Angelfish

French Angelfish

Pomacanthus paru

Photos: Wilhelm Bogershausen © copyright. All rights reserved

A beautiful addition to an aquarium, French angels adult specimens may become destructive to a reef so it is generally recommended that you keep a single specimen.

The French Angel is found around shallow reefs and reef rubble in the Atlantic. These fish do fairly well in aquariums and prefer lots of rockwork to feel comfortable. The Juvenile French Angel should be kept in a tank of 100 gallons or larger, so it'll have ample room to roam. They will spend most of their day grazing algae that grows on live rock. They should not be kept with other Angels and only one should be kept per tank.

Caution should be used when considering placing an angel in a reef system tank, as their constant nibbling can reduce a prized coral into tatters in a short amount of time. Featherdusters, anemones, clams and other shellfish are regular targets for angels.

The French Angelfish feeds on algae, small crustaceans and worms close to the bottom. It is important that Angelfish are offered both vegetable and protein matter in their diets. A varied diet of spirulina, marine algae, high-quality angelfish preparations, and mysid or frozen shrimp will ensure healthy coloration and metabolic development.

French Angels begin their lives as an indeterminate sex, before becoming female. Females may turn into males as they develop. In a group of females without a male, an adult female may become a male. Many breed when one releases a gamete, or sex cell, which induces a courtship display of swimming, then spawning, then chasing each other. Because the fry of most Angels are planktonic in nature, they have proven extremely difficult to raise.

Compatibility: Anglers, Anthias, Basslets, Batfish, Blennies, Boxfish, Butterflies, Chromis, Clownfish, Damsels, Dragonets, Eels, Foxface, Grunts, Hawkfish, Hogfish, Parrotfish, Puffers, Squirrelfish, Tangs, Surgeons, Wrasse, Live Rock and Sand.

Avoid these tankmates: Anemones, Groupers, Lionfish.

Angelfish Care:

They should not be exposed to the physical stresses of a newly established marine tank. The aquarium should be set up and running for three or four months before adding any species of angelfish. This ensures that the nitrogen cycle in the tank has been completed and the levels of ammonia and nitrite are so low as to be immeasurable.

Acclimating Angelfish is very important, as these fish have been known to go into shock.

Angelfish Related Articles:

Pygmy angelfish aggression and compatibility. Because the members of this group are small, they are often housed in small aquariums, which is the worst thing you could possibly do if you plan on keeping passive fish (e.g., seahorses, pipefishes, batfishes, leopard wrasses, flasher wrasses, highfin shrimp gobies, fire gobies, dart gobies) in the same tank.

Sea Anemone: The long tentacles are equipped with stinging cells that paralyze prey. Anemones required excellent water conditions, moderate to strong current and intense lighting. A minimum light intensity of 10,000 lux is indispensable for them to survive and grow.

Coral Reef: Although corals are often mistaken for rocks or plants, they are actually composed of tiny, fragile animals called polyps. A polyp is a spineless animal. Polyps can be the size of a pinhead while others are larger, sometimes a foot in diameter. One coral branch is covered by thousands of these animals.