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FAQs about the Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel Behavior

Related Articles: Coral Beauty Angels, Marine Angelfishes, Flame Angels

Related FAQs:   Dwarf Angel Behavior, Coral Beauties, Coral Beauty Identification, Coral Beauty Compatibility, Coral Beauty Selection, Coral Beauty Systems, Coral Beauty Feeding, Coral Beauty Disease, Coral Beauty Reproduction, Flame Angels 1, Best FAQs on Centropyge, Dwarf (Centropyge) AngelsDwarf Angel Identification, Dwarf Angel Selection, Dwarf Angel Compatibility, Dwarf Angel Systems, Dwarf Angel Feeding, Dwarf Angel Disease, Dwarf Angel Reproduction, Marine Angelfishes In General, Selection, Behavior, Compatibility, Systems, Health, Feeding, Disease,   

Angelfishes for  Marine Aquariums
Diversity, Selection & Care
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by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Color change?    12/1/14
I bought a coral beauty angel a few weeks ago. It is really dark. Barely any orange coloring to it. Will it brighten up and it gets older?
<Darkening.... a very bad sign. Something is amiss here. CHECK your water quality... MOVE this fish to a floating plastic colander... for fear another organism is harassing it... WRITE back w/ useful data... re the system, history, tankmates, water quality tests... Bob Fenner>

Disappearing Coral Beauty 10/30/12
<Hello Pam>
Thank you in advance for this wonderful service.
<You're welcome.>
I will make this as short as possible. I have a 55 gallon saltwater tank, FOWLR, with three fish, two Ocellaris clownfish (tank raised), who have paired and spawned twice so far, and a Coral Beauty. The clownfish have been in this tank over four years, the Coral Beauty for over two years. I have two red legged hermit crabs and four Astrea snails. Monday morning all was well, all three fish ate and were swimming around. Monday evening the Coral Beauty is missing. She did not come out to feed. Tuesday morning, still no sign of her. Can fish possibly sense an impending storm (Sandy?) and hide? Or, more likely, she died and was eaten? I looked around the outside of the tank, the floor, etc. Nothing. If she did die, can two clownfish consume her remains in 8 hours or so, along with the hermit crabs? Lastly, since the clownfish have finally spawned after being together over four years, would they get aggressive and attack her?
<They would keep her away from the eggs for sure but unlikely kill her.>
I do not want to add another small fish in the future if this could be the case.
<Coral Beauties as well as some other families of fishes such as Tangs tend to wedge themselves into a safe haven for protection when they aren't feeling well. The Coral Beauty likely died and the crabs are feeding on it. I would keep an eye on ammonia levels for a while.>
Warm regards,
<And you as well. James (Salty Dog)>
Pam
Southeastern PA

Strange coral beauty behavior.   7/14/11
Hello,
My name is James and im new to the hobby. I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 Darwin clowns, a yellow tail blue damsel, a coral beauty and around eight or nine hermits. This set up is around 3 months old and has been hanging on to a diatom bloom for about a month.
<Typical; as you are likely aware>
My concern is with my coral beauty. It seemed healthy two weeks ago, other than ignoring my feedings in favor of diatoms.
<Do you have live rock present here? HIGHLY recommended as all Centropyge are "nibblers">
That's when I noticed a milky film on its eye. Fearing Ick or PopEye, I freshwater dipped him for 3 minutes in my FW tank.
<... not a good idea. Too stressful, and if there is a causative agent in your system, you just returned the fish to its presence>
The eye cleared up after a day and I attributed it to the damsel or some other physical injury. Roughly 2 weeks have passed and now I've noticed a white or clear spot on his anal fin. Its tiny and I cant tell whether it belongs there or not. He has also been much more active the past few days, most notably rubbing against rocks. He is still grazing on diatoms all day and seems happy, but im simply not experienced enough to know what is normal and what is not. Im writing you because in forums I am getting diagnoses overload. At this point my main suspects are velvet or Ick. I don't have a quarantine so im hoping coral beauties just like to rub on rocks.
<All fishes do to degrees>
Thank you for schooling this newby.
Sent from my Cellular South Galaxy S
<Mmm, I'd focus on the environment here... add some/more good quality live rock, spiff up/clean your skimmer, use good grade activated carbon in your filter flow path... And try other foods. Spectrum pellets is a fave.
Otherwise, have you read re this species, genus on WWM? Do so. Bob Fenner>
Re: Strange coral beauty behavior. 7/14/11

