Golden Angel experience

[unltd]

I would have to say I probably would not try this again but this is what I did to get my Golden Angel to survive and probably to thrive. Just wanted to share with fellow reefers in case you want to try, BTW I am auctioning off my Golden Angel in the sale section as I think I prefer smaller fishes.

I had posted the below on thereeftank and had actually PMed (paiseh, but I actually PMed you after I bought it) a senior member on his experience as the golden angel was nipping at my sand star (which eventually passed).

Well, I have a Golden Angelfish and it is feeding on NLS 0.5mm pellets like a pig (I also tried NLS normal pellets and even finicky fish formula, but it prefers the 0.5mm, basically it sucks them in like a vacuum cleaner. For the normal sized pellets the Golden still has to chew). Bought it recently.

Let me tell you my experience.

1) I allowed brown diatoms to grow on the sides of my tank, when the Golden is first introduced it will not eat pellets.

2) I dimmed my lights to minimum, increasing the lighting by 1 noch daily. This took about 10 days. And I started increasing the lighting only when it started feeding. (not sure how this would bode for your reef tank, will your corals be able to take this?), I also covered the sides of my tank with paper so it does not see outside, I started peeling out the paper bit by bit to reveal the whole tank only when it started feeding.

3) It was housed with Clownfishes, Possum Wrasse, Fire Shrimp and Starfish. I also had red bamboo algae and live rock, no corals.

4) When it was feeding time, it would not take a peck of pellets sometimes and spit it out. I waited 2 days and covered up my tank with paper and bought brine shrimp to feed it (On a Sunday), initally it ate very little. This process of eating brine shrimps took 5 days (Thur was the last day), I feed the brood brine shrimps daily after the feeding of pellets.

5) Thereafter, I only fed pellets by which time the Golden pretty much got accustomed to seeing the other fishes eat the pellets and started trying it out.

6) By the time it started liking pellets, it was 3 days later (On Sunday). In case it did not eat well, I bought frozen Mysid shrimps to feed it. Well the golden took a few bites and when I tried feeding pellets it very much prefered the latter.

7) It is now exclusively eating pellets, but I allow some brown diatom growth.

I have never seen it kiss the glass for the diatoms nor peck at the liverock, but there are lipstick marks on the glass.

Uhmmm.... Mine is not a sure fire way to get your Golden to eat and probably survive, but it worked for me. Now with the tank fully lighted up and open, the Golden swims out openly during feeding time.

Also I have 2 small pieces of live rock, there is NOWHERE the Golden can hide and that was the reason for my paper trick. Maybe it helps that to embolden the Golden when it has no place to hide.

Also I put my clown (the most aggressive fish) into a betta box for about 3 days when I introduced the golden.

[yikai]

truth be told,

getting a golden angel to feed is not difficult. they are shy fishes by nature and if given proper conditions to settle down, they will feel comfortable and get started on feeding.

the difficult part comes after that. most are caught using cyanide due to their extreme crypticness and shyness in the wild. so many specimens die of the effects of cyanide after capture, despite feeding or not.

yours was lucky in a sense that it managed to survive despite all the trials of capture.

this goes the same to colini, multibar and venutus.

IMO, the 4 hardest dwarf angels to acclimate and get adjusted to aquarium life.

but if alot of patience, luck and the right conditions are given, they will make wonderful pets,.

[Solo77]

Thks for sharing. Going to try on my nano tank where there are lots of pods. Know reefer who got it survived using pods and a bro here who managed to train his golden and multibar to eat.

[unltd]

<br>truth be told,<br><br>getting a golden angel to feed is not difficult. they are shy fishes by nature and if given proper conditions to settle down, they will feel comfortable and get started on feeding.<br><br>the difficult part comes after that. most are caught using cyanide due to their extreme crypticness and shyness in the wild. so many specimens die of the effects of cyanide after capture, despite feeding or not.<br><br>yours was lucky in a sense that it managed to survive despite all the trials of capture.<br><br>this goes the same to colini, multibar and venutus.<br><br>IMO, the 4 hardest dwarf angels to acclimate and get adjusted to aquarium life.<br><br>but if alot of patience, luck and the right conditions are given, they will make wonderful pets,.<br>

<br><br>OIC, silly me, I thought the hardest part was to get it feeding. It was quite tough actually, when I first got it, it had a broken left fin and a small injury on the left side of the body. It started healing up when it started feeding properly and was good in about 2 weeks. Now when I go near the tank it is still shy and swims away, but will swim back and stare me down.. <img src="http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/yahoo.gif" class="bbc_emoticon" alt=""><br><br>

<br>Thks for sharing. Going to try on my nano tank where there are lots of pods. Know reefer who got it survived using pods and a bro here who managed to train his golden and multibar to eat.<br>

<br><br>I am not sure about pods, my tank is probably barren of pods cause of the possum wrasse. When the angel was introduced my tank was probably empty of pods, I strongly suspect it is the brown diatoms that helped. BTW now that I let out how I made the golden survive and thrive you still bidding anot. <img class="bbc_emoticon" alt="" src="http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/chair.gif"><br>

[dnsfpl]

dim light and peaceful environment plus a few small non aggressive fish

this is how i manage to get my golden to feed on pellets

sadly, after few months, it koed due to "hole in the head"

[yikai]

yup, as with dnsfpl, his golden angel also started feeding after it settled down in a peaceful environment.

environment is key to feeding.

what happens after that is just luck. i've tried 4, all feeding but all died shortly after for no reason.

