Rock Beauty Angel-Should I Even Try?

[TastesLikeChicken]

So there is a beautiful Rock Beauty Angel at the LFS. A bit disappointed that they are carrying it given the difficulty with feeding them. Nonetheless, if I they can show me that he is eating, should I try keeping him? He will be in a 180 gallon FOWLER tank. I consider myself an advanced intermediate hobbyist. Or should I just leave it alone? Thanks in advance.

 

[littlefoxx]

So there is a beautiful Rock Beauty Angel at the LFS. A bit disappointed that they are carrying it given the difficulty with feeding them. Nonetheless, if I they can show me that he is eating, should I try keeping him? He will be in a 180 gallon FOWLER tank. I consider myself an advanced intermediate hobbyist. Or should I just leave it alone? Thanks in advance.

I say if its eating go for it

 

[Cheese Griller]

if you do decide to purchase it, they like food with a lot of sponge, so getting it to eat something with high sponge content will improve your long-term chances with it.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

if you do decide to purchase it, they like food with a lot of sponge, so getting it to eat something with high sponge content will improve your long-term chances with it.

Hikari has a frozen food with sponge as its main ingredient. But every web site I looked at says it’s sold out. Any ideas of where I can find food with sponge in it? Thanks.

 

[littlefoxx]

Hikari has a frozen food with sponge as its main ingredient. But every web site I looked at says it’s sold out. Any ideas of where I can find food with sponge in it? Thanks.

Theres a supplement from brightwell aquatics called angel lexer and its also really good. I add that to food as well when I have angels in my tank. Not a replacement for sponge but worth it and would probably benefit the angel until the angel food comes back in stocks

 

[Cheese Griller]

Hikari has a frozen food with sponge as its main ingredient. But every web site I looked at says it’s sold out. Any ideas of where I can find food with sponge in it? Thanks.

Unfortunately not, but most angel-specific foods have high sponge content, that’s where I would look!

 

[Jerry Barnes]

Have had one for three years in my FOWLR. I feed homemade food containing mysis, shrimp and scallops. Never feed any special food.

 

[rc1626]

Coming from someone who has purchased a few over the years they truly are hit and miss on eating. Check to see if it is eating at the store. I've purchased approximately around five in my time reefing. The first successful fish was bought from Live Aquaria's Divers Den back when they were reputable. It ate any food I put in from frozen to flakes to pellets. I had to relegate it to my sump when it started to eat the eyes off of any ornamental shrimp I put in the tank. Unfortunately it jumped out and perished. I had that one for three years or more. After purchasing a couple more over the years they would last for a short time and slowly perish due to not eating enough.

I just recently purchased another through KP Aquatics online. I've had it a week and it seems to be doing very well. It took a couple of days but it did start to eat. They post on their website that they typically get them eating pellets but I did not take note of this initially. (I should have asked) I tried a mix of frozen mysis, Rod's and LRS. It would try to eat but spit out. After visiting the website again and noticing the diet they fed I gave the pellets a try. Out of three types of pellets, (Omega One, New Life Spectrum & an old container of Ocean Nutrition Formula One) it would only eat the old Ocean Nutrition pellets. Go Figure!!! For a couple of days I soaked the pellets in Selcon before I added them to the tank and it ate them up.

The Rock Beauty is in a 75 gallon with a pair of clowns, a cleaner wrasse, cherub angel and a purple tang and sailfin tang. Over the past three days or so I notice that when I feed the rest of the tank the mysis the rock beauty is now devouring that as well. My hope is that this will continue which I think it's looking good.

They are an absolutely beautiful fish and one of my favorites. Certainly check to see if it is eating before you purchase. They are certainly capable of eating a variety of foods. If you do purchase make sure to try to feed a variety of different food options. As in my case all it took was a specific pellet to get it going.

