Pairing up Emperor Angels 7/16/04
Hi, <Hi Lynn, MacL here with you today.>
Is it possible to introduce 2 small juv emperor angelfish and have them actually pair up? <It is possible but it is NOT probable.>  Have you heard of anyone being successful with this? <Honestly no. I even know someone who put five in together and never got a pair.> If so, what size should they be when first introduced. <As small as you can possibly get them would be your best bet.>
Oh, they would be in a 340 gallon established tank with a few other small non angelfish. <In that size of tank even if they don't pair you might be able to successfully keep them but you might have some fights. <Good luck, Lynn, I'm always interested in the idea of breeding these fish, so if you attempt this please let me know. Also you might want to go to www.breeders-registry.com. MacL>
thank you
Lynn

- The Emperor has no Space -
Hi Guys,
<Good evening, JasonC here...>
I have received good advice from the crew in the past and hope maybe you can help me with my current problem.
I have an Imperator Angel 6" adult in a 90 gallon tank, I know this is small for this fish, but house is too small for bigger tank, I also have a 125 gallon community tank. <This fish should really be in the 125...> My problem is that the Imperator has large faded white spots all over it's body, I treated with Copper Safe and after 4 days the spots went away, I kept the copper in the 10 days as suggested then started to pull it out with copper remover, poly filter and water changes, within 2 days the spots started to reappear and are most noticeable in the morning and less at night. I then suspected that maybe it is a vitamin deficiency so I give the fish Nori algae every day and at first it seemed to work, the spots went away, I really thought I solved the problem, but within 2 days the spots came back. My nitrates are not terrible for a fish only tank 20ppm, I don't know what to do next, any advice would be appreciated. <The white spots are typically caused by water quality issues, but can also be a general indicator of mood, as in the fish is not happy in it's current surrounds. These fish get much larger that this and are used to much more room to roam. I would look carefully into collateral damage from the copper treatment, as it typically stalls out biological filtration. Do a couple of decent-sized [25%] water changes and go from there.>
Thanks
Fred
<Cheers, J -- >

- Baked Emperor -
Gentleman,
<Good morning, JasonC here.>
I have an Emperor Angel.  He has been fat and happy since the day I bought him.  Has just started to turn colors and has stopped eating and is quite lethargic.  I don't know what is wrong.  Water parameters are good although the temp gets to around 88 this time of year due to the heat and humidity.  Any suggestions??
<Yeah, do something about that temperature, it is much too high.>
tks
John
Cape Cod
<Cheers, J -- >

Fish health/disease
Dear Mr. Fenner,
Thanks in advance for your assistance! I have an adult Emperor Angelfish that has been in my Fish Only community tank for two years. Over the last month, he appears multi-symptomatic.
1) He is not eating and hides a lot.
2) He has a slight equilibrium problem (waddle side to side as he sits).
3) Breathing is regular yet his mouth seems almost a little more open then regular.
4) He flicks on occasion (every few minutes or during light feeding) but I never see him scratch against anything.
5) His pelvic fins are held close to the body and losing color.
6) He has white pits in the skin around the eyes.
7) He also has white patches in various spots on his body (scratch-like appearance and they disappear/reappear in different locations in a couple hours time).
8) His eyes are clear.
9) His tail and pectoral fins are cloudy white and receding from tip toward the body.
In response, I've reduced the lighting and feeding in the tank to about 25%, increased aeration and have started lowering the salinity (1.019).
Its been a few days since I did that and he's started moving around a little more. I still need to get a heater to raise the temp.
Water conditions: 0 ammonia 0 nitrite 20 nitrate .2 phosphate 78-80degrees pH 8.0
Given past information you have made available, I don't think the condition is bacterial because of his eyes being clear. My local store says to dip him to help (maybe the flukes). Do you think this is a good idea? What is the likelihood that its fungal (the fin deterioration concerns me) and if so, how should I treat?
<Hmm, I am inclined to not dip this specimen, and to think that this is either (most likely) a nutritional deficiency disorder (could be related to water quality) or a long-term internal parasite evidencing itself... Would do the following. Add the food supplement Selcon to this animals rations (soak it in a few drops for five, ten minutes) AND add some iodide to this (Lugol's solution is fine)... Do you have a way to culture some "live rock and macro-algae" in either this system or a related sump? I would... as an alternate food source and best way to improve water quality...>
Thanks, Jason Lockhart
<We will return this fish to health. Bob Fenner>

Re: fish health/disease
Mr. Fenner,
Thanks for your quick response! I noted in #1 that the fish is not eating.
He only flicks about when food is in the water or the tank is stirred up
(cleaning). I do have a sump that is currently full with protein
skimmer/return pup/carbon bag. I don't know if I'm ready to dump the plastic
balls and do algae and mud.
<Your livestock are ready>
I have considered live rock but I'm afraid of
the water being affected.
<It will be... improved>
I could still bring some home from the store as I
intend to add a heater and purchase some Selcon (the other fish still eat).
<Yes>
Not to argue with your initial opinion, but I read a bit on the website
about dipping. Won't it help to 'wash his slime coat' and nip the necrotic
fin tissue temporarily? I know its stressful but I think it may slow down
the rot.
<Always trade-offs... and never be hesitant to challenge/query anything I (or anyone for the matter) might state... IMO/E your fish will/would suffer much more trauma from handling than any possible gain from washing... Perhaps a cleaner organism like a Lysmata Shrimp, Gobiosoma goby?>
Thanks so much for your prompt response! You are very kind.
<I am myself... and glad to offer help. Bob Fenner>
Jason Lockhart

Re: fish health/disease
Mr. Fenner,
Thanks again for your input. I will go ahead and add a couple pounds of rock
and a heater to the aquarium. I do have a blue cleaner wrasse in the tank
for parasites. I also have a dwarf potter, a yellow spot wrasse, percula
clown and two damsels to top it off.
I don't intend to add anymore fish esp. with my angel's condition and aquarium
load. I'll let you know how it goes. Thank you and best wishes!
Gratefully, Jason Lockhart
<Ahh, life to you my friend. Bob Fenner>

Size of Fish per Size of Tank
I have a 75g reef system, and just love emperor angels. I have a chance to get a small Red Sea juvenile. I'm wondering how long it would take to outgrow a 75g before I can move up to a 125g tank? Can an emperor survive in a 75g tank permanently? <He would probably be okay for about a year.  It will not be able to live in there long term as they can grow to be 16?.  Cody>

Imperator stopped eating !!!
Hi guys need your help !!!
I have an Imperator in an predator tank (Clown Trigger and Snowflake Eel)
Last week I noticed that he had a couple of marks on one of his fins. I kept
an eye on it to see if it spread and it didn't so was able to rule out
disease
I am guessing that he probably got nipped by my clown but again am guessing
Well, his appetite has slowly gone away
I have been feeding him brine shrimp, krill and giving him some seaweed type
stuff in the morning (can't remember it's name. they use it for sushi but
was recommended by my LFS)< The brine is pretty worthless accept as a occasional treat.  Instead try feeding him Mysis shrimp or one of the angel formulas available.>
Anyway, he hasn't eaten anything over he past 2 days and appears to be
breathing pretty rapidly
Did a quick check on my levels and my no3 is at approx 20ppm is so is in
line...Salinity is pretty stable a 1.020...Ran out PH so wasn't able to
check it....There may still be traces of copper in the system (Cupramine)
but that's probably because I used it in my main tank...I already
know...should have used the quarantine and will heed this advise in the
future
I only have approx 5 pc.s of living rock in my system, so there really isn't
a ton of hiding places for him to go...but I have been watching and haven't
seen any outright aggression
What should I do....This is once of my ultimate prizes and really want to
keep him if possible
Is it his co inhabitants ? Should I be looking to trade him ?
If I trade him in, what else can I put in the tank that will put up with my
clown trigger <  Angels can be very sensible to copper so lets work on getting rid of that first, this can be done with a poly filter, when it is removing copper it will turn a blue color.  Slowly raising the salinity up to 1.023-1,026 would also help.  Try to get those nitrates down to 0.  The tank mates might also be part of the problem as the trigger is very aggressive.  If you see the trigger bullying the angel one or the other will likely need to be removed.  Some more live rock would also help.  How big is this tank?  Check the rest of your water parameters ammonia, nitrite, and PH.  Ammonia and nitrite should be at 0 and PH 8.0-8.4. Cody>
Please advise
Thanks
Chris