[unltd]

dim light and peaceful environment plus a few small non aggressive fish

this is how i manage to get my golden to feed on pellets

sadly, after few months, it koed due to "hole in the head"

Wah sad man! This fish does have some character.

yup, as with dnsfpl, his golden angel also started feeding after it settled down in a peaceful environment.

environment is key to feeding.

what happens after that is just luck. i've tried 4, all feeding but all died shortly after for no reason.

Yeah, I saw your post on it in the colini posting.

[Solo77]

Bro, think I will be out of the race as the bid surpass my expectation. It is not because of yr disclosure. Yr disclosure may not ensure 100% survival, notwithstanding healthy specimen. Since the bid passed my expectation, think I will go for adventure way in trying myself. Will go for fusion method, the methods used by my 2 reefers - using pod, peaceful environment and natural food like sponge etc. All the best for yr sales.

[Jameshong]

Bro, think I will be out of the race as the bid surpass my expectation. It is not because of yr disclosure. Yr disclosure may not ensure 100% survival, notwithstanding healthy specimen. Since the bid passed my expectation, think I will go for adventure way in trying myself. Will go for fusion method, the methods used by my 2 reefers - using pod, peaceful environment and natural food like sponge etc. All the best for yr sales.

....I'm following you !

[Digiman]

Golden angels are v difficult because they are poor shipper, caught using cyanide, timid, picky eater etc.

Success is largely base on luck, and u need a lot of luck for golden angel.

Believe me, go buy another golden angel and u try your method again. This time u will not be so lucky and your golden angel will most likely not survive.

I've tried enough of golden angels, as well as all the other as difficult angels and i can ascertain u tat without luck on your side, u can give it the best environment but the fish will still die.

I was lucky once, a tiny golden angel survived for 6 months feeding on only mysis, but thereafter MIA for no reason. Since it's only 6 months and not even a year, i wouldn't count it as a success. It is a fish cheap enough for most to try multiple times but I've killed far too many goldens and to date still no success so i've given up on tat fish as luck is not on my side.

Those who failed many times will agree w me while those who are lucky may not. But whatever it is, goldens are well-known to be one of the toughest angel to keep alive, so new reefers may want to take note on that before you purchase this cute little angel at any LFS.

[Solo77]

True. Risk is always there even if one gotten a stable one. All the best.

[dnsfpl]

agree with digiman, both my golden survive for less than 6 months

give up liao lol

[TayHongSiang]

i want to try it .....if dun have, then i will go for brazilian flameback

[Digiman]

i want to try it .....if dun have, then i will go for brazilian flameback

They are actually v common. Every LFS will get them frequently. U will never run out of chance to try a golden angel. Pinnacle each time can bring in up to 8 pieces of goldens from small to big. Iwarna, CF, Ah Beng all regularly bring in two to three pieces of goldens each time. SL and AM also occasionally has one to two pieces available.

So many has came in all the while, but i dun wish to find out what is their fate now. And being an inexpensive fish it'll continue to be brought in and many reefers will continue to buy them and try.

I suggest u stop wasting your time and energy and go on to keep a flameback.

[yikai]

aiyah.

it's very easy to say i wanna try i wanna try. and it's very easy to buy it and it will die.

i've dried golden angel 4 times.

colini 7 times

venustus 5 times

multibar 3 times

that's a total of 19 fishes. all of them are difficult and are tough species to keep alive. out of the 19, none survive. and out of the 19, 14 were feeding.

given that i've given them all the requirements they need, and have extensive knowledge on all 4 species, so what? none survived.

so if anyone is really willing to try, seriously don't be too excited. i must stress again that these are not impossible fishes. they are just very challenging. and bear in mind our singapore LFS are not liveaquaria or some high end U.S LFS. the holding conditions are not ideal and the longer they last there, the more difficult they become as they start getting disease and what have you.

so be prepared to kill. many. before you succeed. unless your lucky like the threadstarter.

but when it comes to these 4 fishes. everytime someone tell me feeding. i will just say one word. "so?"

[unltd]

aiyah.

it's very easy to say i wanna try i wanna try. and it's very easy to buy it and it will die.

i've dried golden angel 4 times.

colini 7 times

venustus 5 times

multibar 3 times

that's a total of 19 fishes. all of them are difficult and are tough species to keep alive. out of the 19, none survive. and out of the 19, 14 were feeding.

given that i've given them all the requirements they need, and have extensive knowledge on all 4 species, so what? none survived.

so if anyone is really willing to try, seriously don't be too excited. i must stress again that these are not impossible fishes. they are just very challenging. and bear in mind our singapore LFS are not liveaquaria or some high end U.S LFS. the holding conditions are not ideal and the longer they last there, the more difficult they become as they start getting disease and what have you.

so be prepared to kill. many. before you succeed. unless your lucky like the threadstarter.

but when it comes to these 4 fishes. everytime someone tell me feeding. i will just say one word. "so?"

Wah.... I read the threads about Golden before purchasing to really give it a try, I also read other forums overseas. I must be really lucky cause this is my first Golden. Did you manage to get them on pellets? Could it be cause mine is bigger?

19 fishes is alot of effort and also money...

[yikai]

Wah.... I read the threads about Golden before purchasing to really give it a try, I also read other forums overseas. I must be really lucky cause this is my first Golden. Did you manage to get them on pellets? Could it be cause mine is bigger?

19 fishes is alot of effort and also money...

yes i got some to eat pellets. but mostly mysis only.

the colinis were all eating on pellets though.

generally smaller golden angels adapt better.

the smaller they are, the more easily they adapt. but not too small. around 2 inches is best.

big ones like 3 inch onwards are almost always doomed to die.

almost always. keyword is almost