Saltwater Fish Species Profile and Care Information

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The Emperor Angelfish, also known in some parts of the world as the Imperator or Imperial Angelfish, is one of the more expensive marine fish to purchase. Because of their price and because they are not necessarily as hardy as some of the other marine angels you will need a completely cycled tank before you even think of introducing one. They can get quite large, 15 inches (38 cm), and need to be kept in at least a 100 gallon (568 liters) aquarium. A very large tank with plenty of live rock that can provide hiding places is a good setup for Emperor Angelfish.
This angelfish is a fish where the juveniles look very different from the adults. It should also be noted that many hobbyists complain that the colors of their Emperors not being very brilliant. This is most likely due to a nutritional issue. In the wild Emperor Angelfish frequently eat sponges and a steady diet of sponges can be difficult to reproduce in the home aquarium. Providing a varied diet consisiting of vitamin enriched and color enhancing fish food may help with the coloration issues.
Use caution if you plan to have one of these in your reef aquarium. They are known to nip at some soft and stony corals. You will also need to use caution when selecting tank mates because this fish can be very territorial and because it may grow to be very large. On the disease front, they are prone to some of the more common parasites and should definitely be kept in a quarantine tank for a few weeks before introducing them into your main tank.
http://www.fishlore.com/Pictures/Profiles/emperor_angelfish.jpg
Scientific Name : Pomacanthus imperator
Common Names : Imperator Angelfish, Imperial Angelfish
Care Level : Moderate
Size : Up to 15 inches (38 cm)
Life span : 10 - 15 years or longer in the wild, but not likely in captivity
pH : 8.1 - 8.4
Temperature : 72°F - 80°F (22°C - 27°C)
Specific Gravity : 1.020 - 1.025
Carbonate Hardness (dKH) : 8 - 12°
Origin / Habitat : Indo-Pacific
Temperament / Behavior : They can be aggressive with others and may quickly become the dominant fish in the tank.
Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : Very difficult to breed in captivity.
Tank Size : 100 gallon (568 liters) minimum
Compatible Tank Mates : Use caution when selecting tank mates. You want to avoid anything small enough for them to eat, which would include smaller fish and crustaceans. These fish are not necessarily reef tank safe.
Fish Disease : Saltwater Fish Disease (http://www.fishlore.com/Disease_Saltwater.htm) - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment
Diet / Fish Food : An omnivore, try to give them a variety of marine foods but predominantly marine algae, spirulina. In the wild, they frequently eat sponges. Having plenty of live rock (http://www.fishlore.com/live_rock.htm) for them to graze on goes a long way. They should accept vitamin enriched flake foods, frozen and definitely live foods.
Tank Region : Usually middle to bottom
Gender : No reliable way to determine the differences between males and females.
Similar Species : Large Saltwater Angel fish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-largeangelfish.htm) - French Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles_french_angelfish.htm), Queen Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profile-queenangelfish.htm)