Shredded Emperor
Hi guys, haven't had to talk to you for a while
<Drop by more often! Scott F. here today!>
My Imperator has one fin that appears to be ragged and fraying and am starting to believe that it is one of it's co-inhabitants (trigger or snow flake that may be causing this.
<Well, it certainly may be one of the other inhabitants, but it may also be caused by random contact with rock or coral, or even environmental factors>
Any suggestions on how I can correct ?
<Well, unfortunately, if it is caused by another fish "picking" on the Emperor, you're probably going to have to separate or remove the offending party! As a "supplemental" suggestion, keep an eye on the fish to make sure that the fins do not become infected. Keep the water quality high and the feedings plentiful and of good quality>
These animals are currently housed in a 110 gallon sparsely furnished tank...Maybe if I add some rock/hiding places might do the trick.
<That would certainly be a good idea if you suspect that someone is getting "frisky" in there. I'd try that before removing one of the animals. By creating more defined "territories" within the tank, you may be able to reduce the possibility of this happening on a continuous basis>
Let me know what you think Thanks. Chris
<I think that you have the right idea, Chris! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Fish Disease
Hello,
I have an Pomacanthus imperator.  I purchased him two days ago, and added him to my 75 gallon tank.  I also have a coral beauty who has been in the tank for 3 months.  I recently lost a juvenile Emperor and a Powder blue tang to some type of infection/disease.  My new Emperor has some type of infection/disease.  There are white blotches all over his body.  He has cloudy speckles on his eyes.  He is also breathing heavy, but he hasn't gone to the top of the water, or near the filtration.  He was previously in a
Dr.'s tank for three years, in which he was traded to the place in which I bought him from.  He is 5 inches and almost reached complete adult coloration.  He was eating fine the first two days, and now he is not really eating.  I added MelaFix today to the water.  I am not sure what he has.   What do you think the next step should be?  My coral beauty has been in there since the beginning and hasn't been sick once or shown any signs of illness.  He was my first fish, I have lost the Powder Blue, the juvenile Emperor, and now my adult Emperor is sick.  What should I do or what could the problem stem from.  I need to alleviate this problem.  Any help would be
greatly appreciated!
Respectfully,
Michael P. Parks  
<Hey Michael, could be some parasites lingering in the tank and only the stressed weakened fish are showing signs of infection.  The best thing would be to move the Emperor to a separate quarantine tank and get an exact ID of the disease, treatment with formalin should help.  The "Handbook of Fish diseases" by Untergasser is a good reference.  Best of luck, Gage>

(Too small) juvenile emperor angel
Good morning,
I have a quick question, I hope.  I bought a juvenile emperor (about 2
inches in length) for my 220g FOWLR tank.  All water parameters are good as
my other fish are doing very well.  The angel appeared fine at first,
although it did take about a week to start eating (brine shrimp).  The last
couple of days it has become completely lifeless, sitting on the gravel and
not swimming and picking around at the live rock, also has stopped eating.
I removed it last night as I noticed its fins becoming very ragged and its
tail almost disappearing over night.  I've watched carefully and do not
see any fish picking on it so I'm assuming it must be some type of
parasite.
<Or collateral "stress" reaction... resultant from capture, holding, shipping... through the chain of custody of the trade to you.>
I gave it a fresh water bath for 8 minutes last night and put it
into a quarantine tank.  I was going to put it through a copper treatment
for a couple of weeks to see if this helps, do you think this is the right
thing to do?  Any suggestions?  If I do put copper in this quarantine/sick
tank how long should it stay in there.  Thanks
<Mmm, please take a read through an old article on this species archived on our site here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/pomacanthus/imperator.htm
I encourage folks to acquire this fish at 10-14 cm... Yours was/is likely "too small" to start. I would not copper its water, but would isolate it as you have, place a bit of live rock for comfort, water conditioning, food availability, hope to coddle it back to health. Bob Fenner>
Joe

Emperor Angel concerns, observations
Hey Guys!
I have a few quick questions.  I just added 2 new fish to my tank and I have a few concerns.
Fist I purchased an Emperor Angel about 4 1/2 inches in length.  He is doing unbelievably well, alert, attentive, eating everything in site (even out of my hand).  I've had him for about 4 weeks now.  In that time I have noticed 2 things.  On two separate occasions he has had some slight discoloration on his fins. Two small while cloudy spot discolorations, once on his pectoral fin and once on his tail fin.  Very small, but nothing physical is attached to the fins.  They went away in a day or two and then appeared again about 2 weeks later in different areas and now are gone again.  Definitely not ich. He is behaving absolutely perfectly.   Also the very top portion of his body from his dorsal fin to just below it, is not as brilliantly colored as the rest of him.  I am feeding frozen sponge (angel formula), krill, brine shrimp, chopped scallops, little necks and plenty of red and purple seaweed salad and flake to keep the colors bright.  Is this a sign he changing to his adult coloration? <Possible - these fish can alter their coloration depending on mood... you might also want to investigate the water quality... make sure it is absolutely pristine.> Otherwise he is fat and happy and no other problems.  He is without question my most prized fish.  Am I just being over concerned? <Perhaps a little of that too, but it's always good to be on the watch.>
Secondly, at the same time I purchased my Emperor,  I also got a small panther grouper about 2 1/2 inches in length.  He appeared fine and saw him eat brine shrimp at the store.  I did notice I could see the redness of his lungs through his scales.  I wrote this off to his smallness and that his scales were very translucent and would darken with age.   He was kept in one of those small specimen tanks where fifty 1ft by 1ft by 1ft cubes are linked and stacked together on the wall utilizing the same filtration system with another panther grouper of similar size.  I cant believe it,  but he is not eating. <Not typical for a grouper... but I will just remind you that if it does start eating, be prepared for this fish to grow and dominate your tank. It is a grouper after all and capable of reaching over 18" in captivity.> I didn't think this would ever happen with one these guys.  From what I have read, these guys are supposed to be pigs. <That is correct.> Any time I place any of the foods mentioned above in the tank he is all over it, but I just don't see him eating it.  He will swim beside the food put his nose right up to it and stares at it. He even muscles his way for position among the other inhabitants to get close but just wont inhale it.  I did catch him take a small bite of chopped scallop about 2 weeks after I purchased him, and thought his shyness was cured but still not having much if any luck.  He is starting to look thin and bony and his color is starting to fade slightly. Although he is swimming strong and doesn't appear to have lost any activity with lack of food.  Any suggestions?? <You might want to isolate this fish in a quarantine tank until it starts eating again... give it space to itself, and also the ability for you to treat it should that become necessary.>
Lastly,  Powder Blue or Sohal Tang what's the call??  I currently have the emperor, purple tang, 5 green Chromis, 2 Firefish, the panther and a snowflake moray. <Well... how large is this tank? The Chromis and Firefish will be toast when that grouper grows up.> I cant decide.
Thanks for all your help.
John
Cape Cod
<Cheers, J -- >

The Emperor's long fins
I'm curious as to where the emperor angel comes from with the streamer on its dorsal fin?    i have an adult coloration emperor angel that's a good 7 inches with a streamer at the end of his dorsal fin?     can anybody tell me what part of the world he is from?  and the location?
<The elongation of unpaired fins in this (and many other fishes) is mostly a matter of size, age and excellent care, not source locale. You can look up Pomacanthus imperator on fishbase.org for this fish's distribution range>
  I've seen some jumbo sized adults without a streamer?  any clues as of why some get the streamers and some don't.     thanks in advance!
<Again, the trailing length of dorsal, caudal and sometimes anal fin rays is more a matter of good husbandry. Bob Fenner>

