[Johliatay]

I am thinking about buying an Angelfish for my 65 gallon aquarium. I have had my tank up and running fro about 2 months now, and my levels have been all zero, with pH at 8.2 for well over a month. I have heard that angels can be hard to take care of. Can any one tell me a goos breed? Also if I do decide to buy one, what sort of diet is recommended.

[jwtrojan44]

With a tank your size, you could only keep one of the dwarf angels. there are several species that would do well in your tank. Coral Beauty, Flame, Potters, to name a few. The dwarf varieties are not as selective when it comes to feeding as some of the larger angels that have diets consisting largely of sponge. Most of the dwarf varieties are relatively hardy, and will eat a wide range of aquarium foods. I have a coral beauty who will eat brine, flake, sponge, spirulina, and just about anything on the menu. I would tell you that your tank needs to be running for awhile longer before introducing an angel. they need mature systems and all do much better with ample live rock to graze on. You would be o.k. with an angel once your tank has been up for about six. months. Also, there are many more varieties of dwarfs to choose from, so do some research and you'll find something that suits you. JWT

[Ninong]

Hi Johliatay, welcome to Reefland!

There is not much I can add to the excellent advice from jwtrojan44 except to caution you that even the Centropyge spp. angels can sometimes present problems in reef tanks. Some individuals may nip at clam mantles and coral polyps from time to time. Other individuals may never cause serious problems.

Three possible candidates, if you are willing to risk it, would be Centropyge argi, C. loriculus and C. bispinosus. You really should wait a few more months for your tank to mature a bit more first. Here is a good link: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FlameA.htm

Ninong