Angelfishes for  Marine Aquariums Diversity, Selection & Care New eBook on Amazon: Available here New Print Book on Create Space: Available here by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Asfur Angel This message is for Bob Fenner if possible.   Bob, I spoke to you a little over a week ago about getting my Asfur Angel to eat (what I want him to eat).  I have tried every kind of frozen food (Formula 1, 2, angel formula, Blood Worms, Mysis shrimp, Prime Reef, fresh fish, shrimp and the like.   He is doing/acting great.  He is quite territorial also.   He loves live brine shrimp (which I have tried to not give him) but refuses to all but nibble anything else (If I did not know better I would say he is doing this intentionally!!!)  He wont really even touch Seaweed.  He does constantly nibble on the macro algae (unidentified red brushy, and Caulerpa) and the live rock. Any idea on what I can do to get this guy to see things my way?  I am worried now as it has been a few weeks of this.   He still looks great though and is not loosing weight (as best I can tell). <Not to worry... very likely this fish will soon start eating all hungrily. Do try soaking the assorted foods in a vitamin and HUFA mix (variously sold as appetite stimulants in our interest) for several minutes ahead of offering> His new big tank is on order so he should be happy (my daughter loves this fish and calls him "The King of the Red Sea", cute for only being 5 years old). Thanks again for your help and Happy Holidays!!! Andrew <And to you and yours. Bob Fenner>
Re: Asfur Angel This message is to Bob Fenner if possible.   It is a continuation from a prior message.    Bob, the Asfur is doing well.  He is actually turning out to not be very shy.  He loves to eat the different organisms off the live rock (Caulerpa, and I guess red colored sponge or macro algae) and chase the other fish.  He is not eating the prepared food I am offering (Formula 2, Angel Formula, Flake, Sea Weed on a clip, and even Julian Sprung's veggie flakes).  To try and get him started, I got some live Brine (I know not good nutritionally but only live LFS had) and he loves this stuff. <No problems feeding Artemia occasionally... analogous to you and I "healthy" candy bars> What should I do to try and get him to eat?   He is not skinny at all thanks to my 5 + year old live rock but I got to get him to eat for the long-term. <Keep trying the prepared foods... or to save time, money, consider making your own... blended meaty seafoods and a binder, frozen into cubes, or into flat sheets that are easy to break chunks off of. Bob Fenner> Thanks for the help

Asfur Angel non-problems Hello, Sorry I've been sending so many questions lately but the asfur angel i bought doesn't eat much. I have had him for about a week and he eats little tiny pieces of frozen shrimp and seaweed selects I've tried flake food and angel formulas but it wont touch that the other fish in the tank are an Assasi trigger and a stars and stripes puffer. He is not getting thin but he doesn't eat much and what i was worried about was his health. I would think he would be doing good now because it is a 125 and there is 150 pounds of in live rock for him to hide in.  <And also to search through, sample as food... Please don't over-worry re this specimen... Pomacanthus (Arusetta) asfur is a very tough, suitable aquarium species... especially the new tank bred ones (which is very likely what you have... If it isn't "getting thin" your specimen is eating... and will learn to take more captive fare with age, growth> So what else would you recommend feeding him? It will probably take a year until i can setup the swimming pool for them and i am going to go with the Rubbermaid type pools instead. I am going to put the Conspiculatus angel in it because if him and the asfur fight i will take one out and put it in the 125. Do you know of very many people that can keep the angels or are they hard to keep like the blue ribbon eel? <Do know a few rich folks who keep them... not near as hard, hit or miss as Rhinomuraena> I am going to be having all large fish in this tank so how many fish could i have that are going to be a foot long i was going for around 6 big fish do you think this will work? <No, too crowded> I was thinking my puffer a mappa the 2 angels the trigger and a sohal tang maybe a Naso also. What tangs usually do better the sohal or clowns because i am going to get one Thursday? <See the reviews of all tang species on the site: www.WetWebMedia.com Bob Fenner>

My beautiful Mac (angel) I have been a saltwater enthusiast for well over 10 years but early on I had trouble keeping Angels of any kind alive. I attributed that to my own inexperience and poor conditions of my tank .Now I have the finances to try again and recently purchased one of the new tank raised Mac Angels. <These are fabulous specimens... very hardy, adaptable to aquarium conditions... accept all foods, colorful, intelligent, friendly...> Its quite a specimen and I've read up on your Q and A and saw where you mention that their diet should be 50% vegetable. I've been feeding leaf lettuce and spinach but it seems to go straight through it with out being digested .  <Yes, skip terrestrial greens> I recently bought some O.S.I. Spirulina flake food and it seems to love it but I was wondering is this an acceptable amount of vegetable matter in its diet. <Not totally no... best actually to grow some macro-algae... and have some micro-algae available via live rock...> I've tried Julian Sprung's dried sea weeds but it just turns it nose to them. I've seen lager specimens and I just want to make sure this angel is with me for the duration .As for tank conditions all parameters are kept in check through monitors and dosing. The tank is 200 g with MH lighting ,wet dry filtration, A.E. Tech evolution 750 skimmer and 250 lbs of live rock (Fiji branch and general Caribbean). Tankmates include a dwarf lion ,Black Volitans and Blue line trigger with the possibility of maybe adding a golden tail moray .Any further advice I obtain from you would be greatly appreciated -Thanks <Please read through the Food/Feeding FAQs on our site: www.WetWebMedia.com and consider the live rock/algae route. Bob Fenner>

Angelfishes for  Marine Aquariums Diversity, Selection & Care New eBook on Amazon: Available here New Print Book on Create Space: Available here by Robert (Bob) Fenner