The Emperor's New...Disease?
Hello my name is Ryan.
<Hey, Ryan! Scott F. with you!>
This is my second time writing with a question and I would like to thank you for the quick response and great information on the first. My question this time deals with a sick fish. The fish is an Emperor angel and he has developed some white clumpy regions around his face and also going on down his back. I read about Lymphocystis on your website and that was my best diagnosis. The spots are larger than ick and they almost have a pattern to them as they are only on the face and a straight line down the back. I prepared to let it run its course but some of the spots have gotten to the point where blood is showing around them. He has also stopped eating and is hanging out around the return flow from the filter. This makes me think that he may be having some respiratory problems.
<Lymphocystis generally clears up on it's own. On the other hand, the fact that your fish appears to be listless, hanging in front of the filter return seems to be indicative of something more serious, IMO. In fact, the difficulty in breathing suggests the possibility of Amyloodinium. The spots may be the damage caused to the fish's tissue by the parasite. The tissue is essentially being liquefied. I would take the risk and operate under the assumption that this is the illness which you are dealing with. You must take quick action to save the fish's life.>
Should I quarantine and treat? If so, what should I use? I hate to stress him out any more. I really need some help.
<The first thing that I would do is read up on Amyloodinium to verify if this is what you're dealing with. Once you're satisfied that this is the case, I'd opt to remove the affected fish to a separate aquarium, and commence treatment with a commercial copper sulphate preparation, following the instructions of the product exactly. You may want to incorporate a freshwater drip prior to commencing the copper treatment. If this is Amyloodinium, it may be necessary to remove all fishes from the aquarium, and let the tank run fallow for about a month. This disease is highly contagious, and often fatal if left untreated. Monitor copper levels and observe the fish continuously during this period of time, maintain high water quality, and good aeration. Hopefully, with quick, decisive action, you'll beat this disease!>
Thank you so much for your help. Keep up the great website! I have learned some much from your wonderful work. Thanks again! ~ Ryan
<We're always glad to help, Ryan. I hope that, if we're right about this diagnosis, your fish makes a full recovery. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

The Emperor's New...Disease (Pt2)
Ryan again. Thanks again for the quick response. I did what you suggested and did a little research on Amyloodinium. I sure hope that is not what I am dealing with!
<Me, too!>
As of now I am a little unsure. Everything that I read said that Amyloodinium looks like a rusty like powder covering the fish's body and infected regions.
<That's usually correct...I'm a bit curious, though, about the apparent skin damage to the fish. I'm convinced that we may be dealing with some type of parasite here. maybe monogenetic trematodes, or, perhaps, even Microsporidean (a protozoan infection). >
This is not the case with my Emperor. He doesn't display any rusty discolorations, only the white raised regions that are about twice the size of ick spots. They do appear to be deep into the skin and he does have some cloudiness in his eyes. I am not sure where to go from here. Can Amyloodinium present itself in this way?
<Amyloodinium does cause cloudy eyes and labored breathing.> Also it doesn't seem to be spreading to any of the other fish and from what I have read Amyloodinium is highly contagious.
<Correct!>
I did a water change and it seemed to help but my water quality has never been a problem (pH: 8, NH3: 0, NO2: 0, NO3: 10). I
attached a couple of pictures.
<Sorry, Ryan, I couldn't get them to open...>
I don't know if they are detailed enough or not but I need all the help I can get. Thanks a lot for the expert advice. It is very much appreciated ~ Ryan
<Well, Ryan, since we still don't have 100% ID on the illness here, we may have to attempt some "broad and simple" treatments, at least to get the fish on the road to recovery, without further stressing it. I'd start with freshwater dips, removal to a separate tank, and use of Methylene Blue, which is a very gentle (albeit not super effective) treatment. Perhaps these methods will turn the tide for this fish. If, however, more symptoms appear, or the symptoms are getting worse, I'd make my best guess as to the cause (assuming that it's a parasitic infection), and utilize copper sulphate, as per manufacturer's instructions. With labored breathing, and other symptoms present, this fish needs some help soon. Keep in touch- Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Emperor Angel compatibility
Hi, I have a question.  I was wondering if it is possible to mix two Emperor
Angels in a 209G tank?
<Not a good idea>
Will they fight, and if not is it better to get a size
difference between the two?
<Too much likelihood>
I currently have a 5 inch one in a Quarantine tank
and we have one at the LFS I work at for the past 2 months (the fish has been
there).  The other one is around 3.5 inches.  Both have adult coloration.  Also
the Imperator I have currently gets Angel Formula, Special Formula VHP (bought
her from a guy that didn't realize the angel had a bad case of HLLE), Formula
One, Formula Two, dried seaweed by Julian Sprung (green, red, and purple), and
live sponges.  Does this sound like a good diet for her?  Her HLLE has gone down
drastically and have had her for 3 weeks.  Thanks!  Kim
<Do you have much in the way of live rock in this system? Should be okay with this as supplement. Bob Fenner>

Recovering Emperor
Hi guys
<Scott F. your guy today>
I have an adult Emperor Angel which I treated for ICH when I first got him 6 weeks ago and no longer see any sign of that infestation.
<That's good to hear>
My problem now is that his color has blanched (overall and even more in certain spots) and his eyes became cloudy.  I have been treating him with Maracyn 2 for 6 days and the overall color has improved a bit, his eyes are not nearly as cloudy but then again not yet perfect.  He still has numerous faded spots.  In reading
the "faq's" on your site, I see that this is a common problem and also noted that Maracyn 2 might not be the way to go.  What should my course of action be and how long should it take to cure him?  
<Well, use of a product such as Maracyn is certainly acceptable to help reduce the possibility of secondary infection. However, if you think about it, this fish has been through the trauma of illness, and the stress of treatment (albeit, a successful one) over the last few weeks, so it may be time to give him a break from medication for a while.>
Are the faded spots "normal" for this fish?  He is being treated in a 10 gal QT tank.  Thanks as always. Joe
<I have noticed this with a number of Emperors after disease treatment. I think that some of this discoloration may be the result of skin damage from the parasites, and possibly even from the treatment itself (prolonged copper treatments can damage some fishes). Another thought is that it is a result of imperfect water quality (which sometimes happens in a treatment tank, where water volumes are small...Keep up the good water quality...Execute frequent, small water changes, and observe this fish carefully. Feed high quality food, and I'm sure that you'll see some dramatic improvement in this fish soon! Good luck! Scott F>

The Emperor's New...Respiration Rate?
HI,  
<Hello! Scott F. here!>
I have spent the evening reading your faq and answers regarding angelfish, particularly ones regarding the Emperor.  I recently purchased--about 4 weeks ago -a juvenile Emperor (about  3.5").  He is very active in the tank, but I have noticed his breathing patterns vary.  When I first noticed, I checked all my tank parameters, and even took at sample to my LFS.  They said
everything seemed normal, but the phosphate level was on the high side. I did a water change---about 15 gal in a 55 gal aquarium, and bought some phosphate absorbing material which I added to the carbon in my canister filter....He's had a few bouts with ick, I treated him with freshwater dips, and purchased a 15w UV sterilizer.  Since then the ick seems to be under control..  I am still concerned with his breathing...it just appears to be
high...i read on the webpage that it is not recommended to purchase one if it's rate was greater than 80 breaths per min.  His fluctuates, and does sometimes go above 80.  Also, there have been a few times when I have noticed that he'll just use one gill, when this happens his breathing appears normal on the other side not rapid).  I have become quite attached to having this
fish in my tank...and would hate for anything to happen to it.....is there reason for me to worry?
<Very interesting observations. I have personally observed this phenomenon in a number of Emperors. For the most part, it has never been problematic, in the long term, for any of the specimens that I have witnessed this phenomenon on. Labored breathing and recent disease is cause for heightened alertness on your part. As you may know, one of the symptoms of Amyloodinium is rapid, labored breathing. Labored breathing on a newly acquired specimen could be as a result of collection trauma, or even poisoning... Probably not a concern with your fish, but do keep a close eye on this fish just to be safe.> I have a 55 gal tank, with live rock, a SeaClone protein skimmer, mag350 canister filter, a whisper 30-60 hang on filter, 2 powerheads, 15watt UV sterilizer, a maroon clown, 4 green Chromis, a few cleaner shrimp, and cleaner wrasse, along with a few corals and anenomes.  I do bi weekly water changes with premixed ro/di saltwater from my LFS.
<Good husbandry- you need excellent water quality to keep this fish healthy and happy in the long run! And, I hope that larger quarters are in the future for him? He'll definitely need a large tank to live a normal life span, okay?>
I am trying to learn as much as i can about these fish.....how much should a fish like this grow in a years time?...When will it start going through it's  maturation process, and change color?....
<Usually happens at anywhere between 1 year and 18 months of age...and usually around 5 inches in size. This guy can get large in a couple of years...he needs larger quarters within the year, IMO>
Your site has been the best I've been regarding information on angelfish...I would appreciate any help you can give me....
Thanks, Ronnie
<Well, Ronnie, the Emperor is my all-time favorite fish, too! If you provide him with high water quality, a varied diet...and a large tank- you'll have a magnificent pet that can live for many, many years! Just keep reading all that you can about this fish on the wetwebmedia.com site! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Sick Emperor
I mailed about one week ago and received a gracious reply by Anthony. I had treated my Emperor Angel with copper, FW dips, Marex, and Greenex in a vain, uneducated effort to rid him of Cryptocaryon. I was advised to do FW dips for 8 days with daily vacuuming of the bare bottom. I have done 4 days of dips and vacuuming but the ich persists. In fact, the distal part of his anal fins are starting to shred. He still eats and acts normally, but his clinical condition is not getting better, in fact he is worsening. Plus, my last FW dip yielded some unusual results. The water I put him in was crystal clear, pH adjusted, and isothermic. After transferring him back to his quarantine tank, I noticed a few (4-8) scale-like objects floating around in the FW dip container. They were mostly clear, but they looked to me like large scales (2-3 mm clear plates). Potentially corresponding to less-pigmented areas that exist on his body and head, however he had this before the last dip. It doesn't have a head and lateral line distribution. Should I continue FW dips?
<I would have made a decision on a good course of action and stuck with it. Jumping around from treatment to treatment (as it seems you have done) is not helping. FW dips and daily water changes can be very effective, but will not cure your fish over night.>
Is this HLLE?
<No, likely damage from the parasites boring into the skin and handling.>
I am tempted to take my chances and acclimate him to the main tank.
<Oh God no!>
He would more stability of water quality and have a better variety of algae on the LR in the main tank.
<And get to infect your entire tank, too.>
I feed him angel formula, red and green algae on clips, and vitamin-enriched flakes now, but maybe he could get more in the main tank. Desperately yours, John
<Please, for your sake and that of your fish, complete one full treatment protocol before going on to the next. -Steven Pro>

