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Fireball Dwarf Angelfish
(Centropyge acanthops)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based fish-only system; or reef aquarium. 33 gallons is ample for a single individual, assuming you have excellent water quality. Keep singly, in pairs or in small groups where space allows.
Aquarium Behavior: If stocked early in the life span of the aquarium, this can prove a problem for the aquarist, because the fish bullies new introductions incessantly.
Maximum Length: 2-3.1 in
Food & Diet: Offer a variety of meaty foods, including chopped shellfish, enriched brineshrimp, chopped mysis, and dried algae. Fish should accept flaked and granular foods, although it may take some time to wan them onto these.
Reef Compatibility: Sometimes nips at large-polyp stony corals, but is generally safe with most corals. The mantle of tridacnid clams is also under threat from this fish, but seems to be nipped out of inquisitiveness, rather than a desire to consume the mollusc.
Quick Notes: A good candidate for captive breeding attempts. The fireball angelfish is quite robust even when small, and usually able to avoid any major aggression from resident fish such as wrasses, tangs, surgeonfish, and larger species of dottyback.
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Cherub (Pygmy) Angelfish
(Centropyge argi)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based fish-only system; or reef aquarium. 26 gallons is ample for a single fish with excellent water quality. Keep singly, in pairs, or small groups. Allow them to have plenty of space. They can be seen venturing out and about over substrate, where rubble is present.
Aquarium Behavior: This species will defend its territory and doesn't fear fish much larger like tangs and surgeonfish.
Maximum Length: 2-3.1 in
Food & Diet: Chopped mysis, brineshrimp, and chopped shellfish. Offer dried algae.
Reef Compatibility: Can be a problem with some hard corals, such as Trachyphyllia, Platygyra, Favia, Favites and Lobophyllia. Shouldn't hurt ornamental shrimp.
Quick Notes: This species can successfully breed in the aquarium. These fish are known to be one of the more popular and reasonably priced. However, they can become a victim to fish such as small wrasses, and dotty-backs like Bluestreak, both of them are protective around the rockwork and for this reason, it is a good idea to stock these guys before rather than later.
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Golden Angelfish
(Centropyge aurantia)
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Tank: Live rock-based fish-only or reef aquarium. A well established tank should be provided for this species. 60 gallons or larger. You can keep this species singly or in pairs.
Aquarium Behavior: This fish is very peaceful but can bicker with other members of the same species.
Maximum Length: 3-4 in
Food & Diet: This species can be difficult to feed, entice it with brineshrimp, enriched with spirulina and Omega 3. Provide plenty of dried algae.
Reef Compatibility: Should not harm corals or ornamental invertebrates. Could cause a problem with sponges and tunicates however.
Quick Notes: This species can potentially breed in captivity. If aggressive fish are present you will not see the Golden Angelfish. You should provide a peaceful aquarium for it to be able to thrive.
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Bicolor Dwarf Angelfish
(Centropyge bicolor)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based, fish-only system; reef aquarium. Provide this species a 40 gallon or larger. Keep singly unless you provide a much larger aquarium. Introduce two simultaneously whenever possible.
Aquarium Behavior: Can be aggressive towards similar species such as dwarf angelfishes. For the most part the bicolor dwarf is only moderately aggressive towards new aquarium introductions.
Maximum Length: 4-6 in
Food & Diet: Frozen foods, brineshrimp, and mysis. Add vitamin supplements to frozen formula's. Should take flake or granular foods once stable in its environment.
Reef Compatibility: Most dwarf angelfish can produce a threat to large-polyp stony corals for particular attention, however, the bicolor angelfish can pick at other corals and sessile invertebrates as well. It should not harm ornamental shrimp.
Quick Notes: Take extreme caution with this angelfish around sessile invertebrates as it can 'cause major problems. Avoid keeping this species with closely related species.
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Coral Beauty
(Centropyge bispinosa)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based, fish-only system; reef aquarium. 40 gallons or larger. Keep singly or pair with a larger tank. 100 gallons or larger.
Aquarium Behavior: May show some aggression when first introduced with new fish but shouldn't last long.
Maximum Length: 4 in
Food & Diet: Chopped seafood, flake and pellets. Dried algae is vital for long-term success.
Reef Compatibility: Should not cause any problems, although nothing is a 100%.
Quick Notes: The coral beauty should be one of the first fish introduced into your aquarium. This fish will breed successfully. Males court the females and induce them to spawn.
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Red Stripe Dwarf Angelfish
(Centropyge eibli)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based, fish-only system; reef aquarium. 65 gallons or larger should be provided. If housing a pair a minimum of 200 gallons is recommended.
