There are many different types of angelfish in the saltwater & freshwater hobby. Most are at least labeled “with caution” when keeping with coral. In my opinion, some angelfish are more prone to nibbling on coral than others. Working in pet stores, I had the least amount of complaints from returning customers about coral beauty angelfish and their coral nipping habits over angels such as the Potter’s or Lemon peel. Take that information with a grain of salt especially if there are high-tier coral dwellings in your aquarium. At the end of the day, it’s a hit or miss with angelfish. I have a coral beauty angelfish that will nibble on fleshy open brain coral but will not bother anything else but who’s to say it won’t turn on my coral and eat away in the future?
Coral Beauty Requirements
The coral beauty will max out at a size of 4″ and is not recommended in aquariums that hold less than 75 gallons of water. They are very active fish and require plenty of space to graze on algae and sponges in the saltwater fish tank. Plenty of live rock and hiding spots should be given to this gorgeous fish.
These fish should typically be the only dwarf angelfish in the aquarium and they should be one of the last fish added into the system due to their aggression. They are highly territorial and can fight with other angels as well as other fish.
The coral beauty is an omnivore so providing marine algae, meaty food, as well as flake and pellet food will keep it happy and thriving! They are quite easy to care for and should happily eat any food provided to them.
As stated previously, most if not all angel fish are either not reef safe or with caution in a reef system. They have a history of nipping corals. They can graze on coral right from the beginning or acquire a taste if no food is provided for a few hours. I once had an Eibli Angel that would sit next to Frag plugs and watch me watch it. It would swim around very innocently and once my head was turned away it would get closer and closer and begin nipping on the coral, so please be mindful about adding an angelfish into you’re reef aquarium.
One final note about coral beauty and many other Dwarf Angelfish is that they can be shy, very very shy. The previously mentioned Eibli Angelfish took 6 months after introduction into the fish tank to finally come around and swim in open water. Otherwise, I was only able to see short glimpses of the fish. My coral beauty angel took about 3 weeks to get comfortable enough with me to swim in open water.
Final thoughts
Even With the coral nipping habits, these are incredible fish with wonderful and unique personalities. I can observe mine swimming and adventuring around my reef tank all day. The colors on this fish are remarkable, that gorgeous mixture of purple, blue, orange, and yellow just can’t be matched! Each one has a little bit of variation to it. If you’re jumping into a hobby and looking for an angelfish, consider a coral beauty!