Imperator
Guys
I bought a 5" Imperator from my LFS last week who had him for only a few days.  When you try to catch this guy he sinks to the bottom of the tank and curls up into what can only be described as a fetal position. After playing dead, all of his color drains.  If that's not enough, he has Ich so I am treating him with copper.  The problem lies in his coloration.  Even 24 hours after catching him and acclimating him to the QT, his color is blanched in
various spots.  Craziest thing is that the places seem to change from time to time.  I have yet to see him without some parts of his body washed out.  Do you believe that this is a reaction to stress (new surroundings, movement, copper) or some type of bacterial infection?  Thanks as always. Joe
<Definitely stress.  Provide some plastic hiding places and reduce the lighting to relieve stress. Move slowly and give him some time, stress can kill, be careful!  Test copper twice a day and make sure you stay on top of water quality in the QT.  Craig>

Off-color Imperator
Greetings all. How is the weather in your area? Good I hope. All is well here in Florida.
<dude... its December and I'm in Pittsburgh>
On to my woes . . . I have been quarantining a gorgeous Emperor Angelfish for about 5 weeks now. Initially I gave him ich by doing a water change with ich-infested main tank water (my two tangs got ich due to a temperature fluctuation with has been corrected). I coppered him for one week with little to no improvement.
<for future reference please know that angels are extremely sensitive to copper. Very fine line between cure and kill. I recommend formalin and FW dips instead here>
BTW,  am doing 2-3 gallon water changes every other day with freshly mixed (and aerated x 24 hours) saltwater SPS 1.019 - 1.021. I am doing freshly mixed changes due to not be able to use the ich-infested water in main tank. The symptoms are gone now, but still doing fresh changes waiting to break ich life cycle.
<excellent>
After Copper Safe x 1 week, I replaced the carbon for two days and did 50% water change.  Next I tried Murex. That did absolutely NO GOOD, in fact he got worse. Now with splotches of white one his body. Carbon and 50% water change. Next I tried Greenex.
<aiiieeee!>
He improved slightly. After three every other day treatments I started fresh water dips x 3 days.
<FW dips better... easy on the drugs there dealer-man>
The freshwater dips have worked wonders.
<Oh, ya... as they should>
He looked great three days ago. Therefore I stopped the fresh water dips. Tonight he has more ich on his pectoral fins and white splotches on his body . . . AGAIN!! What can I possibly do next?
<no more drugs please. Without ever having touching a med, Ich can be cured in a bare bottomed QT tank with a single FW dip and floor siphon every day for 8 consecutive days (breaks life cycle of parasite). Tried and true.>
I have treated this poor fish with just about everything I can think of. 
<over treated my friend... the meds might kill him in the 2 months picture as some stored in fat cells get used up. Delayed overdose>
I am afraid I am going to kill him with kindness.
<I admire your hard work here greatly. Simply maintain good water quality, a quiet stable QT tank, and do the 8 day FW dip and floor siphon (5-10%) each day. All will be fine likely>
He still eats very well, and behaves normally. Help. John Michael
PS. The main tank has been symptom-free for three weeks. I was planning on putting him in the main tank this weekend, but I don't want to now that he his "sick" again.,
<there is no possible way that fish can go in now. They need to be 2 weeks disease free before entry. That means he is at least 3 weeks away. Best regards, Anthony>

Faded Imperator
Hi Guys
<Hello!>
Quick question this time.  I just bought a 5" adult Imperator who is currently in my QT.  I noticed that some of his color blanched in various parts of his body.  
<Possibly fright patterns>
Now it appears that he has Ich (there were 2 spots on him  so I caught it early) and I am treating with copper.  The faded spots do not appear to be as abundant after a dip and 24 hours of copper.  Is this a reaction to stress or do these light spots represent some other form of disease?
<I doubt the faded spots are disease. Personally, I wouldn't have freaked about two small white spots. I have a tendency to take a "watch and see" approach with my own tanks. I suspect it's just fright colors. Please read more about treating fish disease at WetWebMedia.Com I'm sure you want to get the procedure right...No?>
Thanks as always
<You're welcome! David Dowless>
Joe

Re: Imperator Angel Faded Color
Thanks yet again lol:)
<Yep- seems like it would work to me...Good luck with this project! Regards, Scott F.>
First I have to say thanks for the great site and great book (The
Conscientious Marine Aquarist). Without these, I would have given up the hobby a long time ago.
<Thanks for the kind words, I agree, Bobs book is great, and this site is all kinds of fun.>
I have the following setup:
200 gallon Oceanic (Reef Ready)
Aquaclear SL300 Wet/Dry
CA 4000 in sump pump
(2) Medium Sized powerheads
(2) 24" Marine-Glo Fluorescent Lamps
(2) 36" Power-Glo Fluorescent Lamps
220 Lbs. live sand
100 Lbs live rock
Ammonia:         0.0
Nitrites:             0.0
Nitrates:            0.0
Ph:                   8.2
Salinity             1.017
I have the following fish and inverts:
(1)   3.5"            Niger Trigger
(1)   6"              Red Volitans Lionfish
(1)   5"               Emperor Angel
(1)   4"               Purple Tang
(1)   4"               Yellow Tang
(1)   6"               Sailfin Tang
(1)   3"               Sailfin Tang
(1)   3"               Yellow Eye Tang
(1)   3"               Lawnmower Blenny
(1)   1.5"            Three Stripe Damsel
(1)   6"               Panther Grouper
(1)   12"             Snowflake Moray
(3)                    Hermit Crabs
I have been feeding the fish Mysis Shrimp soaked in Kent Marine Zoe.  I have been feeding the eel fresh shrimp from the local seafood market.
Finally, the question I have is about my Emperor Angel.  It seems to have lost a good bit of color.  I bought it about six months ago and it was in the process of changing.  It has almost changed over to its adult colors, but it seems sort of washed out and faded.  Everything in the tank seems healthy including the angel.  No heavy breathing.  No diseases.  They all eat fine.  I was wondering if there is something that's missing from its diet.  Would you recommend changing anything?
<I would agree that this is most likely diet related, these as with all other fish require a varied diet to live a happy healthy life.  Spirulina based foods and Nori should be included in their diet. These angels also need sponge, tunicates and other matter found on live rock.  Which brings us to another issue, the number of Tangs you have are surely consuming all the goodies from the live rock.  The mix of tangs is unnatural and will lead to a war when they all mature (the Zebrasoma species are going to trash each other in a year or two).>
Is this normal for an Angel to loose some of its color?
<This is not normal, but it does happen frequently.>
Thanks for the feedback in advance.  Keep up the great work. Hal Brumfield
<I would recommend shopping for a larger tank, maybe 500gal or so.  When you add the adult size of all of these fishes, you get over 8 feet of total length WITHOUT including the moray at 18-36". We are literally talking about over 10 feet of adult fish in a 200 gall tank.  They of course will not grow that big in a 200, they will stunt and die prematurely and/or begin killing each other first when elbows start to rub in the 3-5 year picture.  I would start by removing the Lion and the Grouper, both grow to nearly 24in as adults.  Hope this info helps, best regards, Gage>

