[yankit3@hotmail.com]

Just got a CB and it's been in Q-tank since 7th March. Got a Green Star Polyp & a Mushroom in my 100g display. People say 50/50 as to their nipping at the corals. As a new comer to this hobby could I have your experts before I mess things up. BTW is it dangerous to keep a Flame with this Beauty in my 100? Thanks for assistance.

Regards,

Jimmy WONG
from Hong Kong.

[Poseidon]

Hi Jimmy,


I wish I could tell you with 100% certainty that you will be fine, but I don't think anyone can. I believe Coral Beauty angles are more like 80/20 reef safe though. Flame angels are slightly less safe, as they like to pick at clam mantles. In a 100 gallon tank I believe the fish would be okay, just be sure to provide LOTS of hiding spots.

[Ninong]

I have a Coral Beauty (Centropyge bispinosa) in a 120-gal tank and have not had any problems with it but that doesn't mean much because all members of the genus Centropyge could potentially cause trouble. I previously had a Flame Angel (C. loriculus) and it didn't cause any problems either. I lost that one to paint fumes when I was away from home one day and unaware that my niece was doing some painting near my tank.

The bottom line is that some people never have problems with them, some people have slight problems that they choose to tolerate and some people have a lot of problems that they find intolerable. Some specimens misbehave from the very beginning and others are perfect little angels <groan> for years before becoming holy terrors. They're unpredictable.

Should you keep one in a reef tank? That's up to you. I would and I do but I realize that there will always be a certain amount of risk. As far as keeping two different species of this genus in the same tank is concerned, that's another unpredictable situation. I would avoid it in a 100-gal tank but this is another of those gray areas that can't be predicted with certainty.

[spankerbob]

I keep a coral beauty in my 100g reef and it has yet (knock on wood, or just hit myself in the head) to cause any mayhem in my tank after one year. I have heard and read where many people have had issues though, they seem to like to nip at the corals. Hopefully we all have good luck and keep our little Angels.

[zhenya]

I've had my C.bispinosa for over a year and I can tell you that mine had been tasting corals and "picking at the mantles" of clams from the get go. I think certain color markings on those mantles make this fish going for it ( I think they think they are going after a pod of some kind ). All in all, I am willing to tolerate this becouse I yet to see a real problem or any detrimental effects on the corals or my clams. If I loose one polyp on a acropora colony I am not all that concerned, but other people feel differently about this.
I think the safest angelfishes may be from the genus Genicanthus as they are predominately planktivores.

I agree with Ninong that it is a personal choice of every aquarist how much of the misbehaviour they are willing to tolerate when it comes to angelfish from the Centropyge gang.

[yankit3@hotmail.com]

Thanks, you guys are wonderful & helpful. Once again, thank you very much!

Regards,

Jimmy WONG

[CSeaSee]

A late chime-in here, but I, too have a CBA in my tank and have yet to have any problems with it. It seems content to pick at algae and eat whatever food I give it. However, I too have heard that they vary individually. It's really a roll of the dice; do you feel lucky?

[dougc]

Even genicanthus angels will sample on occasion. My g. melanospilos occasionally takes a nip at my corals, but not often enough to cause any harm.

[yankit3@hotmail.com]

Thanks again for all your advices. I'd been to a LFS this afternoon and saw some beautiful Flames. They are really burning! What do you think if it could get along with the purple tang that I keep in a 40g (only a six-line shares with him).


Best wishs,

Jimmy