Paracentropyge multifasciatus

[eric.m.s]

any tips to offer on caring for this species? what do you attribute to your success?


i plan on housing it in an sps reef with some zoanthids.

eric

 

[Mike612]

Never cared for one but I'm on the lookout for it. I plan on keeping it too. I can tell you what I've read. They're finicky eaters and will often refuse food if they're being bullied by other tankmates. They are very shy and prefer dimly lit aquariums; therefore, they need lots of rockwork for hiding purposes. You probably won't see it too much while the halides are on.
I had a Paracentropyge (or Sumireyakko, however it's classified now) venustus for a little while, which is very similar to the Multibarred Angel in terms of care. It rarely ate what I offered it and hid most of the time. The only food it ate with gusto was nori. Other than that, it ate formula one every so often. It loved to pick at my button polyps and zoos, and it also loved to nip at the legs of my starfish. The starfish was probably its favourite thing.
One word of caution, angels of the Paracentropyge genus are collected from deep water and often suffer of decompression related problems. For this reason, not too many of these beauties will live long, even if they're eating.

 

[eric.m.s]

i have the ability to get my hands on a 2in specimen that is supposedly eating...just weighing it out and looking for input.

my biggest fear is corals being eaten, but that is a sacrifice i am willing to pay for such a beautiful fish.

eric

 

[Len]

I had one ages ago but I couldn't get it to feed (brine, mysis, etc.). It didn't bother corals. It just never seemed to eat anything at all If you can find one that is eating, I think you've solved 99% of the difficulty.

 

[Pavaphon]

Like what Len says, if you get the eating specimen than you solved like 90% difficulty.

Those angels that was once considered in the genus Paracentropyge and Sumireyakko (Now C. multifasciatus, C. venustus, and C. boylei) are probably the most difficult angels to kept alive in captivity for a long period of time. In my opinion, these species require similar care with the regal Angel(Pygoplites diacanthus) that was once considered very hard to keep.

I have seen a many multibarred and venustus that learn to accept mysis, but flourish a few weeks later. Few people that could keep it alive says that the fish exported out from Pacific Islands tend to do much better and have more survival rate than those exported from the Philippines.

 

[eric.m.s]

thanks for the help guys... i am well informed on them, just needed a little encouragment before i pulled the trigger on this specimen.

I believe multifasciatus, venustus, and boylei are all part of the reinstated Paracentropyge...but i could be wrong, it's always changing.

the specimen should be arriving today and has been in captivity for just over a month now. hopefully on a diet of rod's food, nori, mysis, broccolli hikari marine-s etc... he will do well.

does anyone have pics of multibarred x venustus hybrid? i have heard talk of them, but never seen. pics would be much appreciated

eric

 

[Mike612]

Here you go. It's a picture from my Angelfishes and Butteflyfishes book. I seriously recommend this book to everyone. It's great.

 

[eric.m.s]

he has quickly bonded with our cleaner shrimp.

 

[dgiller]

any updates?

 

[eric.m.s]

he did not make it...it had been in captivity for over 4 months before i purchased him and i was told, readily eating hikari mysis and brine... but in my system that was not the case. he showed no interest in any foods offered.

he ate algae and detritous which kept him fat, but he eventually went on a hunger strike and didnt eat anything.

he was the most graceful fish i've kept to date and quite a personality too...always inverted in odd positions and just as comfortable upside down as right side up when grazing.

if i can find one at a LFS that is eating and acclimated to captivity i will give it a try...i feel he did not tolerate the shipping well.