Dwarf angel in 29g?

[cocoacf]

I was contemplating getting a dwarf angel for my 29g.. Any thoughts? I've heard flamescoral beauty's are a toss up and that a pygmy would be a better choice.
I really love the look of the coral beauty, or potter angel though.. even some of the rusty angels.
What if I got a small Coral beauty as opposed to a full grown one?
I've seen and heard mixed reviews of putting the larger types of the dwarf angels in a 29, so I was just wanting some other opinions. Thanks.

 

[calbert0]

Originally Posted by Cocoacf
http:///forum/post/3166784
I was contemplating getting a dwarf angel for my 29g.. Any thoughts? I've heard flamescoral beauty's are a toss up and that a pygmy would be a better choice.
I really love the look of the coral beauty, or potter angel though.. even some of the rusty angels.
What if I got a small Coral beauty as opposed to a full grown one?
I've seen and heard mixed reviews of putting the larger types of the dwarf angels in a 29, so I was just wanting some other opinions. Thanks.
I had a coral beauty in my 29G for about a year and never had any problems. The fish never nipped at corals, but did a good job eating hair algae.
I would still have it, but sadly this fish was my only casualty durring my move across the midwest.

 

[aquaknight]

Only the smallest of the dwarf angels would be a good choices. Flames/Coral Beauties/Potter's are either too large already or will grow to large.
List of the small dwarf species;
Cherub Pygmy -- Centropyge argi
Brazilian Flameback -- Centropyge aurantonotus
African Flameback -- Centropyge acanthops
White Tailed Pygmy -- Centropyge flavicauda
Yellowfin Pygmy -- Centropyge flavipectoralis

 

[cocoacf]

I've heard a lot of success stories, but never a personal story of a negative experience .. just that "it wouldn't work". What do people mean when they say it wouldn't work? Why would someone who hasn't tried it think that?
What about a lemonpeel or potters angel AquaKnight?
I noticed the yellowfin on SWF is 2-4 inches... the coral beauty, lemon peel, and potters are only 1-3

 

[browniebuck]

We have had a half black in our 29 for over a year...it is best buddies with our ocellaris clown. Very nice fish, coloration is a little boring, but ours is a very entertaining little fishy. Also enjoys going to the cleaners...quite an amusing critter!

 

[aquaknight]

Not to bash SWF, but their "size lists" is horribly antiquated. It's the approx. purchase size, not maximum size. Without much research I can probably tell you that Yellowfin's probably just come from an limited area, where they are collected larger. Coral Beauties, Lemonpeels, and Potter's have a larger part in this hobby, and are much more commonly available. Therefore collectors/retailers prefer smaller specimens because they a broader appeal to their customers.
As for why it wouldn't work, the experience doesn't always have to be negative. In this case, someone could have kept one of the larger dwarf angels in a tank larger then a 29gal, and determined that the angel basically used all of the "real estate" of their tank, and they'd find it inappropriate for that species to be confined to a smaller tank. Which certainly is true of myself, I've kept a number of dwarf species. They are an active species that constant cruise the rocks, and are a highly intelligent fish that need room to roam.
Additionally, many angels also depend on the live rock for food. They constant pick it, and certainly for young dwarfs feeding is really only supplemental, they got a lot of nutrition from the live rocks. A 29gal can only hold so much live rock without becoming cramped.
I certainly will grant you a lot of the information on fish forums is just regurgitated without much thought behind it.

 

[aquaknight]

Indeed, looking it up now, Yellowfin's are only available from Maldives and Sri Lanka. Flames, Coral Beauties, Lemonpeels are found in quite a few places in the Pacific.
The Lemonpeel is among the largest dwarf angel species. A Potter's angel is not a good choice because they are often difficult to care for, many times refusing to eat and are not recommended for a beginner angel.

 

[ophiura]

What people take for granted with these angels, like large angels, is that they cruise a great deal around live rock and contstantly nibble. A lot of live rock for grazing is really important. I have a smallish coral beauty in a 45g and can't imagine him in anything smaller (it is a 3 foot long tank). He is all over the place. I would truly suggest the smaller pygmy's for that size tank.
what other fish do you have?
A potter's is not likely to survive and I strongly discourage it.

 

[meowzer]

I also have a coral beauty and a flame angel...but in a 225G...I can tell you this, they are always ....always cruising...and grazing.....I also think they need bigger than a 29G...just cause they seem so active

 

[calbert0]

TRUE! My coral beauty was always moving all over the place in the 29.
I know there is not much room in a 29, but i have a long footprint 29, not a biocube or anything like that.
either way, through my experience in the hobby, I have become quite good at aquascaping, and had rocks stacked all the way from bottom to top and side to side (not front to back).
The coral beauty was always grazing the rocks and flying in and out of the tunnels/rockwork. He never seemed cramped or unhappy.
A dwarf angel needs mature live rock to graze on and good acuascaping. Having a little hair algae growing on one of the walls doesnt hurt either.