Thank you for alleviating some of my worry. I have about 20 lbs of live rock that cycled with the tank.
<Ah good>
Its completely covered in beautiful purple, pink and a little green algae.
<And hopefully replete w/ smaller invertebrate fauna... worms, crustaceans et al.>
I added 20 lbs of mixed base rock and coral skeletons a few weeks ago and they are starting to get little pink spots of their own.
I forgot to mention something else strange that my tank has started doing.
In the morning ,when I turn the tank lights on, the water is cloudy. It clears on its own but takes almost the whole day light cycle to do so. It has a white/beige tint so my best guess is free-floating diatoms.
<Mmm, maybe... though there are a few chemical/physical situations that look like this as well. You might want to check your Alkalinity, Ca and Mg concentrations>
Just wanted an expert opinion. And thank you for your time.
Sent from my Cellular South Galaxy S
<Welcome James. BobF>

Coral Beauty Behavior/New Plumbing -- 07/27/09
Hi Eric,
<<Hello Wayne>>
I wouldn't say this is a new behaviour. It was doing this before the removal of the clowns; it started doing this a few days after it was moved from quarantine to the display (about 3 weeks now) although I think it has been getting more frequent in the last week.
<<Mmm, I see'¦ It's hard to say what may be the issue. This fish often does not fare well from collection/travel stresses'¦but can be quite hardy if/when a healthy specimen is obtained, and once it is well acclimated. If the system is healthy (e.g. -- good water quality, adequate water flow, adequate structure for hiding/resting places) I don't think there's much to be done. I suggest waiting to see how it behaves once more fishes are introduced>>
My wife has generously allowed me a budget and some time to re-plumb the system and fix everything up to make me happy so that I'll stop tinkering with the plumbing and being a generally grumpy person on the weekend because I feel like things aren't quite right.
<<Ah'¦but to be a reef hobbyists is to tinker'¦isn't it?>>
I'll be moving the sump to the basement and passing the overflow and return lines through the floor. This means I'll be able to add a better protein skimmer and new pump to handle the extra head.
<<Okay>>
I'm looking at either a Danner Mag Drive 1800 Supreme or a Poseidon PS4 for the pump and perhaps a Vertex IN-180, AquaC EV-120 or one of the Pacific Coast Needle Wheel skimmers (the 350 I think it was).
<<I would be inclined to stick with one of the first two listed here>>
I am a bit hesitant with the Pacific Coast skimmer as I am having a hard time finding reviews for these.
<<Indeed>>
I would consider the MRC MR-1 but I cannot get one in my area and it seems most of the online suppliers either will not ship to Canada or the additional costs are unreasonable. The Danner pump seems a little more favourable since it would mean a few less plumbing connections and it sounds like the Poseidon may raise my water temperature a fair bit.
<<Valid concerns'¦the Mag Drive/most any pump will add some heat to the system>>
I'd hate to buy a $300 pump only to end up needing to buy a chiller as well! Do you have any comments on the pumps or skimmers?
<<I prefer a submersible pump for most applications; where you can get one big enough to do the job, for their ease of installation and generally quieter operation. Eheim is my first choice for quality/dependability, but sizes are very limited. The Mag Drive should do fine'¦ And though maybe not the most reliable pump (consider having a spare return pump on hand), they are usually 'good enough''¦and'¦do surprisingly well with head --pressure. I have a Mag Drive 1200 (1200gph) that will outperform at height the supposedly better made Ocean Runner 6500 (1700gph)>>
Besides the obvious check valves and ball valves, are there any suggestions you would make for plumbing a basement sump?
<<The only real difference between this and one under your cabinet is the length of the plumbing run (and easier access!). Primary consideration will be sizing the pump correctly. Go a little bigger than you think you need'¦and plumb a gate-vale on the output side of the pump to temper flow as/if needed>>
I am considering using Tiger Flex PVC hose for the overflow drain lines to cut down on resistance from elbows etc and to make plumbing easier. Standard PVC for the return line
<<I would use the flex-PVC going 'both' directions (to and from)'¦for the reasons you state>>
and likely a 3 chamber sump for in/out/refugium although I have been thinking about just using something like a stock tank as well.
<<Go for simplicity'¦and the largest volume you can accommodate>>
Thanks for your continued input.
Wayne
<<Always welcome'¦ Eric Russell>>

