Pygmy angels experience request...

SuPeRhErO_gIrL · 01-19-2008, 09:56 AM

I have a very onry coral beauty angel and I've finally found my ever so desired flame angel...I currently have a 60 gallon setup with about 70 lbs of live rock...the only potential problem I see is that the coral beauty...being the original inhabitant...has claimed all of the caves and the underside of the live rock as his territory...so I've done minimal rearranging to make the scene a little unfamiliar to the coral beauty to allow the flame a chance to claim its turf.

Does anyone have any experience adding a second pygmy angel to a small aquarium and how long did it take for the "man of the house" to get used to a second of his kind? It appears as though the coral beauty is not pursuing the flame as aggressively as the night before...definitely not as direct and forward as previously...I guess what I am looking for is advice on whether I should let them continue to acclimate to one another for another day or should I bag one up...probably the coral beauty...and return it to the LFS?

lcstorc · 01-19-2008, 11:05 AM

Keeping 2 pygmy angels is very challenging and it is recommended to have only one in a system particularly one as small as yours. The only people I have heard with success are people with very large tanks. I know someone with a 210 who has done this successfully but in a 60 it is going to be a challenge.
With that said a lot will depend on the temperment of the specific fish. Different fish have different personalities. Unfortunately these personalities can change over time as well so you will always need to keep an eye on it.
Rearranging the rockwork can definitely help. Moving the established one to a sump or another tank for a time can also be helpful with the initial agression.
Really it is up to you to decide, but I would keep only one.

DrHank · 01-19-2008, 11:29 AM

If it's been a couple of days and one hasn't killed the other you may have gotten lucky. I've seen 2 dwarf angels in a tank your size but I wouldn't recommend it and I myself wouldn't do it. Honestly, I would bag one of them and return it. These fish (although small) claim a lot of territory on the reef.

AQTCJAK · 01-19-2008, 11:29 PM

one thong to do is re-arrange your rock & they will not have an established territory to fight about

cheeks69 · 01-20-2008, 12:38 AM

My experience is that one will end up dead !
I would not recommend it and even if they get along initially it doesn't mean that this will not change as they mature. Usually the CB is more mild mannered than the Flame Angel so if the CB eventually tolerates him that could spell his doom.

redcycling · 01-21-2008, 03:02 PM

Agree two angels, dwarf or not, has little or no chance of working. I put a brown tang in with my dwarf/pygmy and they chased each other around for quite a while due to similar size - now that the tang is bigger, they have settled down - I also arranged two caves, one for each to sleep in and escape as needed.

01-19-2008, 09:56 AM	#1 (permalink)
SuPeRhErO_gIrL Tunicate Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 4 View Gallery Karma Komment	Pygmy angels experience request... I have a very onry coral beauty angel and I've finally found my ever so desired flame angel...I currently have a 60 gallon setup with about 70 lbs of live rock...the only potential problem I see is that the coral beauty...being the original inhabitant...has claimed all of the caves and the underside of the live rock as his territory...so I've done minimal rearranging to make the scene a little unfamiliar to the coral beauty to allow the flame a chance to claim its turf. Does anyone have any experience adding a second pygmy angel to a small aquarium and how long did it take for the "man of the house" to get used to a second of his kind? It appears as though the coral beauty is not pursuing the flame as aggressively as the night before...definitely not as direct and forward as previously...I guess what I am looking for is advice on whether I should let them continue to acclimate to one another for another day or should I bag one up...probably the coral beauty...and return it to the LFS?

01-19-2008, 11:05 AM	#2 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 18,469 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Pygmy angels experience request... Keeping 2 pygmy angels is very challenging and it is recommended to have only one in a system particularly one as small as yours. The only people I have heard with success are people with very large tanks. I know someone with a 210 who has done this successfully but in a 60 it is going to be a challenge. With that said a lot will depend on the temperment of the specific fish. Different fish have different personalities. Unfortunately these personalities can change over time as well so you will always need to keep an eye on it. Rearranging the rockwork can definitely help. Moving the established one to a sump or another tank for a time can also be helpful with the initial agression. Really it is up to you to decide, but I would keep only one. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

01-19-2008, 11:29 AM	#3 (permalink)
DrHank Golden Moray Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Crestview, FL Posts: 2,251 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pygmy angels experience request... If it's been a couple of days and one hasn't killed the other you may have gotten lucky. I've seen 2 dwarf angels in a tank your size but I wouldn't recommend it and I myself wouldn't do it. Honestly, I would bag one of them and return it. These fish (although small) claim a lot of territory on the reef. __________________ Jim Dr Hank's 210 Build: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...nks-tanks.html Dr Hank's 155 Bowfront:http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...-bowfront.html

01-19-2008, 11:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
AQTCJAK Tiger Shark Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 6,936 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Pygmy angels experience request... one thong to do is re-arrange your rock & they will not have an established territory to fight about __________________ A Wiseman once said build a stage add a pole & they will dance - Jack 2007 www.aquaticaggression.com Projects & Chronicels http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...car-buffs.html http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...nts-tanks.html

01-20-2008, 12:38 AM	#5 (permalink)
cheeks69 Wannabe Guru Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Northeast Posts: 6,620 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Pygmy angels experience request... My experience is that one will end up dead ! I would not recommend it and even if they get along initially it doesn't mean that this will not change as they mature. Usually the CB is more mild mannered than the Flame Angel so if the CB eventually tolerates him that could spell his doom. __________________ Robert My Cube “A spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe—a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.” Albert Einstein

01-21-2008, 03:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
redcycling Tunicate Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Chicago Posts: 2 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Pygmy angels experience request... Agree two angels, dwarf or not, has little or no chance of working. I put a brown tang in with my dwarf/pygmy and they chased each other around for quite a while due to similar size - now that the tang is bigger, they have settled down - I also arranged two caves, one for each to sleep in and escape as needed.

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