Emperor angelfish breathing problems
Hi, I have a 10 in. xmas island emperor angel.
<please don't tell me this fish is in anything less than an eight foot tank. A magnificent fish and still has growing to do!>
I've had him for 2 or 3 mos. now and he is doing great and everything.
<hmm... was this animal quarantined for the first 4 weeks? Else, you need to get a large QT tank ready. Many parasites with the big fishes for stressful shipping>
But the right gill seems to be not working. The gill opening is not opening and closing. It is just closed.
<yep... this is a telltale sign of gill flukes. Tough to cure but possible. Needs meds in a bare bottomed QT tank though. Formalin is needed. Take aged water and a mature filter (with seeded media) to the QT tank. Be prepared to do daily water changes for the first eight days minimum to control parasites (larval cysts on bottom of tank) and for water quality (test daily at first). The display needs to run fallow for 4 weeks. 4 weeks minimum for angel in QT. No treatment in display... meds get absorbed and parasites flourish in sand/gravel>
When I feed him he eats it then for the next 5 minutes or so his gill is working a bit but then it quits after those 5 minutes. The left gill is working good maybe breathing a little faster. What do you thin is wrong? Is it ick?
<some sort of parasite that has begun in the gills... as most do>
Please reply as quick as possible I fear he may not have much more time. Please help me and my fish. Thank you.
<best regards, Anthony>

My angel fish is looking dull!
Dear Bob
<David Dowless standing in this afternoon>
I have an Imperator angel I have had for about 5 years.   He is housed in a 100gal. aquarium. Filtered by 3 Eheim canister filters a 15 watt UV.  He has a few other tank mates such as a twin spot  wrasse,
<Do you mean the coris wrasse? This baby gets to be more than 21" long!>
6 fire fish, long nose hawk, Flame angel, Flag fin, 3 butterflies.  In, addition I also have a protein skimmer.
<Is it producing a full cup of skimmate daily?>
Water parameters are close to 0 ammonia <.1ppm NO2, N03 between20 to 60.
<Ammonia and nitrite need to be zero all of the time.>
Salinity 1.020, temp 77. This was not always the case, however , I thinned out the population some time ago.  I did this because I had difficulty keeping the water parameters within the range I proffered.  I had blue tangs and a Koran angel that both had bad HLLE.  The Imperator I believe was also developing HLLE so I became extra faithful doing water changes and adding broccoli and spinach to the diet.  This seemed to arrest any HLLE in the Imperator however his color has dulled.  I should mention that in every other way he is fine.
<Poor water quality, poor diet, and overcrowding will do this..>
I occasionally put carbon in my canister filter some say this contributes to HLLE also, I do not do anything to guard against stray voltage.
<HLLE is an environmental disease: inappropriate diet and poor water quality due to overcrowding. Your tank needs to be thinned out even more. I don't know which ones to get rid of because I don't know their sizes or the specific species. Consider getting a copy of Scott Michael's Marine Fishes. It is an excellent pocket guide that would have helped you avoid overcrowding. You can get it online for less than $25>  
My fishes diet is extremely varied including frozen as well as dry foods and fresh veggies.
<Marine algae growing in the tank would also help>
I would welcome any advice you may have.
Thank you,
Charles Rayburn
<You're welcome, Charles. You can research even more on this and many other topics at Wetwebmedia.com...David Dowless>

Follow Up on Ill Emperor
Thanks so much for getting back with me.
<No problem. That is what we are here for.>
I do have a 29 gallon quarantine tank and, although I'm worried about creating further stress, I will probably move her into it tonight.
<I was/am concerned with this damage being exploited by the other fish.>
It is a new tank, so I'm taking substrate out of my existing tank and water as well.
<Ok, I would probably leave the Emperor in the main tank versus the uncycled QT tank. DO read through our articles and FAQ's about quarantine, suffice to say, keeping a sponge filter or powerfilter with biological capacity hidden somewhere on your main display and then move it and water over to the empty QT tank and you are ready to go.>
My local fish store had recommended treating the angel with Maracyn II and suspects that rather than a coral scrape, it is actually a bacterial infection, given the cloudy eye and raggedy fin.
<First off, Maracyn II is useless. Secondly, I believe there was a physical injury that now has become infected.>
I suspect they are right in that diagnosis. What do you think?
<See above>
If I medicate the tank with Maracyn II, should I give her the medicated food as well?
<Use the food instead.>
Thanks so much, Steve!
<You are welcome.>
I'm really nervous about the quarantine tank.
<As am I given its condition. Please see www.WetWebMedia.com regarding.>
I've put sick fish in them before and treated them with Maracyn and never had much success.
<Given that protocol, I do not doubt you. Good luck! -Steven Pro>

Emperor Angel
Mr. Fenner,
<Steven Pro in this morning. Bob is off diving.>
You've given me some very helpful words of wisdom in the past and I'm hoping I can trouble you for your advice once again. First of all, I purchased your book, "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" and it is wonderful. Thanks for writing such a concise, no-nonsense, interesting guide. Sitting out here in the middle of nowhere, it can be difficult to know where to turn to for fish advice. Now, on to the problem. I have an adult Emperor angelfish in my 180 gallon fish-only aquarium who has been thriving for about 4 years. Got her (?) when she was about 5 inches and had juvenile markings. Now she has her adult stripes and is probably about 6 inches, full bodied, fat and sassy! Over the past couple of weeks I noticed a nasty wound on one side which, given some pretty peaceful tankmates,  I'm almost certain she must have gotten from scraping up against a piece of coral. It is red and appears to be bleeding off and on. On that same side, her eye is cloudy and her fin is a bit raggedy from a light film of fungus.
<It sounds like she took a bit of a beating.>
Still, she is swimming and acting as normal, eating well; being her normal bossy self with the rest of the tank mates. I have just done about a 30% water change.
<Good!>
What else should I do?
<I would consider moving to a quarantine tank (if you have one large enough), just so there is no possibility of abuse.>
Your book mentions treating with an artificial coating, maybe even oral antibiotics.
<Yes, Tetra makes a food with an antibiotic added. This could be helpful. It is labeled for treating bacterial and fungal infections.>
Of course, I'm worried about lifting her out of the water to apply treatment and stressing her further. If I should go with the coating treatment or antibiotic, what brand and how to apply?
<See above. If it gets worse, please write us back.>
Thanks so much for taking the time. Sharon Leyrer
<Good luck to you and your fish! -Steven Pro>

Adult emperor angel
Dear Bob,
Hope you are keeping well. Been diving lately ?
<Sure... N. Sulawesi last mo., Cozumel the one before...>
- going to be doing some Ko Similan diving in the new year, in the Andaman sea :-) !! Can't wait.
<Should be great>
Anyway, the question in hand concerns P. Imperator. Now bear in mind that I save 3+ years experience, growing a juvenile emperor through its colour change to adult, from 2.5" to 6", and lost him due to a prolonged power cut, in cold miserable old Ireland (i.e. not due to bad care / husbandry / diet), so I have had reasonable success with the species. It has been nearly a year now since I lost him, and I'd dearly love another, but I couldn't go through the whole colour change thing again! Would you be very oppose to me getting a small adult specimen? 
<Not at all... you can likely find an adult-colored individual about 5 inches overall... that will be flexible, stable enough to place in captive conditions with little trouble... In fact, you're close enough to the Red Sea that I would look for a specimen collected there>
In this part of the world I see lots of folks (in magazines) keeping large imported adults in densely stocked FO tanks - I can attribute this only to the excellent quality of livestock from TMC.
<These folks have really "got it together".>
Thus I am thinking, that with the little experience I have with the species, and a tank devoted to just one large fish, that my odds are even greater than those large FO heavily stocked tanks I see.
<Yes>
As I say, livestock comes through TMC, and my dealer is very good with angels etc, so handling of the fish will have been as good as is humanly possible, and I am practically guaranteed a healthy initial specimen.
<Good>
Tank mates will be a shoal of green Chromis, a blenny or two, a dwarf angel, and a few cleaner shrimp. Decor will be simply a large cave that he can swim into, and around, above and through, and get out of sight (probably build it up on a PVC pipe structure, so there is loads of room inside it). Then a few pieces of rock scattered around the tank to break it up.
<Very good>
As you can see, I am willing to go to great lengths to ensure that the entire system is built around the emperor, with no competitive or aggressive fish, and aquascaped to suit him. I am also a believer of regular, but small water changes - i.e. 10% weekly.
Thanks for reading,
kind regards,
Matthew
<Do document your efforts, including reflection on your previous history with the species... and offer same as an article in PFK, elsewhere... I will help you get placement here in the States... and later post in WWM if you'd like. Bob Fenner>

