Angels in a 55g Reef

paulcoates

Member
Which Angels can I safely keep in a 55g reef? I need to add some color and I am kind of afraid to add a Yellow Tang to my tank until I have Coraline spread all over the place
Now, I have
1 Yellow Tail Damsel
2 False Percula Clowns
1 Lawnmower Blenny
2 Sand Sifting Starfish (Crushed Coral Substrate)
2 turbo Snails
40+ Astrea Snails
Xenia
Frogspawn
Emperor 400
2 AquaClear 802 (400+ GPH)
SeaClone 100 Skimmer
Coralife Lighting (4x65watts)
2 10k Daylights
2 65 Watt Actinics
Lunar Lights
 

paulcoates

Member
Here is a list of Corals I would also LIKE to add in the upcoming months
Hard Tube Coco Worm
Leather Toadstool
Orange Finger
Pink Finger
Yellow Polyps
Yellow Fiji Leather
Zoos - Green Eye
Zoos - Red
Zoos - Silver Eye
Zoos - Super Orange
Fine Grape
Hammer
Mushroom Coral - Blue Stripe
Mushroom Coral - Fuzzy Grass
Mushroom Coral - Green Rhodactis
Plate - Green
Plate Coral - Short Tentacle
Plate - Pink Long Tentacle
Plate - Neon Green
 
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xnikki118x

Guest
In the list of corals you'd like to add, shy away from the plates, IMO. They're very hard to keep and need a great amount of lighting to survive.
Also, I've heard that sand sifting stars have a poor survival rate in aquariums. They often starve to death within a year, I believe. I've heard brittlestars and serpent stars are much better for what you need them for--you're going to want to ask ophiura about that, though. :)
For your original question, lol, I love flame angels. I just think they're beautiful. They are hit or miss with reefs, though, but you can always get lucky! I'd only put a dwarf angel in a 55 unless you plan to upgrade--the rest get wayyyy too big. I have a coral beauty and it doesn't bother anything, and a friend of mine has a coral beauty in his 55 reef and it leaves all of his corals alone. Or maybe a lemonpeel angel?
 

zoocrazy

Member
if ya wanna go pygmy also consider the golden, and flameback, they are usually a little safer of a bet. but all pygmys are hit or miss.
i've had a sand sifting star for 3 years and he's as fat as can be. maybe it's luck!!
 
Quick question, guys...is coral beauty hardy? I bought one two weeks ago, 3 days later it had a ick then died 2 days after..I put the CB in a quarantine tank that is 3 weeks old..did i stress the poor fish..I would love to have one in my 9 week old reef tank
 

g-dude

Member
I love my coral beauty. When I picked it up from my local LFS store it had ick on it. Even my buddy that worked there was advising me not to get it. Guess what seven months later its doing just great. My secret... one big nice and fat kick ass cleaner shrimp.
 

ags

Member
Relatively speaking, in my experience the Coral Beauty is the hardiest of dwarf angels.
9 weeks is pretty young. I would hold off on any dwarf angels as they do much better in established tanks. I have never kept a pygmy angel so I have no experience with them.
 

g-dude

Member
Oh-yeah, sorry i got caried away. I suggest either a CORAL BEAUTY, Potters Angelfish, Flame Angel, Eibl-Eibesfelts Pygmy Angelfish.
 

g-dude

Member
Their all pretty good lookn. But remember you could only have one:mad: I want another one but I cant have two.
 

ags

Member
established = 6 mos or older. As for flame and potter angels, I would wait for over a year.
 

ophiura

Active Member

Originally posted by Ags
established = 6 mos or older. As for flame and potter angels, I would wait for over a year.

Good advice. IMO, no angels are hardy. It is very relative. If you are waiting on a tang until the tank is more established, I would wait on the angel too.
And Nikki is right on the sand sifters :) See if they can be spot fed, but otherwise, most will die in that size tank.
 

wax32

Active Member
I really like the Cherub Angel. They stay a little smaller than the others but are so CUTE! :D
Something'sFishy: it's not REQUIRED, but they are harmless and can be beneficial if you have fish that like to be cleaned. None of my fish do so my cleaner is mostly unemployed. He does like slivers of fresh shrimp tho!
 
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