Well I am still working on finding a larger tank and would like to get either a Potters or Flame Angel when I upgrade. I have mostly Softies and LPS. Can you kind people please post your experiences with these fish in a reef tank? I have heard that they may or may not nip / eat corals. Thanks.
Reef Safe Dwarf Angels?
- Thread starter darren24
- Start date
never personally owned an angel of any sort cuz I heard they will nip at corals. Darren you have some amazing corals and they are all worth a lot of money, I wouldnt add anything that "might" nip on them. Theres nothing worse than waking up and seeing a fat fish and no coral.
I have a potter's angel in a 72 gallon tank with a finger leather, a button coral (large LPS), some candycane, and lots of zoas and mushrooms. So far he's been good- doesn't nip at anything. If you do decide to get one, though, you'll proabably want to keep him well-fed. (I do.)
I see angels like crabs, well more like an emerald crab. Its going to be an opportunistic eater, keep it fed well and you "shouldn't" have an issue....but that doesnt mean it wont try. This is a tough one, good luck with your decision.
I have had a Potters and Pygmy Angel in my 25 for 2 years...No issues at all. Model inhabitants.
I had a Flame angel in my 90 for 3 years till recently it just vanished......but he was a model citizen as well..replaced him with a Coral Beauty that is doing well and disturbing nothing...
I had a Flame angel in my 90 for 3 years till recently it just vanished......but he was a model citizen as well..replaced him with a Coral Beauty that is doing well and disturbing nothing...
- Messages
- 2,722
- Reaction score
- 0
Darren,
I love Flame angels... I have had very good luck over the years with them and they are good looking to boot. I have never had one nip at anything. I keep him well fed on a wide array of foods and he seems to be ok with the polyps.
I love Flame angels... I have had very good luck over the years with them and they are good looking to boot. I have never had one nip at anything. I keep him well fed on a wide array of foods and he seems to be ok with the polyps.
Many people will warn you about these fish, but I think it's just that, a warning. After reading that dwarf angels will nip at corals, I've seen hundreds of reefers saying their dwarf angel(s) don't bother the corals in their tanks. I've also kept a pygmy angel in a reef tank with much sucess.
- Messages
- 414
- Reaction score
- 0
I have a small patch of zoas, some SPS, the only thing I have close to an LPS are my candy canes, so far my potters is a model citizen. Hes actually my second one, and both were model citizens.
I do see him nip at rocks and in zoa patches every now and then but it appears to me that he's looking for algae or other stuff rather than the corals. When he nips, he never hits the same patch of zoas repeatedly and never enough to make the zoas close up permanently. Seeing him nip constantly at my front glass right above the sand bed where algae is gathering kinda reaffirms my belief that he's looking for algae and not corals. Of course your mileage may vary... but with enough rocks and stuff to graze on, you should be okay.
I do see him nip at rocks and in zoa patches every now and then but it appears to me that he's looking for algae or other stuff rather than the corals. When he nips, he never hits the same patch of zoas repeatedly and never enough to make the zoas close up permanently. Seeing him nip constantly at my front glass right above the sand bed where algae is gathering kinda reaffirms my belief that he's looking for algae and not corals. Of course your mileage may vary... but with enough rocks and stuff to graze on, you should be okay.
- Messages
- 166
- Reaction score
- 0
Im more of a fan of the Potters. Ive had one in a reef for years and no problem. Flames Ive had be a little more aggressive though towards other fish. Ive got a Coral Beauty in there now and no problem....suprisingly my Purple Tang was found munching on my clam.
- Messages
- 364
- Reaction score
- 0
I have always wanted a dwarf angel in my tank but have been too afraid of nipping at my corals. Well I bit the bullet and now I have a Flame Angel sitting in QT getting ready to add to my 120g tank. My fingers will be crossed. I considered Pygmy, Flame, Potters, and Coral Beauty Angels. I researched it a lot and got mixed reviews for each of them. Some people swear one or another is the "most coral friendly" but I could not find a clear winner. They all seem to be a roll of the dice. Pretty much individual preferences of each fish not common to the species. 
i've kept all different kinds at one point or another (potters, pygmy, coral beauty and currently a flame since july). I've never had an issue with them nipping on mine corals (all softies or LPS). the only time it ever even looks like it is nipping is when I put a new coral in it and there's some algae on the skeleton. Mine loves picking at algae on the rocks/glass.
MY Coral Beauty is great except with small polyped inverts like gorgonians. I don't have SPS, but I imagine it would be the same scenario. It doesn't bother my softies or my LPS, but I think it may have occassionally nipped my xenia, including pom pom.
- Messages
- 1,545
- Reaction score
- 135
I have had several over the years and my experiences with them echo most everyone elses here in that they are model citizens. The are foragers and continuously pick at the rock and coral bases but I have never had a problem. DO NOT PUT MORE THAN ONE TYPE IN YOUR TANK. No matter how much room you think each will have, they will hunt each other down and fight to the death...
- Messages
- 414
- Reaction score
- 0
Even if it's 600 gallons? I don't have 600 gallons but I was just curious.
I've seen several tanks with multiple dwarf angels. I do believe that trying more than one is a huge risk but it has been done. I've even seen a Potter's and Flame together in a nano.