Aquarium Behavior: Generally pretty peaceful but possible bickering with other dwarf angelfishes, surgeonfish, and tangs, but nothing to great.
Maximum Length: 4-6 in
Food & Diet: Enriched brineshrimp, mysis and dried algae. Formula foods developed for angelfish, should be feed three or more times a day.
Reef Compatibility: May nip at polyp, large polyp stony corals. Pay careful attention as they can nip to the point where they reduce it to a skeleton very quickly.
Quick Notes: Hardy fish to most aquariums. Can be housed with most other marine fish.
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Lemonpeel Dwarf Angelfish
(Centropyge flavissimus)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based fish-only; some reef aquariums. 80 gallons or larger. Keep singly or in pairs where space allows. Preferable 200 gallons or larger.
Aquarium Behavior: This species is known to be territorial and relentlessly attack newly introduced fish when they are grown and mature. When at this size it can dominate the whole aquarium. Stock these species as small specimens as one of the final introduction to your aquarium.
Maximum Length: 4-5.5 in
Food & Diet: Dried algae, supplemented frozen foods and formula foods. Flake, granules, brineshrimp and mysis.
Reef Compatibility: This fish will never be particularly bold or leave rockwork for long periods of time. It often picks in and around rock work searching for food.
Quick Notes: Tangs and other dwarf fish may present a bicker with this species. This fish is hardy and should live a long life.
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Rusty Dwarf Angelfish
(Centropyge ferrugatus)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based fish-only; reef aquariums. 63 gallons or larger is adequate. Keep singly or in pairs. Small groups of this species needs a tank 130 gallons or larger.
Aquarium Behavior: This species and be belligerent towards other fish when other fish are introduced after this fish. Provided plenty of hiding place, this should not present a threat to the long-term outcome.
Maximum Length: 3-4 in
Food & Diet: Dried algae, flake, pellet, and frozen foods.
Reef Compatibility: May nip at coral polyps and tentacles. It should not harm most other corals and ornamental shrimp.
Quick Notes: Avoid introducing this species with Coral Beauty, Potter's Angelfish or Shepard's angelfish, as they are likely to attack it. This species will breed in captivity.
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Flame Dwarf Angelfish
(Centropyge loricula)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based, fish-only system; reef aquarium. 80 gallons or larger. Can be kept singly or in pairs with plenty of space.
Aquarium Behavior: Can be aggressive towards similarly sized fish, and will attack tangs and surgeonfishes when first introduced. This should subside quickly, but occasional altercations can occur.
Maximum Length: 4-6 in.
Food & Diet: Plenty of grazing material, formula foods designed for dwarf angelfishes, mysis, brineshrimp, and other meaty foods.
Reef Compatibility: Can peck at corals. Should not harm ornamental shrimp.
Quick Notes: Will breed in captivity. |
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Multicolor Dwarf Angelfish
(Centropyge multicolor)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based fish-only; some reef aquariums. 50 gallons or larger. Keep singly or in pairs.
Aquarium Behavior: One of the most peaceful dwarf angelfish.
Maximum Length: 3-3.5 in
Food & Diet: Dried algae, brineshrimp, and mysis, all this vitamin supplements. May accept dried foods.
Reef Compatibility: Should not harm ornamental shrimp but may nip at some corals.
Quick Notes: Will breed in captivity. Avoid skinny or very small fish unless you can put them into an aquarium where they can be fed several times a day under close observation.
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Multibanded Dwarf Angelfish
(Centropyge multifasciata)
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Tank: Live rock-based fish-only; some reef aquariums. Provide plenty of live rock and an established tank with excellent water conditions. Possible to keep in small groups but most aquarists will only be able to maintain one.
Aquarium Behavior: Peaceful that can settle well into the tank.
Maximum Length: 4.7 in
Food & Diet: Frozen foods such as brineshrimp, mysis supplemented with vitamins.
Reef Compatibility: Not recommended as its natural diet consits of sponges and tunicates. Also known to target large-polyp stony corals.
Quick Notes: Make sure this fish is feeding on brineshrimp before making a purchase on this fish.
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Potter's Dwarf Angelfish
(Centropyge potteri)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based, fish-only system; reef aquarium. 63 gallons or larger. Keep singly or in pairs.
Aquarium Behavior: Potter's angelfish is similar in disposition to the Coral Beauty. It is possible this fish can show aggression when first introducing into the aquarium but will reside shortly after.
Maximum Length: 4 in
Food & Diet: Chopped seafood, flake and pellets. Dried algae, brineshrimp, and mysis.
Reef Compatibility: May feed on large-polyp stony corals.
Quick Notes: Can potentially breed in the aquarium. Poorly-nourished fish will appear this or even emaciated; do not buy them. Be sure they are feeding before you buy them.
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