Angel Fish - reef safe?

[cardiffkook]

Ok - I've had my 150 running for a few years now and tried the hard corals and that was expensive and fun for awhile but I can't keep them alive long term....so I have a soft coral tank and gorgonias. My corals are lobos, zoas, blasto's, toad stools, mushrooms, acans and frogspawn.

I've always steered clear of Angel Fish because they are not "reef safe" but what kind of corals do they pick at? And which will be ok with my corals?

[cardiffkook]

Forgot to mention I have a maxima clam too, I've had him for a couple of years.

[cutterx23]

Basically what you have are what they will want to eat, they tend to prefer the meaty corals and zoas. Not all angels are non reef safe, I for example have had a coral beauty angel in my reef as long as I've had a reef. But a lot of times it's a case by case basis. Sometimes if you keep a tank well fed the angel will never develop a taste for corals. Sometimes it still will and that'll be the end of it. But if you don't have anything you don't mind possibly losing then add some angels!

I also had a blueface angel in a mixed reef that never caused a problem. But like I said results may vary.

[apax]

Flame angel works in a reef tank... i have a flame angel with montis.. zoas/palys...toadstool... acans.. frogspawn/octospawn.. hammers... torches.. favia..... basically most dwarf angels will work... the big angels are not reef safe (i got imperator..annularis.. maculusos...french... queen angel).. but ive seen a juv rock beauty in a reef before...

[OneBigTurbo]

I had an Angel Fish for about 5.5 years. The first year at 2" I trained him in a 50g. Then the next year I was able to put him in my main tank, but had to keep an eye on him. Feed him 4 times a day along with seaweed threats. One thing is they tend to grow fast real quick. He got to about 8" or so when I eventually sold him. The pros are they are real friendly and a nice edition to your tank. You can also enjoy how they change colors as they mature. The cons are they will eventually eat something if you don't keep up with their apatite. My main is a 250g with tangs, clowns, dragonets, and corals. Sump/ refugium 125g.

[inurmind]

Not all flame angels are safe, I think Brett said it best in that it really is a case by case basis. Yes dwarf angels are less likely to nip but that doesn't mean they won't.

I too have a coral beauty without any problems...except she liked the taste of one of my fungias. So I moved the plate to another tank and she hasn't given me issues with anything else, and that was years ago. Now in that other tank with the pulled fungia I added a flame a little bit ago and it too liked the taste of the plates, but I swapped it out with another flame and this one has been great with no issues! Now I'd also like to note that there are two other plates in with the coral beauty and she's all good. Maybe just that one plate tasted really good to her and the first flame* =/

I've seen people get away with other dwarfs like flame backs and lemon peal. I've always had my ear to the ground for a golden that's reef safe but at the end of the day it's still gonna be case by case!

Good luck either way

[cardiffkook]

thanks for the feedback

[jason142]

The only angelfish that would be even remotely considered reefsafe are in the genicanthus family. All others you are taking a great risk. I have even heard of flame angels being fine for years in one tank then going to another and going crazy on corals. If it's worth the risk to you then by all means try but remember that it is only a matter of when not if it will start nipping at stuff that it shouldnt.

[SDguy]

Just buy and learn how to use a trap and then try what you like. Removal is then easy if need be. That's what I do.