Re: adult emperor angel
Dear Bob,
Just to say that it pleases me to think that some-one of your standing would
consider publication of my efforts with this wonderful fish.
<It is my opinion that your observations, experiences would greatly inform and inspire others in appropriate care, enjoyment...>
It is looking very likely that I will go with this little project of mine as
the emperor angel is, for me, the embodiment of all the best attributes of
large marine angels, indeed marine fish in general. To document the whole
process would be rather exciting for me also - I had a flair for creative
writing in the past, and would very much like to put it to use, writing
about something I love.
<Please do begin... and make it known if I/we can be of service (perhaps supplying images, editing...)>
I actually have a few pics of my old part changed emperor, which although
are not great, would probably be good enough to include. And with my new
digital camera, there will be many more pics of my new one.
<Very good>
Thanks again for your reply, it is most encouraging.
Kind regards,
Matthew
<Be chatting, and writing, my friend. Bob Fenner>

Adult Emperor Angel with hole(s) in the head - getting worse
Hello,
I have a 6 " adult Emperor who has been in a QT for 10 weeks. First he came down with ich, then gill flukes (fresh water dips took care of those problems). For the past 6 weeks he has been suffering from HLLE. He has deep holes just around his head and especially around the mouth (nothing along the lateral line, though) and he is getting worse. QT is a 40 gallon with a Remora skimmer, Penguin 300 filtration, 20% water changes weekly, no meds, his diet comprises of mostly Formula II soaked in Zoe, Mysid shrimp w/Zoe once or twice a week, Nori once daily, occasional shaved prawns. I tried Hexamit and it helped him a little bit for a while, but he is worse now. What is wrong?
<It sounds like simple HLLE. I would add sponge matter to this diet and perhaps switch your food additives to Boyd's Vita-Chem and American Marine Selcon.>
Thank you.
<Good luck! -Steven Pro>

Juvenile Emperor Angel
Hello to All: <<And hello to you, JasonC here.>>
Greetings to all you helpful and knowledgeable people. <<Salute!>> I have to say that this site has helped me in so many ways and the books are great. I find it very valuable. Here is my question. I have a juvenile emperor Angel which is 3 inches in length and still in baby colors. I have had him for two weeks and I am concerned about his adapting to eating prepared foods. I put Julian Sprung's dried seaweed in on a veggie clip everyday and he does eat that. A couple of times I saw him eat jarred zooplankton. Will this fish eventually adapt and except other foods like fresh, frozen or dry? <<Eventually or not at all... as long as it does eat some things you are on the right track. Perhaps for now you should just feed what it eats.>> Are there any foods or feeding methods I could try? <<Well, find the things that work first, and then as those are eaten more regularly, add other menu items that you think the fish should eat... perhaps formula two, angel formula, and I would also try Mysis shrimp.>> This fish is not thin or loosing weight as he is nibbling on live rock all day. <<Ahh good... this is what they do in the wild. You may also consider keeping live rock in a separate system so you can cultivate the fauna on which this fish likes to snack and cycle it back and forth with the rock in the tank.>> I just don't want anything to happen down the road. <<As long as the fish does eat now, you are already on a good path.>> Thanks so much for your help. Sherry <<Cheers, J -- >>

Angels Fighting
Hi, I have a 240 gallon fish tank, with a 5 inch Blue Ring Angelfish. Yesterday I added a 6 inch Emperor Angelfish, and the Blue Ring always goes after the Emperor.
<It is a natural behavior for the one to protect its home range.>
Now the Emperor always hides, and whenever he comes out the Blue Ring chases him back in the cave.
<Typical>
I already rearranged the rock and that didn't work. Can you suggest any way to keep them not fighting?
<Take one out.>
Besides getting rid of one of them.
<Ahh, you got me. Nothing much else can be done. These fish are merely behaving normally in an abnormal situation. In the ocean, the Blue Ring would drive the Emperor out and the Emperor would eventually settle somewhere no one else was. In the confines of an aquarium, there is nowhere for the Emperor to escape to. More than likely, the Emperor will be constantly tormented until it succumbs to the stress.>
Thanks!
<Please see here, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/angelcompafaq.htm, for many other instances of Angelfish not getting along. It is, unfortunately, a well documented situation. -Steven Pro>

Pomacanthus question
Hey Bob, <<Actually, it's JasonC today.>> I've got a pal who has a huge tank (like 10ft). <<A fortunate friend.>> Anyhow, he has two Pomacanthus angels in there (Emperor and Blueface I believe). Anyhow the Emperor will chase the Blueface every once in awhile. <<not a surprise.>> Nothing major, just a small 2 ft flash, and the Blueface jumps into a hole. Looks like the smaller fish can fit into holes the larger fish can't. Anyhow, it doesn't appear bad at all (as I've seen with tangs, etc). Anyhow, he was wondering (as am I), if putting another Pomacanthus like a grey, annularis, or French of about similar size would perhaps detract some of that aggressiveness. <<Doubt it - it might cut it in half, as in half the time spent chasing the new fish, and the other half spent on the Blueface. Given some time though... the Grey and French angels grow much larger than the Imperator.>> Sort of like tangs of the same species, but of the same genus ? <<Well, Angels are also enjoy being "in charge" of the tank.>> I've seen tanks that have successfully done this (Wayne Shang's comes to mind, as does some of your FAQ writers) but the tanks are large. <<Yes, this is the only way. This question is most often asked by people with less than 100 gallons so... one has to clarify, "No, I meant REALLY BIG.">> This guys tank is quite large as well as its like 750 gallons - just wondering if it would work, help, or make it worse. <<That is 'really big', and has better chances than other tanks. Provided enough cover and places to take a break from the aggression, your friend could likely add another angel. Do make sure he researches the adult size as any one he chooses will likely reach this size in a 750g tank.>> Obviously there will be some acclimation issues (keep tank dark, re-arrange a bit, etc), but looking for your insight. thanks Jim
<<Cheers, J -- >>

Emperor angelfish
Hello, My name is Alena and I have been to your site many times. <<Hello to you.>> But have not found an answer to my problem. I have a 55 gallon tank that has been up and running for about 5 years now. Really haven't had any problems with it until now. I have a yellow tang, maroon clown bonded to a bulb anemone and a saddle puffer. I just recently got an juvenile emperor angelfish, which has been doing fine for a week now, but it looks as though it has a white pale coat, spread evenly over his body. The emperor eats, and acts fine, but he/she doesn't use its back body to swim (like he/she is stiff or paralyzed). It basically swims using only his/her side fins, but still swims around the tank like a normal fish. The emperor doesn't have any parasites on him/her, and I have researched many diseases on the internet that doesn't match what he/she has. The emperor has been like this for about two weeks now, and doesn't look like it has been getting better or worse. Now, I pulled the emperor out of the tank and put it in a QT tank that has been running for about two months, and treated it with Coppersafe to make sure parasites, that I couldn't see, were not the problem. He/she has been in the QT tank for 4 days now, but still the discoloration and lack of movement in the body still exists. I don't know what it might be, if you have any ideas what I can do please let me know.
Thanks,
Alena
<<Alena, what I think you are observing is two things... one, these fish often swim like this, saving the caudal [tail] fin for a mad-dash to cover. Two, I would hazard a guess that this fish just doesn't need to swim that hard... a 55 is really much too small for this fish, and likewise you may not have extreme currents in the system. Although it is small now, they grow to about a foot and I've seen these where they live - they get BIG. So... it's probably not very exercise challenged. I would skip the quarantine, consider another powerhead for the tank and start saving for the 240. Cheers, J -- >>

