Compatible Tank mates: Gobies, Blennies, Clownfishes, Cardinalfishes.
Diet: varied diet, including meaty foods, such as vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, finely chopped crustacean flesh, and mysid shrimp, as well as frozen preparations for herbivores.
Tank Size For Adult: 100gal (379l)
Narrative: Ideally suited for the reef aquarium. Unfortunately most specimens in the aquarium trade suffer from swim bladder damage and should be avoided. Healthy individuals will readily acclimate if housed in a peaceful community tank. Keep singly or as a male-female pair, but two males will fight. Males have a deeper blue on the back, with 8 to 13 black stripes on the body, a yellow stripe on the body and caudal peduncle, black stripes on the anal fin, and blue caudal lobes. Typically adjusts more rapidly if housed in a dimly lit tank, and therefore is better suited to a deep-water tank.
Common Names: Blue Angelfish Care Level: Relatively Easy
Adult Size: 15.0
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.3
Temperature Range: (F/C) 77-79F/25-26C
Specific Gravity/Hardness Range: 1.023-1.026
Origin/Habitat: tropical Eastern Atlantic
Temperament/Behaviour: Moderately aggressive
Compatible Tank mates: Gobies, Blennies, Clownfishes,
Diet: A sponge feeder, but one that can be switched to aquarium foods, including ample vegetable matter, meaty fare, and occasionally, special angelfish rations containing marine sponges.
Tank Size For Adult: 200gal (757l)
Narrative: Not suited to the reef aquarium, as it will nip at sessile invertebrates, including stony and soft corals and clam mantles. An attractive and durable aquarium fish that makes a good choice for newer aquarists interested in the larger angelfishes. True to the general rule for angelfishes, larger juveniles and sub adults acclimate more readily than very small or very large specimens. Needs plenty of swimming room, as well as suitable hiding places. Prone to being combative with its tankmates. Do not try to house with other large angelfishes. The juvenile form looks quite different to the adult form. This species will crossbreed with H. ciliaris.
Common Names: Queen Angelfish Care Level: Relatively Easy
Adult Size: 17.7in
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.3
Temperature Range: (F/C) 77-79F/25-26C
Specific Gravity/Hardness Range: 1.023-1.026
Origin/Habitat: Tropical Atlantic
Temperament/Behaviour: Aggressive
Compatible Tank mates: Triggers, large wrasses, eels.
Diet: A sponge feeder, but one that can be switched to aquarium foods, including ample vegetable matter, meaty fare, and occasionally, special angelfish rations containing marine sponges.
Tank Size For Adult: 240gal (908l)
Narrative: Not suited to the reef aquarium, as it will nip at most sessile invertebrates, including corals and tridacnid clams. Considered among the most attractive of all coral reef fishes, this is a rugged aquarium species. The drawbacks to keeping one of these Caribbean beauties include its size and pugnacious disposition. Large juveniles and sub adults are especially aggressive, often picking on newly introduced fishes or closely related species. It is imperative to place it in a large aquarium outfitted with numerous hiding places and to add it to a community tank last.
Diet: A sponge feeder, but can be switched to aquarium foods, including ample vegetable matter, meaty fare, and occasionally, special angelfish rations containing marine sponges.
Tank Size For Adult: 180gal (681l)
Narrative: Not recommended for the reef aquarium. Will nip at sessile invertebrates, including stony and soft corals and tridacnid clams. A very hardy aquarium inhabitant, but like many other angelfishes, it can be very belligerent. May be kept with other fishes in a large tank if it is the last one introduced. Adult males have yellow pelvic fins; females have white pelvic fins.
Diet: A sponge-feeder that often has difficulty switching to aquarium foods. Try feeding vegetable matter, meaty fare, and occasionally, special angelfish rations containing marine sponges.
Tank Size For Adult: 100gal (379l)
Narrative: Not recommended for the reef aquarium. Will nip at sessile invertebrates, including stony and soft corals and tridacnid clam mantles. Unlike other Holacanthus angelfishes, the adult Rock Beauty will usually perish without its normal sponge-dominated diet. It may eat and look good for many months, when suddenly its colour will begin to fade, it will lose weight, and a dark area may appear on top of its head. An occasional specimen will thrive, especially if it is offered a marine-sponge food formulation, but most will perish. Young Rock Beauties will do better in the aquarium than adults but present another problem: they feed, in part, on the slime of other fishes and will persistently chase their tankmates and nip at them.
Common Names: Multibarred Angelfish (Manybanded Angelfish) Care Level: Difficult
Adult Size: 4.7
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.3
Temperature Range: (F/C) 77-79F/25-26C
Specific Gravity/Hardness Range: 1.023-1.026
Origin/Habitat: Eastern Indian, Western, and South Pacific Oceans.
Temperament/Behaviour: Moderately peaceful
Compatible Tank mates: Cardinalfishes, Surgeonfishes, Blennies, Gobies.
Diet: Difficult to feed. Varied diet, including vitamin-enriched brine shrinp, finely-chopped crustacean flesh, mysid shrimp, as well as frozen preparations for angelfishes and herbivores. It might also feed on microalgae, detritus, and live sponges growing on live rock.