Coral beauty swimming laps? Coral Beauty/Behavior 1/6/09 Hello - <Hi Amber> I recently added a Coral Beauty to my tank, and have noticed he seems to enjoy swimming "laps" up and down the long end of the tank. I have the live rock mostly on one side of the tank, creating caves and hiding places, and have the other side of the tank more "open" to leave some room for free swimming and feeding. Basically, this fish will start on the "cave" side of the tank, swim along the wall to the open side, then turn around and swim back. However, once he reaches the "cave" side he will act normally, and start nibbling on the live rock, exploring, etc. I read from a previous question that he might be seeing his own reflection in the glass? None of his tankmates (Longnose butterfly, yellow tail blue damsels) seem to have a problem with this - the butterfly will actually look through the glass to watch me as I'm watching him. He has so much personality! Other than this odd behavior the Beauty is doing great! He ate within 12 hours of being introduced to the new tank, and hasn't shown any aggression to any of his tank mates, other than commandeering their "sleeping spots." He takes mysis shrimp and pre-soaked Spectrum pellets (those things are hard as rocks unless you soak them!) with a hearty appetite. He has also been feasting on the various types of algae that have taken over my tank (one of the reasons I thought he might be a good fit.) The tank is exposed to quite a bit of natural sunlight, so algae regrows almost daily. Do you think I should try covering the side of the tank he seems to be fixated on? Is there any kind of anti-reflective coating I could apply? <There are, but I wouldn't do this as it is difficult to remove and I believe not necessary.> I would hate to cover it completely, as it's the most visible side, but if it will help the fish then I'll try anything. Or, do you think it might be because of the small quarantine tank he was in? It was only a 20 gallon tank, and he didn't have much room to move around (sorry for this, it's the only thing I had available.) He did not show this behavior in the quarantine tank, he was actually very shy and hid behind the rocks most of the time. As I'm typing this he's doing his laps, back and forth, with a few breaks to eat some algae. I would really appreciate any advice you might have! <I've noticed this type of behavior occasionally with Pygmy Angels, notably on two that I have had, a False Lemon Peel and a Coral Beauty such as you have. I have no explanation for this behavior, but in my two experiences, the behavior subsided within a week or two. Were the water parameters of your QT the same as your main display when you made the transfer? If not, this may be partly responsible for the behavior. James (Salty Dog)> -Amber