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The French Angelfish is one of the marine specimens that changes colors as it ages. When they are young they will be black with five vertical yellow bars. When French Angelfish mature they will lose those vertical stripes. As juveniles in the wild they perform a cleaner role, but stop doing this after they grow past 4 inches (10 cm) or so.
A fairly hardy fish, they can live for a very long time if given proper care. They will eat most aquarium food including smaller fish and invertebrates. It is important to provide them primarily with marine algae. A large tank with lots of live rock, algae and sponges makes it easier to care for this species.
Temperament can be an issue with this angelfish. They are considered semi-aggressive and may quickly become the dominant fish in your tank. Given their potential adult size of 15 inches (38 cm) and their intolerance of their own kind, you should plan on keeping only one of them in your aquarium. The French Angel has been noted to be fairly disease resistent but you still need to take proper pre-cautions and use a quarantine tank before introducing them into your main tank.
http://www.fishlore.com/Pictures/Profiles/french_angelfish.jpg
Scientific Name : Pomacanthus paru
Common Names : Black Angelfish
Care Level : Moderate
Size : Up to 15 inches (38 cm)
Life span : 15 years or longer
pH : 8.1 - 8.4
Temperature : 72°F - 80°F (22°C - 27°C)
Specific Gravity : 1.020 - 1.025
Carbonate Hardness (dKH) : 8 - 12°
Origin / Habitat : Caribbean
Temperament / Behavior : They can be aggressive with others and will quickly become the dominant fish in the tank.
Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : Very difficult to breed in captivity.
Tank Size : 100 gallon (568 liters) minimum
Compatible Tank Mates : Use caution when selecting tank mates. You want to avoid anything small enough for them to eat, which would include smaller fish and crustaceans. These fish are not considered reef safe.
Fish Disease : Saltwater Fish Disease (http://www.fishlore.com/Disease_Saltwater.htm) - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment
Diet / Fish Food : An omnivore, try to give them a variety of marine foods but predominantly marine algae. Having plenty of live rock (http://www.fishlore.com/live_rock.htm) for them to graze on goes a long way. They should accept vitamin enriched flake foods, frozen and definitely live foods.
Tank Region : Usually middle to bottom
Gender : No reliable way to determine the differences between males and females.
Similar Species : Large Saltwater Angel fish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-largeangelfish.htm) - Emperor Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles_emperor_angelfish.htm), Queen Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profile-queenangelfish.htm)

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The Queen Angelfish is found on the coral reefs of the Western Atlantic Ocean. They are usually found alone or sometimes as a pair. They can get quite large, up to 18 inches (45 cm) and are not recommended for the saltwater beginner simply because most folks don't have a large enough tank to keep them in. You would need at least a 200 gallon tank to adequately care for them!
The coloration and markings on the Queen Angelfish as a juvenile are very different from the adults. Juveniles have a darker body with white vertical bars towards the back of the body. They lose these bars as adults and develop a sort of "crown" on top of the head, which is probably why they have the common name "Queen Angelfish". The dorsal and anal fins will grow past the tail fin (caudal fin).
They can be relatively hardy once acclimated into a well established, large tank that is 6 months or older. Since this fish is quite expensive (approximately $80 - $200 USD) you don't want to add them to a new tank going through the nitrogen cycle or one without sufficient amounts of live rock. Live rock may provide grazing opportunities for them in between meals as well as hiding places to help make them feel more secure. Don't plan on keeping multiple Queens in the same tank or territorial aggression may ensue. They may also pick fights with other saltwater angelfish species, but that may be less likely. Be prepared to separate them if necessary.
The biggest issue you'll most likely encounter is feeding them. In the wild they mostly eat sponges. This can be near impossible to reproduce in the home aquarium, but fortunately we can buy frozen marine foods containing sponges. In fact, there are frozen cube packs now made especially for saltwater angelfish and butterfly fish. Try to supplement their diet with dried marine algae and/or vitamin enriched herbivorous fish foods. This fish is usually the show piece or prized specimen for hobbyists with the right tank setup and they are truly an awesome fish.
http://www.fishlore.com/Pictures/Profiles/queen_angelfish.jpg

Scientific Name : Holacanthus ciliaris
Common Names : Blue Angelfish or Yellow Angelfish
Queen Angelfish Care Level : Moderate to Difficult, need a large tank and they can sometimes be difficult to feed.
Size : Up to 18 inches (45 cm)
Life span : 15 - 20 years, possibly longer
pH : 8.1 - 8.4
Temperature : 72°F - 76°F (22°C - 24°C)
Specific Gravity : 1.020 - 1.025
Carbonate Hardness (dKH) : 8 - 12°
Origin / Habitat : Western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean to Brazil, South America
Temperament / Behavior : They can be aggressive with other angelfish, especially other queen angelfish.
Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : Very difficult to breed in captivity. Egg scatterer.
Tank Size : 200 gallon (757 liters) minimum
Compatible Tank Mates : Obviously, given the large potential size of this fish as an adult you'll want to avoid keeping it with smaller species. Avoid other Saltwater Angelfish species (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-largeangelfish.htm). The vast majority of hobbyists don't have the proper setup to house more than one of these.
Fish Disease : Saltwater Fish Disease (http://www.fishlore.com/Disease_Saltwater.htm) - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment. They don't seem to get afflicted with the usual saltwater fish diseases, but you still should quarantine any new arrivals.
Diet / Fish Food : In the wild this fish primarily eats sponges and sometimes marine algae, spirulina and dried marine algae needs to be fed to them. Look for angelfish foods with sponge matter included. Sanfrancisco Bay Brand has frozen cube packs made especially for Angel fish and Butterfly fish. A tank with live rock (http://www.fishlore.com/live_rock.htm) will be much better for your angelfish than one without it.
Tank Region : All over, but mostly middle to bottom
Gender : It can be hard to tell the difference between adult male and female specimens. Males may grow to be larger.
Similar Species : Large Saltwater Angel fish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-largeangelfish.htm) - Emperor Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles_emperor_angelfish.htm), French Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles_french_angelfish.htm)

