and other meds to deworm is also important, I have no evidence that this actually help it survive but I do it anyway.

I find it liking mysis shrimp the best and oyster/mussle

Now here's the most important part... use a acclimation box when introducing into your display tank!!!!! This is actually the part where I lost 1 more regal after I finally got it to survive through all the problems I mentioned before. The one that died before didn't get bullied but simply outcompeted and stressed by other fish even though it's eating a bit. To avoid this from happening again I used a acrylic box with cover and put the regal in it on near the medium/bottom level of the tank. I'm not so sure about putting a fish at 600par at the surface of the tank lol

Squirt food into the box until your regal is hungrily devouring food (a week for me) and you can finally release the fish.

oh btw I do not like the captive bred 1 inch regal. There is no way I will get one. It's just wayyyy too small.

 

[Tamberav]

Buying fish as soon as it arrives has its pluses. The LFS can be a stressful place and fish may fair better with TLC from the buyer. The LFS may just go down the line of tanks feeding whatever. Where a buyer will probably pay attention to their new fish and offer many foods to get it to eat. Also fish sell quickly here so if you don’t buy it… good chance it is gone. Not enough supply for demand
Not everywhere this is a problem.

I don’t see a problem with the captive ones. Yah they are small but small fish are adorable and even desirable for some. So many posts about someone buying a 1 inch blue tang. In my experience the small fish grow to at least a decent size fairly quickly and then slow down.

They could grow them out more but this obviously increases costs on an already expensive fish.

Captive breeding is likely the future of the hobby. More fish and corals are being regulated as time goes on.

Acclimation boxes are definitely awesome. I wish more used then.

 

[KevinC]

Buying fish as soon as it arrives has its pluses. The LFS can be a stressful place and fish may fair better with TLC from the buyer. The LFS may just go down the line of tanks feeding whatever. Where a buyer will probably pay attention to their new fish and offer many foods to get it to eat. Also fish sell quickly here so if you don’t buy it… good chance it is gone. Not enough supply for demand
Not everywhere this is a problem.

I don’t see a problem with the captive ones. Yah they are small but small fish are adorable and even desirable for some. So many posts about someone buying a 1 inch blue tang. In my experience the small fish grow to at least a decent size fairly quickly and then slow down.

They could grow them out more but this obviously increases costs on an already expensive fish.

Captive breeding is likely the future of the hobby. More fish and corals are being regulated as time goes on.

i totally agree. However this mindset:

"Buying fish as soon as it arrives has its pluses. The LFS can be a stressful place and fish may fair better with TLC from the buyer. The LFS may just go down the line of tanks feeding whatever. Where a buyer will probably pay attention to their new fish and offer many foods to get it to eat. Also fish sell quickly here so if you don’t buy it… good chance it is gone."

made me lost 2 regal right off the bat and $300 each at that.

I totally agree on What you say about captive bred fish tho, and this post is just trying to get people to have more success with regals which I think works with the captive bred ones too!

 

[Tamberav]

It likely depends on the fish. I would say a regal for Copperband is more riksy then other fish. If I saw a Copperband who was fat though then I would not hesitate to buy it right away

I bought some of my leopard wrasse the day they arrived and my two radiants still in the shipping bag. I mostly just make sure they are swimming normally.

I would love a regal someday when I have the tank for one. I will go for captive if available though.

 

[Lucas815]

After failing with 3 regals, I avoided the problem and got a captive bred.

It's really small, less than 1 inch, but I just dumped it in my DP and it started eating pellets and picking at rocks on the same day.

It's been about a month now. It's really shy, and is hiding in the rocks most of the time.
If I observe for 5 min without moving much, it'll eventually come out, and it looks fat and healthy.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I bought a captive-bred fish a couple of weeks ago, and it is tiny and adorable. It seems to enjoy roe and grindal worms the most, but I've seen it eating a variety of food.

 

[Noel01]

After failing with 3 regals, I avoided the problem and got a captive bred.

It's really small, less than 1 inch, but I just dumped it in my DP and it started eating pellets and picking at rocks on the same day.

It's been about a month now. It's really shy, and is hiding in the rocks most of the time.
If I observe for 5 min without moving much, it'll eventually come out, and it looks fat and healthy.

Can I ask what you gave for the captive bred one?

 

[Tactical Combat Damsel]

I'm a Gen Z who has an 100G mostly FOWLR with some larger donated corals hanging out.

I got an Indo-Pacific one that was maybe 3 inches long for $80 at a Country Feed Store.

Regal is like a Blood Parrot Cichlid. Loves to people watch and has a big cave area where the 2 other large fish, the 1-spot Foxface and Purple Tang , cuddle up with each other at night.

I've had it for over a year now and it's maybe 4.5 inches long.

It's really hard to picture my fish as more sensitive and fragile than most. Mine has been the most pet fish that ever fished

 

[The Ugly Phase]

old thread i know but it's crazy that people struggle with this fish it's probs the hardiest most aggressive food driven fish i have had (wild caught btw)

 

[Assaf1919]

old thread i know but it's crazy that people struggle with this fish it's probs the hardiest most aggressive food driven fish i have had (wild caught btw)

Can you elaborate? Have you successfully kept wild caught long term , let's say 2 years + ?

 

[Milly46964]

Had the same thing happen before I learned about the box trick. Mine was eating fine then just shut down from stress. That week of feeding in there before release makes such a difference — they come out way more confident.

 

[The Ugly Phase]

Can you elaborate? Have you successfully kept wild caught long term , let's say 2 years + ?

had it 1 year now and still going strong

as my tank is only 1 year old

 

[Australian_Reef]

Always a shy fish, doenst mean they can’t compete with other fish for food but as a species they are almost always on the reclusive side especially verses other large angelfish. I have a really good specimen in my display and another that is currently undergoing QT but I’m very selective when picking fish. Sure there may be some “hardy and food aggressive” individuals.. but to suggest this is the norm for the species it’s disingenuous.

Even in the wild this fish is really hard to get good photographs of, always turning away and hiding from vision, it’s usually a shy and retiring fish.

Even though the original post is old I find if I get these eating mussels then the hard work is (almost) done as I know I can give it calories until I can move into a balanced diet. Often takes a week to settle in after a move. It’s also my favourite fish by far and well worth the work.

 

[keithw283]

My experience was very different with my regal. I got it from DrReef and it was just as easy as my clowns. It came in healthy and was eating immediately. My only strategy was getting it in the tank kind of early on so it wasn't competing with too many fish. It's in my 240 and the only other big fish in there atm is a magnificent fox face. There was a copperband in there as well but it didn't make it. Likely won't be trying one of those again.

 

[Australian_Reef]

My experience was very different with my regal. I got it from DrReef and it was just as easy as my clowns. It came in healthy and was eating immediately. My only strategy was getting it in the tank kind of early on so it wasn't competing with too many fish. It's in my 240 and the only other big fish in there atm is a magnificent fox face. There was a copperband in there as well but it didn't make it. Likely won't be trying one of those again.

I’ve had them do this too. I also had a friend that had a landrover that never broke down.