Bullying Coral Beauty  3/30/08 Hello Crew!! Long time no talk and a special hey to girl wonder Mich!! <Hi Melissa, Mich back with you! Girl wonder! Heehee! Funny! I do make people scratch their heads and wonder.> Well a lot has happened since my last email. True to Bob's advice I have kept my head down and been reading.;) <Never stop learning!> Let me give a short update on what has been happening. I had a tank crisis. <Been there, done that!> Basically the 55 G sprung a leak so I had to purchase a new tank. <Oops!> Yay Me I guess. <Gee, darn!> I moved on up to 135 G!! <Woohoo!> I can finally get a tang! <Yay!> So we made the move rather uneventfully. <Good to hear!> I stored everything in totes at temp with powerheads while everyone had a short stay in a 30G. So everyone ( coral beauty, 2 blue green Chromis, Ocellaris Clown (Shirley she's a big girl hehehe) chocolate chip starfish (you may remember him because of your great advice he is thriving grown almost an inch and a half in the year I have had him) <Wow! Stars typically don't do well in captivity! I am surprised, but I do wish you continued success here!> a camelback shrimp, a cleaner shrimp, and 10 Astreas) made the move and it has been rather uneventful as far as chemistry wise. One would think with all the extra room the inhabitants would be happy. That's not necessarily the case here. <Uh-oh!> I have arranged the tank so that the rock is basically on the ends of the tanks with the middle being somewhat open. <ScottF would be proud! He does a rather humorous talk on "Aquascaping For The Aesthetically Challenged" He calls this the twin peak formation. Almost makes you wonder what twin peaks he is referring to! Heehee!> There is approx. 45 lbs on either side arranged in a series of caves. <Sounds very nice! Have any pictures? Email them to the site, to Scott's attention. Maybe he will use them in one of his presentations at IMAC or MACNA this year.> The coral beauty has completely taken over everything. <Hmm, some dwarf angels can be aggressive but this species generally isn't. Fish, like people sometimes don't fall into stereotypes, you got a very "special" one, "lucky you"!> It keeps attacking Shirley every time she tries to come near the rock and explore. She has a bruise on her upper right side above her fin that I have been watching. <Yikes!> Then just a bit ago he went to the cleaner shrimp for a cleaning and when he was done turned around and had a go at him. <Wow!> Both of the shrimp pretty much stay in hiding at this point. <I guess they are wise!> I am wondering what I can do to resolve this? <I would try to remove him from the system, rearrange the rockwork, let the other more docile fish establish themselves for a month or so and then try reintroducing the Coral Beauty.> He swims back and forth patrolling the length of the tank like the Gestapo. <You could call him Colonel Klink!> I am planning on adding some livestock but am somewhat scared to for fear he will just have a go at everything I put in the tank. <I think you need to remove him for a bit.> So I am wondering if I should just try to arrange the rock differently instead although I really don't want to do that. <You could try just removing him and letting the other fish establish themselves, but I think you are more likely to have success if you rearrange some of the live rock.> I am going to add more rock as well but had wanted to wait a bit as I spent a small fortune just on the tank. <Understandable.> So what are your thoughts here? My options as I see them are 1. Try to find him a good home. <A viable option.> 2. Move the rocks and change the territories <A good option! But I think you need to remove him from the system for a while or the Colonel will think you're expanding his penthouse > 3. Add more fish (essentially putting a bigger kid on the playground) or a combination of those options. <I'm not so sure about the third, you just may end up with a bigger bully. I would start with removal and rearrangement. Add new fish to the mix. Let everyone get comfortable and then try reintroducing Colonel Klink.> Also in the meantime is there anything special I should be doing for Big Shirley? <Maybe finding him a little Squiggy?> She is swimming and eating fine. Her activity has remained the same. I worry though because as long as she sees him coming she turns and waves her body at him and he backs off but as soon as her back turns though and she isn't paying attention he rams her. Although he does leave her be at night while she is resting. <I think Colonel Kink need to be put in the stockade... read isolation, for an attitude adjustment.> Sorry for babbling. <No worries! I do it all the time!> I'm sure by now you realise it is just my nature. Hehehe <Mine too!> Thanks again for your help. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. <Hope you get the Colonel under control and peace and quiet is returned to the western front of TV Land. Cheers, Mich> Melissa