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The front half of the Bicolor Angelfish (Two Color Angelfish) is yellow, the back half is a royal blue and they have a "saddle" like blue over the eye region. This is dwarf angelfish that is commonly available at the saltwater fish store and is usually in the $20-$30 price range. Although this fish is not as colorful as the Flame Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profile-flameangelfish.htm) it is still quite striking and will make a beautiful addition to the right saltwater tank setup.
The Bicolor Angel has a reputation as being difficult to keep and are deemed not as hardy as some of the other dwarf angelfishes (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-dwarfangelfish.htm). It may depend on the location they are coming from because some of the fish collectors may have questionable collecting practices. With that little tidbit in mind you may want to take some extra time when acclimating (http://www.fishlore.com/acclimating-tropicalfish.htm) them to your saltwater aquarium. Only add them to well-established tanks, preferrably an aquarium that has been setup up for at least 6 months.
In the wild they can be somewhat reclusive, not venturing far from their hiding places in the rock. It is a good idea to provide plenty of hiding places in your tank as well since it should help make them feel more secure. Providing live rock has a secondary benefit of being a food source that will allow them to graze in between meals. Feeding them is not difficult since they should go after most fish foods including frozen and flakes but some hobbyists have reported that this is not the case. If you have difficulty getting yours to start eating, try frozen or live foods at first and then slowly wean them onto other fish food. Try to give them foods enriched with spirulina. Some frozen cubes are enriched with spirulina. Only one of the dwarf angels per tank! Even though they are seen in pairs or even small groups in the ocean, they will not tolerate each other in the small confines of the home marine aquarium. If you have a sufficiently large tank you may be able to get away with multiples if they are introduced at the same time and if they have plenty of hiding places.
http://www.fishlore.com/Pictures/Profiles/bicolor_angelfish.jpg
Scientific Name : Centropyge bicolor

Common Names : Bicolor Angelfish, Gold and Blue Angelfish, Oriole Angelfish, Boray-boray, Two color angel
Care Level : Moderate
Size : Up to 6 inches (15 cm)
Life span : 5 - 10 years or longer in the wild
pH : 8.1 - 8.4
Temperature : 72°F - 80°F (22°C - 27°C)
Specific Gravity : 1.020 - 1.025
Carbonate Hardness (dKH) : 8 - 12°
Origin / Habitat : Indo-Pacific near Japan down to Australia
Temperament / Behavior : They can be aggressive with others, especially other dwarf marine angelfishes. It's not the best choice for a reef tank because they are known to nip lps corals.
Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : Very difficult to breed in captivity partly due to their aggressive nature with members of their own species. They are hermaphrodites and practice harem breeding.
Tank Size : 30 gallon (113 liters) minimum, preferrably larger to provide adequate swimming room.
Compatible Tank Mates : Only one dwarf angelfish per tank, unless the aquarium is extremely large. They may nip lps corals and sometimes pick on smaller invertebrates.
Reef Tank Compatible? : Can help control algae if in small amounts, but can nibble at corals, clams and other invertebrates.
Fish Disease : Saltwater Fish Disease (http://www.fishlore.com/Disease_Saltwater.htm) - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment
Diet / Fish Food : Frequent (2 times per day) and varied feedings. Try to give them a variety of marine foods but predominantly marine algae and spirulina. Live rock (http://www.fishlore.com/live_rock.htm) is a welcome addition to the tank since it will provide grazing opportunities in between meals. They are not very picky and should go after flakes and frozen fish food.
Tank Region : Usually middle to bottom
Gender : No reliable way to determine the differences between males and females.
Gallery Photos : Bicolor Angel fish Photos (http://www.fishlore.com/fishpicture/search.php?keywords=bicolor)
Similar Species : Dwarf Saltwater Angel fish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-dwarfangelfish.htm) - Coral Beauty Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles_coral_beauty_angelfish.htm), Flame Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profile-flameangelfish.htm) Forum Avatar (http://www.fishlore.com/animatedgifs.htm) :

