Is there any nice, reef safe Anglefish?

[schmidthouse]

I have been looking for a new addition to our tank...The Angle fish are so beautiful but, everytime I look up there behavior it is always bold or not reef safe...If not, can someone give me an Idea of a colorful, nice and reef safe fish? thanks.

 

[mx#28]

All angels are a risk - some more than others. A number of the dwarf angel species have at least a decent record in reef aquariums, but will limit which inverts you can keep and will never be totally 'reef safe'.

 

[lion_crazz]

Fairy wrasses are among the most color fish in the ocean, and they are completely reef safe. You will pay a little bit of money for some special wrasses, like a rhombadalis wrasse, but they are well worth it.

 

[ccampbell57]

Originally Posted by schmidthouse
I have been looking for a new addition to our tank...The Angle fish are so beautiful but, everytime I look up there behavior it is always bold or not reef safe...If not, can someone give me an Idea of a colorful, nice and reef safe fish? thanks.

The best angel that I have seen for a reef is the Goldflake Angel. I have seen this guy in many reef tanks without any "significant" issues.
I would say from a painful experience on my reef that a Blueface, Emperor, and French are NOT reef safe.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
Fairy wrasses are among the most color fish in the ocean, and they are completely reef safe. You will pay a little bit of money for some special wrasses, like a rhombadalis wrasse, but they are well worth it.
I agree; fairy wrasses and some anthias, are some of the most over-looked reef safe fish. But, keep the secret, or we'll drive the price up. I've got a 6" Scotts Fairy Wrasse (Australian, these fish have a lot of geographical color differences) and this beautiful, hardy fish gets more "ooohs and aaahs from visitors than any angel in the tank; probably more than any angel I've ever had. I also have a trio of Randalls Anthias in this tank. A great thing about Anthias: they usually stay in their trio ( 1M,&2F) and spend most of their time well away from the main rockwork, usually a void space. I know you're looking at angels, just giving you some more possible ideas for very safe reef fish.

 

[jesses89]

With the large angels... they are not reef safe so i wouldnt advice adding them..
With the pygmys... its hit or miss.. some will nip some will destroy.. some will never bother any coral.
there is a totally Reef safe angel though...
any angel under the genera- Genicanthus.
theyre planktivores and feed on plankton...
I used to have a Lamarcks Angel for over six months.. never bothered anything.. but sadly he jumped out my tank while i was at work and thats that...
since then i have a Swallowtail... and hes a model citizen.... he LOVES mysis and brine shrimp plus. I also have a coral beauty... thats never bothered anything whatsoever .. other than nipping at feather dusters tubes.. but because of the algae growing on them. Guess i got lucky there.
but here are a few angels under the genera Genicanthus... and reef safe..
Zebra Angel
Swallowtail Angel (female and male are diff colors)
Lamarcks Angel
Masked Swallowtail Angel (female and male diff colors)
Watanabei Angel (female and male diff colors)
Bellus Angel
Spotted Angel
Masked Angel
Half Banded Angel..
im sure theres more but thats all i remember
but im also looking into getting another genicanthus...
been told and experienced.. that you can put females together..or females with one male and they wont fight...
but two males in the same tank will fight.

 

[ledzep fan]

I have a Koran angel in my reef tank with leathers, SPS, and GSP and she doesn't touch a thing. She is already transitioning to her adult stage and still hasn't picked at anything. Very pretty fish and eats straight from my hand!

 

[jessica47421]

i have a golden angel in my reef and he is a awsome fish that has never touched anything....

 

[ccampbell57]

Originally Posted by LedZep fan
I have a Koran angel in my reef tank with leathers, SPS, and GSP and she doesn't touch a thing. She is already transitioning to her adult stage and still hasn't picked at anything. Very pretty fish and eats straight from my hand!

Zep - sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but my angels left all my coral alone as juvis. They just swam by and didnt even notice the coral.
Once they reached adult stages, they ate everything. They have great appetites and "graze" like cows on everything. Mine ate the following:
-SPS
-Gonoporia
-Leather
-Hammer
-Frogspawn
-Torch
-Zoas
-Button Polyps
-Mushys
Their favorite: Anemones!!! Thats right...once they got over getting stung by my carpet and long tenticle they ate them like it was a cake.

 

[grabbitt]

I have a flame angel (a dwarf) in my reef and he hasn't even taken so much of a nibble from what I've seen.
Although, I could very well be one of the lucky ones... As Jesses89 said, 'hit or miss'.
Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't