C. bispinosus swimming erratically   2/6/07 Hello to the crew of Wet Web, <Brandon> I have something of a strange problem on my hands.  I have a C. bispinosus that I bought from a rather irreputable LFS. <Mmmm>   I was watching it in the store, and it seemed to be quite fine.  I bought it and a C. ferrugata. The C. ferrugata is doing quite well.  He/She has come out of hiding and is running around eating food off of the live rock.  The C. bispinosus is out and running all over the place, and here it comes.  The little bugger is swimming very very erratically.  It looks as if it is playing in the current. <Happens some times...>   There is an electric blue damsel that seems to be mimicking him, as he only does it when the C. bispinosa is around.  Furthermore they are only doing this on one side of the tank. <Ah, a clue> The left corner.  Earlier today all of the fishes went to the corner that all of this strangeness is occurring in and found something that appeared to be very interesting in the top corner. <Yes, themselves> I looked, but there was nothing there. <Due to the properties of optics and water... if your head were in the tank, you'd see "it" too>   Ok, so I was wrong, I just looked and the C. bispinosus is going all over the place in the whole tank.  I looked all over WWM, for an answer but I did not see one that matched this particular query.  My water is within normal parameters: Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 0 Copper: 0 Phosphate: Undetermined as of yet.  I don't think that it is too high. There are no wacky algae blooms, or other such mess. Alkalinity:  Again not sure I lost the instructions to the test, so I will be buying another soon. Calcium:  400 mg/L which suggests that the Alkalinity is in acceptable ranges, as I do not add supplements. Flow is random and over one thousand gallons per hour. I will add that I thought that they all had Cryptocaryon, but on further inspection and research I realized that the "white spots" were actually O2 bubbles.  I caught one and the spots went away.  I have not even began to look into medications yet.  I will accept the loss of one fish before I will accept the loss of all the fishes, and the cnidarians/sessile life.  I will also add that I QT'ed the C. Bispinosa, as well as everything in the tank save the H. crispa, for a month or more.  I know that I should have QT'ed the H. crispa, but I don't have lighting that would have allowed it to survive the QT time.  I was also thinking about stress as these are sensitive inverts.  I will add that the H. crispa ejected some red/brown slime like substance which appears to be a byproduct of metabolism, A.K.A Mouth poop.  One entrance/exit jeeze...  Each fish tried to eat it and found it to be unpalatable.  Is this stuff toxic? <Yes, mildly usually>   Just one more thought on the erratic swimming.  Is it possible that the fish is reacting to it's own reflection in the glass and might be attempting to mate/spawn/fight? <Bingo! This is very likely the case> I know that I have seen certain Wrasses react to mirrors in a myriad of ways, could this be a possible explanation?   <Yes> Some of the other fishes have "noticed" themselves in the glass but they quickly loose interest.  Oh yes.  One other thing happened today.  A curious fish knocked a Sarcophyton elegans off of it's perch and into the H. crispa today.   <Yikes...> The S. elegans did not make it.  I was thinking that this could be related, but wouldn't it be systemic? <Not likely related, but not healthy either> As in wouldn't everyone be getting poisoned as opposed to one particular fish? <Yes, confirmed> The H. crispa appears to be fine.  I will know more in a week or two. Thank you for all of you wonderful advice, and help thus far.  I apologize for the overtly long query. Brandon R. Foster <Try placing a piece of dark paper over the one panel (on the outside)... Not to worry. Bob Fenner>
Re: C. bispinosus swimming erratically, incomplete understanding of Crypt lifecycle...  2/19/07
Hello all, It is not that much later, but I have figured out what the issue was.  The C. bispinosa was in fact reacting to it's own reflection. <Ah, quite common> I have allowed algae to take over both sides of the glass, and he/she has since stopped the erratic swimming.  The fish did however, wind up with a slight Cryptocaryon infestation. <Mmm, perhaps "stress" related, eh?> I tried to catch it, much to no avail.  I really have no idea how people are capable of catching these guys in the wild. <Two nets...> I left the little guy in there, as I thought that I might kill it by over stressing it.  I left him with the hope that it might clear up on it's own.   <Uhh, no... it won't> I came into possession quite by accident, I might add of a Pseudocheilinus hexataenia.  Right about the time the C. bispinosa disappeared, so did the P. hexataenia.  When they both reappeared, a day later, the C. bispinosa was quite clear of any malaise. <Mmm... no my friend... the Crypt has simply "cycled off"... it is still there... will be back "with a proverbial vengeance"...> I wonder did the P. hexataenia clean him? <No> I have not seen any mention of them doing this in the wild, although I have heard of them doing it in aquaria.  Do you guys, and gals know of this?  At any rate, the H. crispa is doing fine, and has taken on a much more brown/tan color. <Ah, good>   So I guess that it is none the worse for wear after the brush with the S. elegans. A special thanks to Mr. Fenner on this one, Brandon R. Foster <Brandon, please do read re Crypt on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisindex.htm scroll down... Scotter and I's articles re... So you know what you're up against. Bob Fenner>

