What’s your favorite LARGE angelfish?

Bepis

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I appreciate a bit ‘left field’ of the topic but out of interest why do angels not get the same level of controversy for keeping in too small tanks as, say, Tangs? Does no one buy young larger angels and move them on when bigger? I don’t hear of ‘Angel Police’. Hope it’s ok to be educated - if not Admin can delete this question
This is a perfectly valid question, no cause for removal by admins besides the possibility of hijacking a thread, so I’ll try to sum this up and get this part of the convo open and shut quick.

Two things come to mind:

1. Angelfish are generally less readily available, more expensive, and harder to keep. This generally pushes away any beginners and those that aren’t pushed away is generally kept to a minimum. Some have the smarts to ask about a pricier fish before buying it as well.

2. While Absolutely no full size tang can be placed in nanos, regarding angelfish there are readily available options such as those from the centropyge genus, for mid sized tanks one can even go with paracentropyges. These variety of options that work create an unlikeliness for someone to put a large angelfish for ex one from the Pomacanthus genus into a undersized tank. If there is a case of it, it’s probable someone will make an effort to point it out.

Hope this helped,
Avi
 

Zionas

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I think it’s because Tangs are generally seen as a “reef safe” fish whereas angels are not, and not everyone is willing to take any risks with corals (I’m too big of a fish buff, I want a reef but it’s fish over corals for me), so angels naturally get the “short end of the stick” when it comes to being preferred by people. I think it’s almost a heresy that angels aren’t being given equal if not more attention than Tangs. They’re more mine idea of a “centerpiece” fish (not sure how much I like that term because for me I’ve shifted to building a tank more around social behaviors over cramming as many individual specimens as possible) than a Tang or a Wrasse. Just my opinion of course.

So I think it’s mainly because we have a lot of people who, as soon as they see “Reef Safe With Caution”, write angels off altogether whereas having a Tang is just…. seen as almost obligatory and equivalent to being in the reefing experience itself. There are Tangs which I do kinda like and wouldn’t mind having (mostly the Zebrasoma, except the Sailfins and the Black Tang or the drab brown Scopas, or the “aberrant” Scopas), but they’re not my first preference and it’s also not entirely true that Tangs and Rabbitfish are “completely” reef safe because they still pick at the micro-organisms that are found in corals.

And other than that, I’m not entirely sure. But IMO a pair or harem of angels is far more interesting than one or multiple Tangs that kind of just, do their thing by swimming around and grazing.

A Bristletooth’s good for algae control, but it’s hard / nearly impossible to find CB ones.

I am on some Asian reefing forums too and there are many members who refuse to even consider a fish that is listed as “Reef Safe With Caution.” So angels, butterflies are out of question for them. But I think angelfish have some of the most beautiful body shapes among all marine fish. Butterflyfish too but the colors of many angelfish beat the colors of the butterflyfish that we can keep alive (which eliminates like 80% of Chaetodontodae).

My least favorite genus of angels has to be Holacanthus. They just don’t do it for me. Chaetodontoplus, Majestic, Regal, Goldflake, Bandit, and Centropyge / Paracentropyge are where it’s at for me. Genicanthus maybe but only in a pair or trio where the sexual dimorphism is clear and the male doesn’t revert.
 
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Hans-Werner

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Pomacanthus xanthometopon, the pattern on its face is really incredible. You can hardly believe what you are seeing.

Also the reticulated pattern on its body is very beautiful.
 

Hans-Werner

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They get too large for the average system though.
It's true, I worked in a public aquarium where I kept the xanthometopon which was maybe 35 cm/14 inch long.
I also see Chinese characters in your thumbnail. Do you happen to know Chinese?
No, I'm sorry, unfortunately I do not know Chinese, it is just the transliteration of my family name I found with an online dictionary. I found it kind of funny. ... and I like trees, which is the second character. :) ... and it sounds funny in Chinese ...:)
 
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Hans-Werner

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Was it caught at that size?
Yes, correct, we got it this size, 35 cm or 14 inch. It was not quite easy to get it eating. At first it only ate Sarcophytons but did not do all too much damage to a huge Sarcophyton, the toadstool survived and the fish also. :) After a few weeks it started to eat squids tied to rocks and the squids seemed to taste better than toadstool corals. :)

The fish was always bad-tempered and did not like other fish coming close to him. Otherwise it was calm and did not swim too much. It liked the vicinity of the "reef" (rockwork) and the cover of overhanging corals, if I recall it correctly.
 

salty joe

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I have a pair of blue ring angels that are transitioning to adulthood. Goldflake angels were always my favorite but I could not find any. Blue ring might be my new fave. Big angels are all so beautiful, especially in pairs.
 

watdachuck

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*opinion* There should be and I think they are out there. Main difference is tangs are a much more active fish, and the constant grazing activity "requires" more grazing surface area.
 

Zionas

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What are the major differences in swimming style that you’ve noticed between Tangs and Angels? Would you say Tangs are overall a much higher bioload fish, even the smaller ones?
Because Tangs graze a lot and herbivore diets tend to place a lot of strain on the digestive tracts, or so I’ve heard.

In other words how do Tangs and Angels use space differently?
 

Brymac1

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I almost forgot about the Chaetodontoplus caeroleopunctatus (blue spot angel). I wish they were seen more in the hobby. I think their whole genus is underrated.
4F17EC0F-7360-462F-B08A-2F8C7C2416A8.jpeg
 

Hans-Werner

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In other words how do Tangs and Angels use space differently?
Tangs of the genus Acanthurus are more active browsers and swimmers that need a lot of space for swimming. Zebrasoma are less active swimmers.

Adult Pomancanthus are quite calm and sedentary fish.

Maybe the body shape is telling more about the mode of swimming of the fish here, the torpedo shaped bodies of some Acanthurus and triggerfish vs. the high backs and bodies of Zebrasoma and Pomacanthus.
 
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For the people who knows about emperor angels, if I buy one as a juvenile, will it transition to the beautiful adult colorations on the internet, or will it be duller because it’s in captivity?
 
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“The juvenile is black with circular white and blue stripes starting at the tail. Although sought after for its colors, in captivity, the adult coloration may not be as striking or brilliant. The changing angelfish will vary in coloration and pattern as it transforms from juvenile to the adult coloration.”

 

ApoIsland

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For the people who knows about emperor angels, if I buy one as a juvenile, will it transition to the beautiful adult colorations on the internet, or will it be duller because it’s in captivity?
That's a good question. The only full adult ones I have seen in home aquariums were purchased after transition. I do have a buddy raising a juvenile now, so we will get his answer in a couple years I guess...
 

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