Good luck with whatever decision you choose and hope the info provided helps.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Coming from someone who has purchased a few over the years they truly are hit and miss on eating. Check to see if it is eating at the store. I've purchased approximately around five in my time reefing. The first successful fish was bought from Live Aquaria's Divers Den back when they were reputable. It ate any food I put in from frozen to flakes to pellets. I had to relegate it to my sump when it started to eat the eyes off of any ornamental shrimp I put in the tank. Unfortunately it jumped out and perished. I had that one for three years or more. After purchasing a couple more over the years they would last for a short time and slowly perish due to not eating enough.

I just recently purchased another through KP Aquatics online. I've had it a week and it seems to be doing very well. It took a couple of days but it did start to eat. They post on their website that they typically get them eating pellets but I did not take note of this initially. (I should have asked) I tried a mix of frozen mysis, Rod's and LRS. It would try to eat but spit out. After visiting the website again and noticing the diet they fed I gave the pellets a try. Out of three types of pellets, (Omega One, New Life Spectrum & an old container of Ocean Nutrition Formula One) it would only eat the old Ocean Nutrition pellets. Go Figure!!! For a couple of days I soaked the pellets in Selcon before I added them to the tank and it ate them up.

The Rock Beauty is in a 75 gallon with a pair of clowns, a cleaner wrasse, cherub angel and a purple tang and sailfin tang. Over the past three days or so I notice that when I feed the rest of the tank the mysis the rock beauty is now devouring that as well. My hope is that this will continue which I think it's looking good.

They are an absolutely beautiful fish and one of my favorites. Certainly check to see if it is eating before you purchase. They are certainly capable of eating a variety of foods. If you do purchase make sure to try to feed a variety of different food options. As in my case all it took was a specific pellet to get it going.

Good luck with whatever decision you choose and hope the info provided helps.

Wonderful info. Thank you!

 

[GT3000XX]

I have a pair of Bicolor Angels and feed them SanFransico Bay Brand Angel and Butterfly as well as other foods.

Angel & Butterfly Fish Food

Share This Page: Fish Food - Frozen Natural Formulated Diets Angel & Butterfly Frozen Angel & Butterfly Formula For All Saltwater Carnivores & O ...

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[TastesLikeChicken]

I have a pair of Bicolor Angels and feed them SanFransico Bay Brand Angel and Butterfly as well as other foods.

Angel & Butterfly Fish Food

Share This Page: Fish Food - Frozen Natural Formulated Diets Angel & Butterfly Frozen Angel & Butterfly Formula For All Saltwater Carnivores & O ...

sfbb.com

I saw that they carry this at the Petco in town. I’ll buy some before I bring him home.

 

[Jerry Barnes]

I've had this guy for several years. They do seem to be a rather slow grower. He's doubled his size in a few years. He was a poor eater at first. I left in QT for three months to get him eating mysis and frozen brine aggressively. During his time in the main tank he has got to the point of eating anything that I throw in. Pellets, flakes, shrimp, scallops and my home made food. I purchased him/her from NY Aquatic.

 

[klc]

I've had a small Rock Beauty angel for a few months now, he is the first fish to the surface when I feed in the morning. He will devour frozen mysis, spirulina brine, flakes, and push his way to the front of the line when the nori clip is put in LOL. He's in a fowlr with rabbitfish, tangs, puffers, files etc. It's interesting to note that although he does pick at the rocks pretty much non stop, he does NOT eat the visible sponges that grow on the undersides of the rocks.

I think the success of a Rock Beauty is more about an individual fish rather than the species as a whole. Some of the info that is available about them may not be accurate. It could be a matter of how and where they were collected also. The best LFS in my area typically always has multiples of them in stock at any given time. I was a bit concerned when I first got him due to all of the bad publicity I read regarding their specialized diet, but as it turns out mine will eat almost anything I put in, and as much quantity as I put in. He may die of something but it isn't going to be from starvation.

My RB is kind of a jerk to my much larger blotched rabbitfish, the rabbitfish almost always has a bite mark or two on his side from the RB poking at him. It's nothing that I'm too concerned about but it does occur. Just something to take into consideration, they can be aggressive.