This Beauty Is Acting Goofy Hey guys, <Hi there! Scott F. your guy today!> I tried to get to the chat room to post this question but it seems to be down this morning? <Not aware of any problems...I'm sure that we'll check it out> Anyway I got a question about my coral beauty. She seems to be acting a little out of the norm the past few days. She cleared out a area in the back of the tank and won't let any other tankmates go near it. She also has been acting grouchy with the other tank mates and not feeding as well as she used to. This is really unusual for her because she is normally very peaceful. The only signs of anything is her fins are a bit frayed probably from her clearing this nest like area. There are no signs of any parasites or anything and all my tank levels are normal. Thanks for any advice you can toss my way. Rob. <Well, Rob- as far as the "nest" is concerned-this is somewhat unusual for a Centropyge angelfish to do, but certainly not unthinkable. This fish may just be trying to establish a "home base" of sorts to retreat to when he/she feels that it is necessary. I would not be overly concerned about this behavior at this point...Just keep an eye on her to make sure that there is no injury resulting from the "clearing" behavior. Regards, Scott F>

Hyper-beauty (Dwarf Angel on speed) 4/2/03 Probably a strange question, but here goes....!! How active are Coral Beauties?  Mine, who's about a week old in the tank, has become Speed Racer and zips around!!  <not at all normal for the reclusive dwarf angels... most any fish. Often caused by stress (low pH, e.g.) or even excessively bright lights (MH) or a mirrored reflection in the glass (causes pacing back and forth with reflection). Many possibilities here> No aggression with the other fish (who seem mildly appalled from time to time at his antics), looks great, eyes clear, eats like a horse, and is very personable when he catches me watching.  He doesn't look ill, and water parameters are fine.  Other fish in tank (only 2 smaller guys) look great and are eating well too.  Is this just normal behavior? <not really> Also...odd little story. have a very small tank-raised Common Clown (adorable little guy) who for the three months I had him in the big tank seemed a little retarded.  Never saw him eat, hung out in a top corner, sometimes head down like a vampire, sometimes floating on top of the water with one fin waving feebly.  Every day we thought was his last.  Finally, one day he actually went after food (we were shocked) and apparently caught the attention of the Yellow-tailed Damsel (nasty thing) who began to chase and nibble on him.  I promptly took him out and had him in a fishbowl w/ airstone until he went to the Great Reef in the sky.  Well.....he loved it....swam, ate, interacted with me etc.  So, now he lives in a 5g tank with BioWheel, live rock, and a blue claw hermit for company...and is healthy, eating like crazy, and very cheerful.  Go figure!!! <rather shy it sounds <G>> Anyhow, thanks for any info on above question...I'm still fairly new to this, but am reading everything I can find, and thoroughly enjoy your website!! Allison <no worries... you are very observant and conscientious... kudos to you, my friend. And best regards, Anthony>

Coral Beauty- scared of itself...HELP     Hey, awesome website! A few days ago, I took a trip to a local fish supplier and purchased a M/F pair of adult Fire Gobies which are just stunning. Surprisingly the Domino Damsel doesn't harass them at all...perhaps he's scared of the extended fins (Lol.) <Maybe> I also purchased a very nice looking Coral Beauty angelfish. It's about 3 inches long, in good physical shape, and has some great coloration. It also is eating Spirulina and dry food really well. However ever since the lights came on the next day, all it has been doing is swimming close to the glass from one side of the tank to the other, and occasionally "attacking" its reflection in the glass. <Happens> Apparently he thinks that his own reflection is another Pygmy angel, and due to the aggressive nature between most pygmy angels, he insists on attacking it for hours every day. Any suggestions? It is no doubt causing tons of stress on the fish. <I would try taping a piece of paper against this glass panel... this will obscure the fish's reflection> This morning I awoke to find very light white spots on the angel, all over the place (seems like stress-induced Ich...not sure yet) I can treat this easily with medication, but it still won't take care of the stress problem. I didn't quarantine any of the fish upon arrival because the quarantine tank's pump had died out sometime that day.....what are the odds of that? However, I acclimated them with the lights off, etc. I have a (sort of) fish-only 75 gal. tank, with about a dozen hermit crabs.   Thanks in advance for your help, and please reply back to this address with any solutions/questions.                                                                                                     -Bryan  M.,  Pennsylvania <Try papering over the outside... and if the ich, stress continues... remove this fish to a separate treatment tank... Bob Fenner>

