Emperor Angel help!

[ericjn]

Hey guys, so I have decided to go out and buy an emperor angel. He will be placed in my 55 gal durring his small juvi days (im getting a 1 and a half to 2in long) until he gets big enough for my big boy tank (180 gal). Ive done alot of research on the guy and im feeling really confident with getting one, I just ordered on at my LFS (which is one I trust fully....also worked there for a short time). Any ways I was looking for some tips on this fish, any inside knowledge that would help me out. He will have 2 black and white Orcellaris clowns and a 6 line wrasse as tank mates in the 55. In the 180 i have a niger trigger, dwarf lion, sailfin tang, porcupine puffer, and a comet grouper. Any thing would help me out. Diet ideas or just intersting things that you have read seen or what ever! Thanks

 

[rcreations]

Why not put it in the 180 from the beginning? Even juvi, these fish get stressed out in small tanks. I had one (a juvi) in a 65 and it didn't like it. You can tell when an emp gets stressed because it'll get white blotches on its body.

 

[ericjn]

I thought about that, im just worried he may end up a puffer snack, and an expensive one at that. I havnt had too much aggression but ill atleast QT the lil guy in the 55 to start with I know that forsure. Ill see how he acts in it before placing him with the big boys

 

[srfisher17]

An adult dwarf lion could easily scarf a 1 1/2 " angel. BTW, that lion is going to be shredded by the trigger or puffer; sooner or later.Lions & triggers can play nice for a while; but the lion'e flowing fins will soon be targets. Once that starts, the lion is doomed.

 

[ericjn]

well i thought of that a lil bit ago and read that it can happen... If that happens ill give the lion to my dad for his tank. So far so good though with the lion hes been nice, and thats why im not putting the angel in with the big boys i dont want him to be a 80 buck snack lol

 

[rcreations]

In that case, I think it's ok to keep the emperor in the smaller tank until it gets bigger. Some things I know about Emperors are the white stress blotches I mentioned before and also make sure to give it a good diet so it changes colors from juvi to adult. I've read a lot of people feed NLS pellets and those are great for the color change.

 

[ericjn]

ok cool, well see i would have gotten a bigger one, but I read that its better to get smaller ones because they are easier to aclimate to the tank. Thier diet isnt all sponge and what not. Im looking to get some sort of angel formula to give him plus i have some vitamins to help. Im hoping this goes well because it is going to be my prize fish. The big honcho... all that good stuff.

 

[mr. limpid]

Sound like you have a good plan the angle should fine in the 55 for at least a year. The angle formula is the way to go, also they need algae in there diet either from grazing of the live rock or you can feed the dried sheets. My last fish I planning is either the Emperor or a Koran, haven't decided yet.

 

[ericjn]

Thanks, Ive been thinking about this fish for a while now.... Absolutly love them! Im just hoping he settles right in and eats, I read its good to get them when they are very young, that they are much more hardy, is this true?

 

[mr. limpid]

this what I've been reading also smaller better about 1-1/2", this the size fish I've seen by me for sale at the local LFS.

 

[mjm889]

i bought a juvi emperor one month ago and he is a little pig. i feed him angel formula, algae sheets, mysis, clam in the half shell, brine with sprirulna. he is with two tangs yellow and blue hippo and two perc clowns and a humu a trigger, he is the smallest but the boldest, good luck

 

[ericjn]

Awesome, good to hear yours is doing well. I should be getting him tommarow so im getting excited, kinda wish he got here today since its my birthday but that gives me a chance to do a last min water check and make sure everything is looking good. Whew Im glad im not the only one who read smaller is better. Thanks for all your help guys ill let him settle in tommarow and maybe take a few pics of the guy!

 

[mjm889]

good luck and happy bday keep us posted

 

[ericjn]

hey guys for an update.... My fish arrived on thursday on my birthday actually so it was kinda cool. He looks good and he is eating, however he is a pretty picky eater, I'm mixing mysis and brine together (spinila or however you spell it lol) and putting garlic and vita chem in it as well. He seems to sift through and pick out certain pieces, its a bit odd. I think hes trying to aviod the mysis which bothers me a lil bit, he hasnt really gone after any algee sheets right now which is making me a little nervious. Hes eating but very selective... Is this ok? Or should I panic :S

 

[gemmy]

I would just offer a variety of foods and I would definitely include a frozen angel food. This will help ensure the angel is getting a well rounded diet.

 

[mjm889]

my little guy loves the frozen angel and butterfly diet from san fran bay brand, also loves mysis shrimp, brine shrimp with spirulina in them, calms of the half shell and aglae sheets, try to put the sheets in area were he may swim alot, he may then start to graze on it. good luck

 

[ericjn]

ok so hes starting to pick up with the eating, which is good, hes keeping his coloration, ive been putting in the sanfran angel butterfly diet but he just picks around it, which makes me a lil nervous but hes slowly starting to try other things, I think its all part of him aclimating to the system hes throwing his weight around acerting him self over the others which is normal and makes me feel good knowing hes willing to hold him self lol. Im going to wait about 2 or 3 more days b4 i take some pics to try and not tramitize the lil guy lol

 

[mjm889]

sounds good, if you use garlic i would put it in all his food for now so he thinks he eating the same thing, sounds like he will be fine, that how mine started now he follows me around like a little dog back and forth. its awesome

 

[ericjn]

sooo I had an Ammonia spike yesterday, turns out Ive been overfeeding

all the fish are fine. The level was at .5 so i moved the rocks i had most my rocks away from the filter dumb I know. So i moved all the rocks to the center did 2 water changes yesterday (2 small ones maybe around 25% total) and I think ill do one more tonight after I give my fish a break from me removing crap from the bottom, just another small one to try and get the balance back. I think it will help the angel get his color back, as I was saying he was a lil blotchy, hes eating like a pig I have been just so obsessed with getting him nice and fat I let basic maintenance go unattended, I also went out and bought 5 hermit crabs and an emerald crab to eat some of what the fish don't eat to help with the water. I hope I didn't screw up too bad

 

[mjm889]

i would also do 5 gallon water changes everyday for a week that really helped me, dont siphon the rocks or move just change the water, try feeding your fish small amounts to make sure they scarf it up,