Question about Imperator's diet
Hi. I was wondering if I could get some expert help on feeding an Imperator Angel. I purchased a smaller size adult imperator angel. He is about 6 1/2 inches with full adult colors. I have had him for about 3 - 4 weeks now. He will not accept any frozen foods and I have tried feeding everything...
Mysis, angel formulas, fresh clams, frozen shrimp, plankton etc. He devours all types of algae's though... green, red, brown, Nori and sometimes some broccoli and spinach but he is real picky. 
<please stick with marine greens (Spirulina, Nori, seaweed, etc). Terrestrial plants like broccoli and spinach are polluted with phosphates used to grow such plants from fertilizer>
Just recently he looks weaker and has developed a little ick due to a recent water change and additional stress put on by presence of large Auriga butterfly. 
<the water change should not instigate ich unless the water was accidentally cooler... do consider>
The cleaner gobies seem to be keeping his parasite level down in combo with UV, hopefully when
I get home he will be cleaned up again. None of the other fish are experiencing ick or problems and all eat fine. I am concerned that the Algae alone will not be enough for his diet. Can he survive on just eating algae w/ Zoecon Zoe vitamins? 
<Not at all... needs a much more varied diet. Please keep trying the above listed foods (without brine shrimp). Also consider trying Sweetwater Plankton (jar brand)... very enticing for most fishes. Also some fresh live rock to encourage grazing>
How do I get him to eat other meaty foods? Any suggestions would be great and thanks again.
<best regards, Anthony>

Tank size requirement?
I want to setup a small tank in my office (controlled environment) with 1 Imperator Angel. What would you recommend as the minimum tank size,
<A 90 gallon tank.>
I currently have a 30 gallon tank that I would like to use.
<Not for an Imperator.>
This will be the only fish in the tank.
<Still needs room to swim.>
Thanks, Craig
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Emperor Angelfish
Hi, I have been keeping a few angelfish, and would like to move on to a more challenging angel such as the emperor. I have wanted one of these for a long time. It will be going in a 240 gallon tank.
<With no other angelfish, I hope, except for maybe one Centropyge.>
But my question is what specific things should I do for the emperor?
<Look at the following pages and follow on through the other linked files:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/index.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/Pomacanthus/imperator.htm -Steven Pro>

Emperor angel
Hi! Robert,
I hope all is going well in your life. I for one am a little stressed about my emperor angel. He is from the red sea and is about 8". He loved to eat clams and he will eat krill from time to time but I have not been able to get him to eat algae. His face seems to be concaving in and his back seems really thin. He is in a good sized tank (thousand gal) and has about five hundred pounds of live rock so he probably grazes a little bit. He however does not seem as crazy about food as some of the other fish. He also moved very slowly compared to the other large angels I have in the tank (map, blue face and majestic). However the emperor is by far the biggest and most dominant so he should not be  stressed. So is he starving to death without greens in his diet?
<Losing weight in the face is a bad sign.>
I feed the fish Nori but he does not like that he does get Selcon with his diet though. What can I do to get him up to speed?
<Offer him different things until you find something he is interested in.>
Thanks. Oh... One more question. Why is it that sometimes when the ozonizer has been on for a while some of the corals like the mushroom and anemone get lighter in color and seem to get smaller too?
<You maybe overdoing it. Do check your ORP when using ozone. Best to have connected to a controller.>
Anyway... thanks again for everything, Bhaskar.
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Imperator Angel
Great news! My Auriga butterfly is dong great now after 3 weeks of good treatment and a diverse mix of foods. Redness is almost gone and he eats everything!
<Very good!>
I just purchased an adult Imperator Angel... not too big, about 6 inches long. 
<About my maximum size at purchase for this species.>
He is eating a mix of vegetation, algae, seaweed, broccoli, Nori and spinach tied to a rock, but he is not interested in any meaty stuff right now. Very curious... he moves gracefully around the tank, gets picked-on by the Blue Hippo Tang once in a while because they both compete for the same rock with the veg. What concerns me, is a small hole more towards the bottom of his stomach, close to his privates. Looks like something may have bit him or perhaps it may be some kind of bacterial infection in his stomach working it's way out? 
<Possibly... but doubtful... maybe a "poke" by the Tang, or a mechanical injury... I wouldn't "treat" for this>
Ho do I know if this fish was cyanided/poised when captured? 
<Please read through WetWebMedia.com re cyanide collection, livestock selection... color, behavior are best clues... not likely cyanided if eating...>
It has been 3 days since introduced , the good thing is he is roaming around and eating pieces of algae but I am very concerned about the hole. What could it be? Another thing out of the norm, the first day he had 2 very long excretions of brown substance, pretty thick light brown, just hung there attached to him for a day. Is this normal if he just ate a lot at the store? I thought there may be an infection? Any feedback would be great. Thanks.
<Best to just keep an eye on this specimen, keep up your efforts at optimizing the environment. Bob Fenner>

Tusk and Angel
Thanks Anthony,
I trust your judgment as your advice has proved time and time again to be the truth. 
<experience is the best teacher to my chagrin sometimes <smile>>
Well Yesterday was day 3 and when I came home from work at about 6:30,
there was a pretty nice chunk taken from the tusks back fin and he seemed to be losing his resolve. 
<I would too...heehee>
I killed the lights and covered the tank this morning so it
will be pitch black all day. The violence seems significantly less in the dark. 
<maybe we should try that in the Middle east?>
Bottom line is that this can't go till tomorrow. I'm milling a few
options over now: 1) Return the Tusk tonight......use the credit to get
something else this weekend......problem is I think at this point the Emperor just won't tolerate anyone new. 
<nope...too stressful on an already stressed fish. It may kill him and what a shame it would be to lose this living jewel>
2) Bring the Emperor in and have my LFS guy
hold him for a week or two and then bring him back.....I noticed that fish that were in my tank before him were basically OK. 
<nope... the angel is what it is>
3) Bring the Emperor back and get a new smaller angel that has nice color as well (Majestic.....I can handle it)........
<not my vote either... rather pot luck to do so>
Problem here is that this Emperor is SPECTACULAR, eats out of my
hand, but is he just too big and mean for this tank now? 
<but magnificent I'm sure... I'd hate to part with him too>
4) Bring back the Tusk and don't add anything (this is the one you'll say I'm sure)......
<surprise... nope again. Moving this tusk would be my absolute last choice>
just a bit depressing to think I can never add another fish until I get a bigger tank, 
<how about a smaller/mid sized tank that you can use as a larger QT for just such emergencies... perhaps a 30long? That's my vote for at least the 3 to six month picture to stabilize the tusk and give the poor fella a fighting chance to service having made it all this way from collection>
not to mention the fact that I moved 2 fish out in preparing for the tusk so it'll be more empty. What do you think friend? Any of those options you like BESIDES #4?
<yes... definitely a bigger QT/isolation tank for the angel or tusk (assuming they fit comfortably alone in say a 30long. A simply sponge filter and some live rock would be just fine with twice monthly small water changes most likely. Really a lot less expensive than watching either fish die or you getting hosed on a stressful trade in (for you and the fish <wink>)>
Thanks. Rick
Best of luck, my friend, Anthony>

Incorrigible Emperor and Tusk Update
Hey guys,
<Cheers, mate... Anthony>
I guess my emails didn't get through while you were away so here goes.
<Ahhh...yes, we have had our share of e-mail troubles for a few weeks. Thank you for re-trying>
This is not so much a question as it is a testimonial for FAQ readers.
<excellent! very much appreciated!>
For those who remember I had taken my Emperor out of my tank and brought it to my LFS for a little while so that the new Harlequin Tusk he was chasing would have a chance to recover and establish. My "guru" Anthony and the "Tuskman" Jason C both suggested that this move would not likely work. They both said that the fish probably just "was what it was". I went ahead with the plan anyway (partly because I had no other choice in fairness to myself). Well it didn't work!! When I reintroduced the
Emperor it was like it had never left. He immediately started pounding the Tusk again. And this Tusk was doing great....practically eating krill out of my hand! Speaking of eating out of my hand.....I was
shocked that my Emperor was tearing Seaweed Selects out of my hand literally 2 min.s after being reintroduced. Anyway, moral of the story is that these guys are just about ALWAYS right on target. 
<heehee.. you haven't heard my stock picks yet!>
I had to bring back the tusk. Seeing as I practically emptied my tank to make room for the tusk 
<still... I'm glad to hear the tusk had a few weeks to stabilize and recover in your tank after the initial import. It may very well have spared its life for fear of being moved yet again after import>
I still had to try one more fish so I exchanged the tusk for a Sohal tang. It seems to be a great mix actually! They don't like each other by any means and the Emperor "barks" once in a while but
he's not nearly as aggressive with the tang and the tang is not as intimidated as the tusk. Live and learn ..........Thanks guys.......readers you've been warned!
<thanks for the testimonial, my friend>
Rick
PS...I do have one quick one.....Do all members of the genus Thalassoma fight with each other or is it just within species?
<to generalize, yes.... they are rather territorial with all like family members. A good rule for most reef fishes: avoid similar shapes, colors and feeding preferences when making a community tank>