Coral Beauty Angel, not eating & gulping???? Hey guys I just found your site last week and I LOVE it. So much info... I just started my tank about 6 weeks ago & everything is great. I've been working with my local fish shop (found it hard to find 1 I could trust) and my water etc is perfect.... I test almost every day.....Anyway, we have had a yellow tail blue damsel for about 3 weeks and he is great. We recently purchased a coral beauty (doing fine) and a mated pair of gold stripe maroon clowns and their host anemone. The female is clown is excellent and they are both using the anemone but our little boy hasn't eaten all week (since we bought him home). he swims around a little but seems to like to stay in the one area behind or under the anemone. She seems to bite at him often but he isn't scared away. She is bossy but otherwise friendly. He seems to be gulping?? quickly (hard to describe) and has a small scrape on his side but still seems healthy. I'm worried about the not eating and the gulping. <Me too...> Iv offered heaps of different foods but not interested. None of the other fish are having prob.s and I'd hate to lose my little Nemo (blame the kids). Sorry so long but hope you don't mind. Id give specifics on tank size etc but I'm in Australia and haven't figured out how to convert litres, kilos etc into gallons and pounds for you.......xxx Roxi <Have you read our archived FAQs on Dwarf Angel Disease, Feeding, Coral Beauties? Please see here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/centropyge/index.htm and the linked FAQs, Articles (in blue, at top). Bob Fenner>

Banggai Cardinal & Coral Beauty angel questions  12/17/05 First let me tell you that I have a 60 gal tank w/a protein skimmer, wet/dry filter, a UV sterilizer; and 32 lbs of live rock.  In the tank now are a bicolor blenny, two Banggai cardinals and a coral beauty angel.  I took a water sample to a very reputable fish store a week ago, and everything tested great. <Non-informational> Now, about my Banggai cardinals.  I feel pretty stupid asking this, but here goes.  I purchased two Banggai cardinals a week ago.  They have been doing great.  They hid and hardly came out for about 3 days (I didn't even see them eat).  But then they started to come out a little more each day, and now they are out almost all the time and eating well.  Here's my question.  I noticed tonight that there a white spots on their fins.  I didn't notice these spots before, but then, I didn't really look.  The problem is, these fish have spots all over them.  Do they normally have spots on their fins, or could this be ich? <Do have spots as coloration... Crypt looks different... smaller, more discrete, raised> My next question is about my coral beauty angel. I have had this fish since June of this year and it has done great.  Two weeks ago I got rid of my Picasso trigger because I kept hearing that it would limit me on any more fish purchases and would eventually cause a problem with the fish I currently had.  In order to catch the trigger, I had to rearrange all of the live rock.  After the trigger had been gone about 3 or 4 days, my coral beauty started hiding more (I did create more hiding spots when I rearranged the rock), and stopped eating.  It stays near the bottom all of the time (it is swimming upright, not on it's side).  I feed Spirulina, frozen brine shrimp, Prime Reef flakes and green marine algae.  At the recommendation of the fish store, for the past two days I have fed the fish a frozen angel and butterfly diet.  Last night I saw the coral beauty take one bite of it. When I fed the fish today, the coral beauty started moving around more, but I never saw it eat.  I know that it could be getting food that goes down into it's hiding places and I not see it eating.  There are no spots on the fish, no torn fins, and it's not looking thin.  The only thing I really notice is that the color on its head seems to be fading some. <The behavior of this fish sounds about "normal", some loss of color can occur...> Otherwise, it looks okay.  Do you think the hiding and not eating is because of the change in the fish and moving the rocks around? <Likely this has had an effect, yes> Any suggestions?  Once again, thanks so much for your help. LaVonda Black <You are quarantining new livestock before adding I hope/trust. Do take a look on WWM re Banggai Cardinal appearance, Centropyge behavior. Bob Fenner>  

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