Expert Dawf Angel Keepers Requested

[daj0424]

Hi everyone,
About 3 months ago I purchased a potters angel and at the time of purchase it has amazing orange coloration around the face area. Since then it has slowly lost the vibrant orange color and alough you can still see orange it is not as appealing as it was before. At first I thought that it was due to stress of new surrounds and tank mates but after 3 months I would think it would start bouncing back. Any suggestions on what to do, my LFS said I am doing everything right but that cannot be.
Tank: 90g FOWLR established 10+yrs water prams are very stable.
Feeding: New Life spectrum Pellets (color Enhancing), Veggie flake food with Spirunela, other fake food. Once to twice a week I also feed frozen food soked in Vita Chem.
Stock List:
1- potters
1-Koran
2- Perc Clowns
1-yellow tang
1-flame hawk
1-Clown Trigger
All get along with out any issues after the first few days of harrassment which was expected.
Any other suggestions on what I may try would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[flower]

I don't know if it makes a difference in color but I know angels need sponge in their diets. They sell a fish food made for angels.

 

[fishkid13]

Sponges, IMO, are really important in any angles diet. Because they eat sponges in the wild, it gives them certain nutrients that aren't found in other foods, so it could be from not enough eating spoonges (or the nutrients found in sponges) that is causing the lack of color. Just my .02

 

[aquaknight]

Originally Posted by daj0424
http:///forum/post/3264252
Feeding: New Life spectrum Pellets (color Enhancing), Veggie flake food with Spirunela, other fake food. Once to twice a week I also feed frozen food soked in Vita Chem.
I would add nori/seaweed to the mix, and mysis, preferrably P.E. (Piscine Energetics) brand mysis.
Could the discoloration be HLLE? (go to the Disease/Treatment section and check the stickied thread at the top)
Have you tested the water parameters? If so, what are specifically? (I ask because when someone replies "fine" it doesn't really help and doesn't explain what they did or didn't test for)
The other obvious pink elephant in the thread, is the size tank and the fish stocked in there. Depending on how big the other fish are, the need to upgrade could range from mild, to severe.
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3264284

I don't know if it makes a difference in color but I know angels need sponge in their diets. They sell a fish food made for angels.

Originally Posted by fishkid13
http:///forum/post/3264298
Sponges, IMO, are really important in any angles diet. Because they eat sponges in the wild,
Sponge-based diet only applies to Large Angels, outside of the Genicanthus genus. His Koran does need sponge. However angels in the Centropyge do not require sponge, though technically it wouldn't hurt to feed. In the wild, Centropyge angels eat filamentous micro-algae.

 

[fishkid13]

Well I learned something new today I guess.

 

[mony97]

I would have to agree with these guys and go with the diet, mine for the most part feeds off the live rock constantly and will eat some of the prepared food including the mysis and different types of algaes.. I will also let my tank become a little dirty, not much and water is still pristine but I'll let the glass get a little brown before cleaning it, he seems to love what ever is growing on the back wall that I'll let go? Hope he does well.

 

[srfisher17]

I believe AquaKnight is correct; Centropyge genus angels do not require a lot of sponge. The fact that a few Angels do rely on sponge has somehow led to the mis-conception that they all do. Frozen angel foods that contain sponge are fine for them, though. Another common myth about this group of fish is that they are herbivores; they are omnivores that require both meaty and green foods. The real key to these fish (IME&IMO) is having a lot of GOOD & MATURE LR for them to graze on. They should be able to pick around constantly for both the algae and the tiny invertebrates in the LR. (Like mony97 said above.)
Potter's are difficult fish under any circumstances; often labeled "expert only", and many perish away without any obvious cause. This was the case with the only on I ever kept. I don't remember ever learning why this was the case---some fish don't adapt to tank life well. Most Hawaiian fish do very well, but Potter's Angels often don't.

 

[daj0424]

Thank you for the posts. I have about 100 lbs of LR and it does like to pick at that or my back wall from time to time, however, it has been eating everything that I offer so it does not seem to pick at the LR as much as when first introduced.
It does not look like HLLE and what I mean by my water being fine is that it has been stabel for as long as I can remember. Nitrites: 0, Nitrates 20-40, (for some reason my tank stays at this. I know sone of you will say to bring this down but I have tried everything in my 10 years to bring it down and it just hovers around those numbers.). SG: 1.21.
I have noticed that it has already started to bring back some color since the introduction of the yellow tang. I remember reading somewhere that Hawaii fish like to be with there own kind and adding a fish it is used to seeing will provide some stress releif.
I did know that they are Micro algea eaters so I can try some more of that, I did try when first introduced and it did not go for it, but since it is eating everything I will give it another shot. Thank you for all your posts and if there is anything else someone wants to add it will only help us all in the future. Have a great day!

 

[spanko]

The major reason why fish may lose colour is due to stress. This stress is usually due to a change in environment including variations in water temperature, a change in water pH, light intensity and photo period, new tankmate etc. If your fish is otherwise healthy and eating well, I would start looking at some of those factors.

 

[crypt keeper]

IMO you're not feeding enough variety. LIke Aqua said I would add in Mysis and seaweeds of sorts. I gave my all my angels sponge based soley based on that my emp needed it. I had a BiColor and Flame that tore that stuff up.