Question regarding added bioload from a new fish

kenman345 · 08/06/2014, 09:20 AM

Hello everyone,

I was thinking about getting a Lemon peel angel for my tank, and have been trying to read up on them and the rest of the dwarf angelfish types of fish.

Something I haven't gotten confirmation on is that with a fish like a tang, people warn that they add a lot of bio-load since they poop a lot. But with dwarf angelfish, I cannot seem to find information about their habits and whether they would be a huge increase on my bio-load or not.

I would appreciate getting some help from those much more knowledgeable with this fish so that I can best prepare myself for this new inhabitant for my tank that I plan to get in the coming weeks.

thegrun · 08/06/2014, 09:24 AM

What size tank do you have and list your fish. In general angels are middle of the road as far as bio-load.

kenman345 · 08/06/2014, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

What size tank do you have and list your fish. In general angels are middle of the road as far as bio-load.

56G FOWLR, no sump, just canister filter. 58lbs of Dry Rock is what I started with.

2 red firefish
1 PJ Cardinal
2 Ocellaris Clownfish

CUC
~12-15 hermit crabs
3 Emerald Crabs
3 Peppermint Shrimp
2 Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp

I am running a BH90 Protein Skimmer as well. The skimmer hardly skims at all even with tons of tweaking to make sure I have it set right. I want just 1 more fish, and I absolutely love the idea of a lemon peel angel or a flame angel. If I do not get one of those, I will likely get 1 bengaii cardinal or a bonded pair of bengaii cardinals. I figured it may be best to introduce any one of these fish while the Clownfish have not fully reached maturity yet.

EDIT: I want to point out that part of my concern is to understand the type of bio-load I want to try and get my Quarantine tank to handle before I get the fish. I want to know that if I am not able to change out the water every other day, that I at least have enough bacteria built up to go another day or two, and that's assuming I am not treating with copper or anything, which understandably can kill the bacteria in any filter when in use.

thegrun · 08/06/2014, 09:37 AM

From a bio-load standpoint I don't see an issue by adding the angel, but I have not had good luck with dwarf angels in tanks under 75 gallons. Angels get VERY aggressive when placed in a tank smaller than 75 gallons.

kenman345 · 08/06/2014, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

From a bio-load standpoint I don't see an issue by adding the angel, but I have not had good luck with dwarf angels in tanks under 75 gallons. Angels get VERY aggressive when placed in a tank smaller than 75 gallons.

Would I be better off with the Flame angel since it wont get as big? I know I will only have this tank up and running for another year or so, I also expect that I will not be able to have as large a tank as I currently have as I wont be living at my parents home. I was expecting in a year or two to have to give or sell it to a nearby hobbyist with the proper tank size, but I obviously would love to have something that will be happy in the current sized tank and if I can take this tank with me, that I can take this fish as well.

Thanks for the help

cloak · 08/06/2014, 10:12 AM

How about a Cherub angel? These stay relatively small, & have lot's of personality.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/jf/index.php

3dees · 08/06/2014, 10:44 AM

I would go with a coral beauty. probably the easiest and least aggressive of all the dwarfs.

kenman345 · 08/06/2014, 12:56 PM

Thanks everyone. I have considered those other dwarf angels as well, I honestly really want a Lemon Peel, I find them absolutely beautiful, but also understand that I may have difficulty. I am open to getting these other dwarf angels that you are suggesting, but it will really come down to whichever one I can find at the LFS I trust when I am ready to Quarantine them, or as immediately after that point as possible.

I guess the next things to concern myself with is the food. So besides what I already feed my clownfish and other inhabitants, I assume Nori is a first main food group to have for the Quarantine tank. What else?

Also, what can anyone tell me about the difficulties with these fish, mainly, why a Coral Beauty is easier than a lemon peel. Do they require more feedings per day, or are more picky about their habitat? I am hoping to find the smallest possible dwarf angel I can find when I buy it, I only have room for a 10G quarantine tank, but having it cycled and having ~15G of new saltwater on hand at any time should allow me the best chance of that being okay. I only QT for 3-4 weeks, so as a small little fish, I expect everything to be fine. As I noted before, a concern is the food. I want to make sure I have everything on hand that they may need in their diet so as to ensure that my investment in this new livestock pays off. Having food on hand is much cheaper than buying it later and potentially having a less healthy fish/buy a new fish because I wasn't able to support the fish with what I already had. I like the Quarantine process as it allows me a time to learn the new livestocks feeding habits and ensure my DT is ready for the added dynamic inside the tank.

08/06/2014, 09:20 AM	#1
kenman345 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 381	Question regarding added bioload from a new fish Hello everyone, I was thinking about getting a Lemon peel angel for my tank, and have been trying to read up on them and the rest of the dwarf angelfish types of fish. Something I haven't gotten confirmation on is that with a fish like a tang, people warn that they add a lot of bio-load since they poop a lot. But with dwarf angelfish, I cannot seem to find information about their habits and whether they would be a huge increase on my bio-load or not. I would appreciate getting some help from those much more knowledgeable with this fish so that I can best prepare myself for this new inhabitant for my tank that I plan to get in the coming weeks.

08/06/2014, 09:24 AM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	What size tank do you have and list your fish. In general angels are middle of the road as far as bio-load.

08/06/2014, 09:37 AM	#4
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	From a bio-load standpoint I don't see an issue by adding the angel, but I have not had good luck with dwarf angels in tanks under 75 gallons. Angels get VERY aggressive when placed in a tank smaller than 75 gallons.

08/06/2014, 10:12 AM	#6
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	How about a Cherub angel? These stay relatively small, & have lot's of personality. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/jf/index.php

08/06/2014, 10:44 AM	#7
3dees Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chicago burbs Posts: 793	I would go with a coral beauty. probably the easiest and least aggressive of all the dwarfs.

08/06/2014, 12:56 PM	#8
kenman345 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 381	Thanks everyone. I have considered those other dwarf angels as well, I honestly really want a Lemon Peel, I find them absolutely beautiful, but also understand that I may have difficulty. I am open to getting these other dwarf angels that you are suggesting, but it will really come down to whichever one I can find at the LFS I trust when I am ready to Quarantine them, or as immediately after that point as possible. I guess the next things to concern myself with is the food. So besides what I already feed my clownfish and other inhabitants, I assume Nori is a first main food group to have for the Quarantine tank. What else? Also, what can anyone tell me about the difficulties with these fish, mainly, why a Coral Beauty is easier than a lemon peel. Do they require more feedings per day, or are more picky about their habitat? I am hoping to find the smallest possible dwarf angel I can find when I buy it, I only have room for a 10G quarantine tank, but having it cycled and having ~15G of new saltwater on hand at any time should allow me the best chance of that being okay. I only QT for 3-4 weeks, so as a small little fish, I expect everything to be fine. As I noted before, a concern is the food. I want to make sure I have everything on hand that they may need in their diet so as to ensure that my investment in this new livestock pays off. Having food on hand is much cheaper than buying it later and potentially having a less healthy fish/buy a new fish because I wasn't able to support the fish with what I already had. I like the Quarantine process as it allows me a time to learn the new livestocks feeding habits and ensure my DT is ready for the added dynamic inside the tank.