Flame Angel or Coral Beauty in a reef tank?

[goldy26]

so i have a 60 gallon reef tank, and i currently have a yellow tang who is pretty territorial. i've always wanted a flame angel but i've heard from many people that it's a risk with corals because they'll eat them. in doing some more research i've seen some places say they only eat LPS corals and that it's a slight risk? same with coral beauties? my tang killed off the other yellow tang that i had so adding fish makes me nervous. is the flame angel a possibility or should i just drop the hope now? also how could i go about adding other tangs to my tank with this bossy yellow? any advice would be much appreciated, thanks!

[bnumair]

i have had both over times and neither once attached or bothered my corals.

[00Stoll]

My experience is that two yellow tangs, or any two zebrasomas for that matter, will become territorial in all but the largest tanks. I have a coral beauty and a sailfin tang in my 90 gallon mixed reef and I've had no issues with territory or coral nipping.

I will caution that I added the coral beauty as part of my first stocking group and the sailfin was the last addition so ymmv.

[Ryan2013]

What about a potter's angel?

[FTDelta]

Potter's Angels are difficult to keep.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...453&pcatid=453

[reefshadow]

I've had a variety of dwarf angels over the years, in fact at one time I had a CB, a flame, and an eibli in my 240 mixed reef, something I was warned against due to conflict problems. Surprisingly they all settled in well, and I liked them very much.

That said... ALL of them occasionally nipped at polyps on many types of coral. Not eating, just a random nip here and there, as if to sample. None of them ever developed a taste for coral, and none ever did any real damage.

However, what I didn't really like, and what steers me away from many types of fish now, is that they will absolutely decimate your pod population, as well as fan worms, and many other beneficials. Those fish and my six line and dragonets in particular were hell on the microfauna. My goal now is biodiversity on the macro and micro scale, and so many types of fishes are out due to my concern over making a diverse ecosystem.

If you don't care about diversity, go for it.

I'm surprised nobody has brought it up, but the vocal majority would tell you that a 60 is too small for even one tang. I would say it may have room for now, depending on the size of the fish, but two tangs would be out of the question IMO. Smaller tank sizes tend to exacerbate territorial fighting, and whatever fish you add next is probably in for a hell of a battle. Dwarf angels can be pretty scrappy, but it is also a possibility that your tang will just harass anything you add to death in short order.

[Fitz19d]

Originally Posted by reefshadow

However, what I didn't really like, and what steers me away from many types of fish now, is that they will absolutely decimate your pod population, as well as fan worms, and many other beneficials. Those fish and my six line and dragonets in particular were hell on the microfauna. My goal now is biodiversity on the macro and micro scale, and so many types of fishes are out due to my concern over making a diverse ecosystem.

If you don't care about diversity, go for it.

This is a concern I have, seemed like I noticed a lot more pods and micro brittle stars before. Now after several months with melanarus(culprit), clowns, sleeper banded goby, in a 55, I hardly see this things anymore. I also removed a 2 inch sandbed in refugium in favor of just the rubble with maybe 1/4 inch of sand/debris. Seems like pods/bristles down there plummeted as well even though I painstakingly removed the gravel a cup at a time saving a handful of things.

I suspect it's getting worse now since I also added a flame angel.

I'm wondering if things would be ok once I move to a 125. Plan to in smaller tanks be making some pod condo's to swap around in tanks/sumps. As well as a new batch from local store to help reseed in the safe tanks.

Hoping that means I could go ahead with a mandarin in the 125 with that route.

[eacosta]

Came across this angel post that has an excel spreadsheet of people's experiences. Doesn't consider feeding habits, but what type of corals were nipped at by different fish.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...adsheet&page=7

[goldy26]

"I'm surprised nobody has brought it up, but the vocal majority would tell you that a 60 is too small for even one tang. I would say it may have room for now, depending on the size of the fish, but two tangs would be out of the question IMO. Smaller tank sizes tend to exacerbate territorial fighting, and whatever fish you add next is probably in for a hell of a battle. Dwarf angels can be pretty scrappy, but it is also a possibility that your tang will just harass anything you add to death in short order."


i went about getting my fish the wrong way. instead of asking what would be the best thing to do, i just picked them out and brought them home. well...never again. haha. i've read that with tang's in a smaller tank that if you keep away from same body shape/size and color you're usually ok...myth? unfortunately it seems like all the fish i really like are either too aggressive or not completely reef safe. :-/

[mikem101]

Originally Posted by reefshadow

I'm surprised nobody has brought it up, but the vocal majority would tell you that a 60 is too small for even one tang. I would say it may have room for now, depending on the size of the fish, but two tangs would be out of the question IMO. Smaller tank sizes tend to exacerbate territorial fighting, and whatever fish you add next is probably in for a hell of a battle. Dwarf angels can be pretty scrappy, but it is also a possibility that your tang will just harass anything you add to death in short order.

Agree 100%, With a yellow tang in that small of a tank most likely anything that goes in its going to kill. That being said i would take your yellow out and replace him with a coral beauty or any dwarf angel. Eventually that yellow will out grow that tank anyway !

[goldy26]

Originally Posted by ericab

I have a 60 gal and have a flame angel. He's one of my favorites. also have a yellow and koles tang that get along great with everything else. No casualties. I got them all really small and they seem to be fast friends!

i assume you added them at the same time?