Tank Size For Adult: 55gal (208l)
Narrative: Not recommended for the reef aquarium. May nip at large-polyped stony corals. Will not bother most soft corals. Typically found in deeper habitats, this is a shy species that often has difficulty acclimating to aquarium life. Most individuals are reluctant to eat in captivity. It will adapt more readily in an aquarium with reduced light levels and should be provided with numerous rocky hiding places. It should not be housed with aggressive species. Best kept singly or in a male-female pair. Juveniles have a distinct, large occellus (eyespot) on the posterior portion of the dorsal fin.
Common Names: Venusta Angelfish (Purple Masked Angelfish, Blue Backed Angelfish) Care Level: Difficult
Adult Size: 4.7
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.3
Temperature Range: (F/C) 77-79F/25-26C
Specific Gravity/Hardness Range: 1.023-1.026
Origin/Habitat: Western Pacific
Temperament/Behaviour: Moderately peaceful
Compatible Tank mates: Cardinalfishes, Surgeonfishes, Blennies, Gobies.
Diet: Difficult to feed. Varied diet, including vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, finely chopped crustacean flesh, mysid shrimp, as well as frozen preparations for angelfishes and herbivores. It might also feed on microalgae, detritus, and live sponges growing on live rock.
Tank Size For Adult: 55gal (208l)
Narrative: Can be kept in a reef aquarium, but may nip at large-polyped stony corals and clam mantles. This is an attractive and prized species, but often difficult to keep. Many individuals are reluctant to accept aquarium foods. A prospective purchase should be active, feeding, and have a full-looking stomach. Provide with plenty of suitable hiding places, including rocky caves and overhangs, and house with nonaggressive fishes. Best kept singly, in a male-female pair or in a harem (one male and several females). Because it is a cave dweller in the wild, it will often spend more time in the open if housed in a dimly lit tank.
Common Names: Blue-ring Angelfish (Annularis Angelfish) Care Level: Moderately difficult Adult Size: 11.8
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.3
Temperature Range: (F/C) 77-79F/25-26C
Specific Gravity/Hardness Range: 1.023-1.026
Origin/Habitat: Indo-west-Pacific
Temperament/Behaviour: Moderately aggressive
Compatible Tank mates: Eels, snappers, groupers.
Diet: Difficult to feed. Varied diet, including ample vegetable matter, meaty fare, and occasionally, special angelfish rations containing marine sponges. May require live foods, such as brine shrimp, mysid shrimp, or fresh, finely chopped seafood (e.g. squid, scallop, shrimp) to induce feeding.
Tank Size For Adult: 180 (681l)
Narrative: not suitable for the reef aquarium. Will nip at sessile invertebrates, including stony and soft corals, and tridacnid clam mantles. In its full colouration, a spectacular fish. Usually quite shy when first introduced, spending much of its time hiding behind the décor or racing for cover whenever anyone approaches. It must have several suitable caves or hiding places. Once it is acclimates, it is an aggressive feeder and recognizes the aquarist as a source of food. It may even begin to bully some tankmates, such as Butterflyfishes, other angelfishes, spadefishes, and batfishes.
Common Names: Gray Angelfish Care Level: Moderately easy Adult Size: 19.7
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.3
Temperature Range: (F/C) 77-79F/25-26C
Specific Gravity/Hardness Range: 1.023-1.026
Origin/Habitat: Western Atlantic
Temperament/Behaviour: Slightly aggressive
Compatible Tank mates: Eels, snappers, groupers, Gobies, Blennies, Damselfishes.
Diet: Varied diet, including Spirulina and marine algae, as well as mysid shrimp or frozen shrimp and high-quality angelfish preparations.
Tank Size For Adult: 200gal (757l)
Narrative: Not recommended for the reef aquarium. Will nip at sessile invertebrates, including stony and soft corals, and clam mantles. Although its colour is less spectacular than that of many other pomacanthids, this is a handsome fish and hardy species for the larger aquarium. May be shy at first, but will quickly become a bold member of the aquarium community. Smaller specimens will pick crustacean parasites and dead tissue from tankmates and may pester slow-moving species, such as boxfishes.
Common Names: Emperor Angelfish (Imperator Angelfish)
Care Level: Moderately difficult
Adult Size: 15.0in
pH Range: 8.1 – 8.3
Temperature Range: (F/C) 77-79F/25-26C
Specific Gravity/Hardness Range: 1.023-1.026
Origin/Habitat: Indo-Pacific
Temperament/Behaviour: Slightly aggressive
Compatible Tank mates: Eels, snappers, groupers, Gobies, Blennies, Damselfishes.
Diet: Varied diet, including Spirulina and marine algae, as well as mysid shrimp or frozen shrimp and high-quality angelfish preparations.
Tank Size For Adult: 200gal (757l)
Narrative: Not recommended for the reef aquarium. Will nip at large-polyped stony corals, some soft corals, and tridacnid clam mantles. Can usually be kept with small-polyped stony corals and more-noxious soft corals. One of the truly dazzling members of this genus. Juveniles and small adults are good aquarium inhabitants, although larger individuals are sometimes poor feeders and are susceptible to a variety of parasites. Adults are also prone to colour loss and may develop head and lateral line erosion. Be forewarned: when juveniles transform into adult colours they may not attain the same brilliance as in the wild. The transition may not be quite complete or the final adult colour may be pale. A varied diet including vitamin-enriched and colour-enhancing foods should be offered.