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The Coral Beauty Angelfish (Centropyge bispinosus) is a dwarf marine angelfish that only reaches about 4 inches (10 cm). They are commonly available and are relatively inexpensive when compared to other saltwater fish. They can be fairly hardy and are known as one of the hardiest of the dwarf angels.
The Coral Beauty is usually fairly peaceful but can be belligerent with tank mates. Unless you have a very large tank, they will fight with other dwarf angels over territory. They may also be aggressive with smaller tank mates (fish and invertebrates) if kept in a smaller tank. Provide them with lots of live rock for hiding places and they may spend most of their time out in the open.
Feeding them can be difficult and it's usually hit or miss with this species. Some hobbyists have no problems getting them to eat flake and frozen foods whereas others report that they can't get them to eat standard aquarium foods. Either way, having a good amount of live rock in your tank will provide them with not only places for hiding but it will also give them a food source. They primarily eat algae and will graze on the algae growing on your live rock. For those reef aquarium keepers out there, this fish may not be the best choice for your reef tank. They have been known to nip at lps corals. If you're worried that they are not getting enough to eat, get some dried marine seaweed and use a veggie clip to place it in the tank. There are special marine angelfish foods out there as well and you may want to try them. These dwarf angelfish can come down with the usual saltwater fish diseases and using a quarantine tank is a must. Keep them in quarantine for 2 - 3 weeks before introducing them into your main tank.
http://www.fishlore.com/gifs/coralbeautyangelfish.gif
Scientific Name : Centropyge bispinosus

Common Names : Two Spined Angelfish, Dusky Angelfish
Care Level : Moderate
Size : Up to 4 inches (10 cm)
Life span : 10 - 15 years or longer in the wild, but not likely in captivity
pH : 8.1 - 8.4
Temperature : 72°F - 80°F (22°C - 27°C)
Specific Gravity : 1.020 - 1.025
Carbonate Hardness (dKH) : 8 - 12°
Origin / Habitat : Indo-Pacific, Great Barrier Reef
Temperament / Behavior : They can be aggressive with others, especially other dwarf marine angelfishes. It's not the best choice for a reef tank because they are known to nip lps corals.
Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : Very difficult to breed in captivity.
Tank Size : 30 gallon (113 liters) minimum, preferrably larger - tanks on the smaller side will surely bring out territory problems with other fish.
Compatible Tank Mates : Use caution when selecting tank mates. You may have better results if this is the last fish placed in the tank. You may still see some aggression with other fish that are the same size or smaller. These fish are not necessarily reef aquarium (http://www.fishlore.com/reeftanksetup.htm) safe because they will nip lps corals and may pick on smaller invertebrates.
Reef Tank Compatible? : Use caution if you have clams since it has been reported that they may nip at them. Otherwise, they could be a nice addition to help with algae control in a small way.
Fish Disease : Saltwater Fish Disease (http://www.fishlore.com/Disease_Saltwater.htm) - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment
Diet / Fish Food : Frequent (2 times per day) and varied feedings. Try to give them a variety of marine foods but predominantly marine algae and spirulina. Having plenty of live rock (http://www.fishlore.com/live_rock.htm) for them to graze on goes a long way. They may accept vitamin enriched flake foods, frozen and definitely live foods although it may take time for them to go after flake foods.
Tank Region : Usually middle to bottom
Gender : No reliable way to determine the differences between males and females.
Gallery Photos : Coral Beauty Angel fish Photos (http://www.fishlore.com/fishpicture/search.php?keywords=coral) Similar Species : Dwarf Saltwater Angel fish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-dwarfangelfish.htm) - Bi-Color Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profile_bicolor_angelfish.htm), Flame Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profile-flameangelfish.htm)

