The Amazing, Aquacultured Angel

There are only a few fish in the genus Paracentropyge, the gorgeous P. venusta, the stunning and hyper rare P. boylei, and the subject of our article today, the starkly colored and highly underrated Paracentropyge multifasiata. More commonly called the Banded Angel, it also gets called the Multibar or Multiband Angel, the Barred Angel and the Many Band Angel. They are a common fish throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Wild juveniles are generally found singly, and in pretty shallow water near coral, rubble and sponge reefs. Adults are more frequently found in pairs or small harems, less than five individuals, and in much deeper water up to 225 feet down.

We're making the distinction about the wild specimens here because, in a miracle of modern science, we are offering Aquacultured Banded Multifasciatus Angels from our partners at Bali Aquarich! As these fish are captive bred and raised, the primary difficulty in keeping Paracentropyge multifasiata has been effectively dealt with. You see, wild specimens of this species have always been considered an “experts-only” fish because of the difficulty many aquarists encounter in getting this species to eat. In the wild, these fish are grazers, and pick on algae, sponges and rocks all day long, consuming a wide variety of small invertebrates in doing so. All of these elements of their diet are important to maintaining a healthy fish in the long run.

Now, with fish that have been reared on easily attainable foods in captivity, we are feeding these a variety of thawed foods from Gamma like Brine Plus Omega, Brine Plus Spirulina, Mysis, Bloodworms, Finely Chopped Mussel and Copepods! In addition, they are getting fed the Algae and Color Boost Pellets and Shots from Nutramar, which offers them a complete nutrient profile and the shots give them an opportunity to graze for food as the shots can be stuck to rocks. We feed the Aquacultured Banded Multifasciatus Angel twice a day here and they are doing very well on this diet.

There are many genus of Angelfish that are frequently available to marine aquarium enthusiasts, and more generally, these groups get categorized as either Dwarf Angels, or Standard Angels. Somewhere in between lives Paracentropyge multifasiata, a little bigger than most dwarf Angels, but maxing out at just under five inches long, they're definitely smaller than most Standard Angels. This sizing is ideal for moderately large tanks, where this fish would be a striking showpiece fish. We suggest an aquarium that is 90 Gallons or larger with plenty of rock for them to hide in, swim through and graze on. These aquacultured fish are bolder than their wild counterparts but are still a bit shy initially and will be seen much more often in tanks that offer abundant cover. They will relish abundant flow.

In regard to water quality, these fish will be fine in the parameters you are likely pretty used to reading if you've been doing any research on keeping a saltwater aquarium. Aim for a specific gravity of 1.021-1.026. Keep the temperature between 72 and 78. Keep the pH as stable as you can, preferably between 8.0 and 8.4. Like most Angels, they will do best in aquariums that have low nutrient loads, so try to keep your nitrates under 5ppm. This level ought to allow a trace amount of algae to establish, which will be excellent supplemental food for your Banded Multifasciatus Angel to eat.

These shy fish can be kept with a wide variety of other fish. If your goal is to have them share an aquarium with very timid fish, add the Banded(s) last. While they are initially shy, once settled in, they can be territorial with new additions. You can keep multiples, though we suggest no more than three. One will establish itself as the male and they should be able to be kept this way long term as long as they are added together and are all juvenile fish to start with. Juveniles are easy to identify as they are (logically) much smaller, but they also have fewer bands and a large spot on the tail end of their dorsal fin. We don't suggest keeping Paracentropyge multifasiata with other Angels, decorative clams of any type or in reef style aquaria. You will see conflicting advice around the internet on this (reeftank) topic, but it's our experience that this species' naturally grazing behavior means that sooner or later they will sample sponges and corals. Even if they don't find these tasty bits to their liking, the corals may be irritated to death. For those of you dead set on trying to have them in that kind of display, start with aquacultured specimens like these, feed them well and keep a close eye on them.

Paracentropyge multifasiata is one of the most beautiful and perfectly sized fish for home displays, and while more commonly seen than the other fish in the genus, is still a rarity in saltwater aquarium keeping. It is a new day for the Banded Multifasciatus Angel now that Bali Aquarich is producing aquacultured specimens, and the feeding breakthrough this represents, not to mention the absolutely spotless sustainability aspect of captive bred fish. If you've been wanting a Banded Multifasciatus Angel and were on the fence about whether or not your skills were up to the task, now is the time for you to jump in the tank. Head to your Local Fish Store and ask them to get you a Bali Aquarich Aquacultured Banded Multifasciatus Angel from Quality Marine today!