Emperor Angel and Porcupine Puffer
As always you guys are doing an AWESOME job! (I know it?s clich?here,
but its true)
<awwwhhh, shucks! Thanks kindly <smile>>
Anyway, two quick questions:
1. I recently purchased a young Emperor Angel and he was eating as soon
as I got him home, aware of his surroundings, etc? BUT he seems to swim
slowly on one side or the other. Is this normal behavior for this
species, or a sick fish?
<hmmm... symptomatically called "listing"...indeed not normal or healthy but not indicative necessarily of a specific condition to treat. Continue to feed well until it improves or betrays an addressable symptom (spots, fin erosion, etc)
2. My Trigger and Puffer had an accident. While feeding they went for
the same target, but the trigger missed and caught the puffer between
his eyes. The trigger took my puffer (the first time I?ve seen him puff
up) for a spin before realizing what he had done. When he let go the
puffer had a mark on the side of his eye where he had been bitten. That
mark has turned white like scar tissue over the last two days. Is that
white possibly infection, or new skin? 
<hmmm hard to say, but infections get ugly real fast. My guess is raw skin and healing. Do watch closely though and review disease section here on WWM for injury treatments and medicants if necessary>
Will it heal and return normal color? 
<very likely>
Do I need to worry about infection, do anything to help it heal?
<be prepared with a good QT tank if necessary for either fish>
Thanks a million, Mark
<best regards, Anthony>

Head And Lateral Line Syndrome/Erosion
Hi,
I have a XL emperor angel. I had him for over a year now. He is in a 240 gallon tank with some Tangs. Doing great. My water parameters are fine. My question is that I started to notice two small holes on my emp.s face. Below his nostrils. There are two, one on each side. What could this be?? I notice that my Sohal tang has two holes on one side of his face too. Anyhow thanks. Lee
<It sounds like the beginning of Head And Lateral Line Syndrome/Erosion. You can read about it here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/hllefaqs.htm -Steven Pro>

Imperator eating soft corals
Bob,
<Anthony Calfo in your service>
Any advise or suggestion on how I can get my Imperator Angel to stop eating my
soft corals?
<for some, it is literally like asking a bird not to fly, or a dog to stop licking... erhhhh,... never mind. You get the point. When young, many Imperator angels are well behaved enough to live in a reef aquarium. As you may know, they even behave as cleaner fish when small. But as they mature, their dietary preference changes and your tank is a buffet. Only natural my friend. You will need to remove this fish. That's OK... it's a good excuse to set up another aquarium...<wink>. Kind regards, Anthony>
Thanks,
Mark Johnson

Juv. emperor angel
Hey guys,
<Whassssupppp?>
I have a juvenile Emperor angel in a 92 gallon corner bow front. He has been very happy for the past year and he's now about 3 and a half inches. I was telling my wife that we need a huge tank for him, but want to know approx. how long you think he will be ok in this size?
<tell your wife that even though I haven't met her, I just know that she is a wonderful and empathetic person. Oh, and that Anthony Calfo says you need a 240 gallon aquarium for a 12" adult emperor angel. Hehe... and I'm serious. If you will have this fish and little else though in the 4-7 year picture, a six foot tank will be satisfactory (125, 150, 180 gallon). Best regards, Anthony>
Thanks, Ken

Friends of the Emperor
Thank you in advance. 
<you are welcome, unanswered yet <G>>
I have a 150gal F.O. running for approx 2 years. I have a Eheim 2228 canister filter w/approx 70lbs of live rock with excellent water conditions. I have 1 Niger trigger, 1 Picasso trigger and 1 hippo tang. My question is I would like to add a emperor angel and possibly a small school of fish to complete my tank. Green Chromis? Yellowtail? blue reef? or possibly a mix of those. Which fish would be best for a small (5-8) school? Thanks a lot . Your website is great. 
<Hmmm... Emperors are notoriously grumpy and get more aggressive with age. Chromis will school the best from your list but all are just to peaceful for the Emperor to be compatible in the long run. Simply not recommended. Leave room for the Emperor and tankmates to grow. The two trigger and the tang all grow quite large and with the angel will eventually overstock the tank. Best regards, Anthony>

HLLE on Imperator Angel
Bob,
Long time no chat (as much as I enjoy reading your words of wisdom, long
periods of silence are testaments to your good advise).
<Perhaps>
I have an Imperator with some light erosion on his face and lateral line.
He?s currently going through his color change, so I?ve tried to be
especially good with his diet.
<This and sterling water quality, and perhaps iodide/iodine supplementation are the best routes for avoiding and treating this malady>
I randomly cycle the following: Ocean
Nutrition Formula 2 flakes, frozen Spirulina Cubes, frozen Angel Formula
cubes, frozen brine shrimp soaked overnight in Zoe Marine and Zoecon, Mysis
shrimp and New Life Spectrum Marine Fish Formula pellets. I also usually
keep a strip of red, green or purple dried seaweed in the tank for everyone.
Also, I occasionally pick up a broken/dying piece of sponge from the pet
store and throw it in there for the angel to pick on.
<Very good>
The tank?s primary occupant is a Bonnethead shark, so there is some live
rock (with encrusting sponge), although it?s minimal (I sent you some photos
in the past). I allow algae to grow on the back glass so there?s always
something to graze on. The water parameters are good (no ammonia, nitrites,
nitrates or phosphates) with a pH of around 8 -- although I do keep the
water a bit on the cool side (72 degrees).
To combat the condition (started a few days ago), I?ve replaced the seaweed
strips with broccoli (either raw or microwaved for about 15 seconds). I also
tested for stray voltage using a volt meter. I was told by my local pet
store to set the meter to 120V and check the wall current (checked out a
little above 120), then place the negative probe in the wall socket and the
positive probe in the water to check for any current. There was none. Am I
doing this correctly?
<Sounds like it>
I also bought a grounding probe (figured it couldn?t
hurt with the shark in there), but when I plugged it into my power strip, I
actually DID get a measurable current in the water, so I removed it (shark
was NOT fond of the grounding probe experiment!!). 
<No... as you are likely aware... the Ampullae of Lorenzini...>
I assume my problem was
that I needed to plug the grounding probe into a verified grounded wall
outlet rather than into a power strip ? any suggestions??
<Mmm, the connection should have been fine... as long as both grounded... I would leave off with such a device>
Also, since I have a fairly large algae scrubber (an Ecowheel), the store
recommended the addition of Kent Marine Iodine and Coral-Vite.
<Yes>
Does algae
consume Iodine? 
<Some do to a very large degree, yes>
Can/should I soak foods in these solutions or is it best to
administer these into the tank water? 
<Actually both. Daily for the foods, weekly for the system. Do utilize a test kit, see if you can get a "next day" concentration>
I?ve started dosing the tank at about
1/2 the recommended dosage from the manufacturer. What do you think? Any
other suggestion?
<Not at this time>
Also, I do regularly use carbon. About 5 lbs. in a 500 gallon tank, which I
change out every month. I mention this as this might also be a potential
cause for removing trace elements, although I know this is heavily debated.
<Likely of small concern here. The "shark" effect, psychologically and water quality wise are more important for instance>
By the way, the fish don?t seem to really like the broccoli, although they
might start giving it more consideration if I continue to withhold the algae
strips.
<I would return to the algae, you can eat the broccoli>
Thanks again! Your suggestions are greatly appreciated.
<As is your sharing. Bob Fenner>