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One of the most colorful and attractive of the commonly available marine angelfishes is the Dwarf Flame Angel fish. It has a striking red or orange body with vertical black bars in the mid section. The good news is that the Flame Angel fish only gets to be about 4 inches (10 cm) or so and can be the prize specimen in any tank. The bad news is that they can be fairly expensive, they don't ship very well, and may bully other dwarf angelfishes or smaller tank mates.
Flame Angel fish need a tank with moderate to high water circulation, better than average water quality (very low or zero nitrates) and plenty of live rock. They will graze on the live rock in between meals and use any hiding places provided by the live rock when they feel threatened.
When it comes to eating, they are not as picky as some other saltwater fish. They seem to really like the frozen marine foods, live and flake foods. Definitely plan on using some dried algae supplements if not enough is present on the live rock in your tank to avoid any nutritional disorders.
Unfortunately, Flame Angels are often shipped with some type of saltwater fish disease and the use a quarantine tank before introducing them into your main tank is a must. Because Flame Angel fish can be quite expensive (though not as expensive as some of the larger saltwater angelfish) it is a good idea to ask the fish store to hold them for a couple of weeks before you bring them home. As far as reef tank compatibility goes, some reefers have kept them with no problems at all and some had to remove them because they were picking at the corals or clams.
http://www.fishlore.com/Pictures/Profiles/dwarf_flame_angelfish.jpg
Saltwater Fish Species Profile and Care Information
Scientific Name : Centropyge loricula
Common Names : Dwarf Flame Angelfish, Dwarf Angel, Flame Angel
Flame Angelfish Care Level : Easy to Moderate, acclimate this fish slowly to your tank.
Size : Up to 4 inches (10 cm)
Life span : 5 - 7 years or longer
pH : 8.1 - 8.4
Temperature : 75°F - 80°F (25°C - 27°C)
Specific Gravity : 1.020 - 1.025
Carbonate Hardness (dKH) : 8 - 12°
Origin / Habitat : South Pacific and Western Pacific, Hawaii, Australia, Coral Sea, Great Barrier Reef, Christmas Islands
Temperament / Behavior : May become territorial and aggressive towards other dwarf angelfish and may even bully other, smaller tank mates. You may have better luck introducing them last into the tank.
Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : It's very difficult to breed them and there are very few reported sucesses of breeding in an aquarium.
Tank Size : 30 gallon (114 liters) minimum for one dwarf angel, much larger if you plan on keeping multiples.
Compatible Tank Mates : Avoid keeping them with larger eels, lionfish or any fish large enough to eat them. Keeping them in a reef tank (http://www.fishlore.com/saltwater_aquarium_types.htm) seems to be hit or miss, use caution.
Fish Disease : Saltwater Fish Disease (http://www.fishlore.com/Disease_Saltwater.htm) - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment. A quarantine tank (http://www.fishlore.com/QuarantineTankSetup.htm) is a must.
Diet / Fish Food : Omnivorous, but try to give them a balanced diet of algae and meaty marine foods. They should accept vitamin enriched flake foods, frozen and live foods. Having live rock (http://www.fishlore.com/live_rock.htm) is a good idea because of the food it can provide in between meals.
Tank Region : All over the tank.
Gender : It can be very difficult to determine any external differences between male and female. Males might be larger and slightly more colorful.
Gallery Photos : Dwarf Flame Angelfish Photos (http://www.fishlore.com/fishpicture/search.php?keywords=flame) Similar Species : Dwarf Saltwater Angel fish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-dwarfangelfish.htm) - Bi-Color Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profile_bicolor_angelfish.htm), Coral Beauty Angelfish (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles_coral_beauty_angelfish.htm)