Description
Coral Beauty Angelfish (Centropyge bispinosa)
Overview
The Coral Beauty Angelfish (Centropyge bispinosa), also known as the Twospined Angelfish, is widely considered one of the most popular and hardy members of the dwarf angelfish genus. It is a favorite for both beginners and experienced aquarists due to its vibrant coloration and relative ease of care.
- Max Size: Up to 10 cm.
- Lifespan: 5–10 years with proper care.
- Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate. They are generally hardier and adapt to aquarium life more readily than many other Centropyge species.
Care Requirements
- Minimum Tank Size: 120-220 litres. While they are small, they are active swimmers that appreciate ample rockwork.
- Water Parameters:
- Temperature: 22°C – 26°C.
- pH: 8.1 – 8.4.
- Salinity: 1.020 – 1.025.
- Setup: A well-established aquarium with plenty of live rock for grazing and hiding is crucial. They spend much of their time darting in and out of the rockwork.
Maintenance
- Filtration: Standard, high-quality filtration is sufficient.
- Routine: Perform regular water changes (10–20% every two weeks) to keep nitrate and phosphate levels low, which helps maintain fish health and reduces nuisance algae.
Diet
- Type: Omnivore.
- Feeding: Feed 2–3 times daily. They are generally not picky eaters.
- Recommended Diet: Provide a varied diet consisting of high-quality marine pellets/flakes, frozen mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and marine algae (like Nori or Spirulina).
- Grazing: They will naturally forage on microalgae growing on your live rock.
Behavior and Compatibility
- Temperament: Generally peaceful, though they can become territorial toward other dwarf angels or fish of similar size and shape.
- Reef Safety: Considered “hit or miss.” While many individuals are fine, some may develop a habit of nipping at fleshy LPS corals (like Trachyphyllia or Acans) and clam mantles. Keeping them well-fed can help reduce the likelihood of this behavior.
- Tank Mates: Excellent for community tanks with peaceful fish such as clownfish, gobies, blennies, and firefish.
Reproduction
- Sexing: They are protogynous hermaphrodites. Males are generally slightly larger and have more elongated, vibrant anal and dorsal fin tips compared to females.
- Breeding: They have been successfully spawned in captivity, but raising the larvae is extremely difficult and rarely achieved by home hobbyists due to the microscopic food requirements of the fry.
Tips
- Quarantine: As with all marine fish, a quarantine period is highly recommended to monitor for parasites (like marine velvet or ich) before moving them to the display tank.
- Acclimation: They handle the transition to a new tank well, but standard slow drip acclimation is still the best practice to minimize stress.
- Compatibility Note: If you want to keep them with other dwarf angels, it is best to introduce the Coral Beauty last, or ensure the tank is large enough (400+ litres) to provide distinct territories.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Either come in store to view available stock or request pictures to be sent to you.
Please Note: Due to variations within species resulting from age, region, sex, etc., the actual livestock may not look identical to the image. Approximate size range may also vary between individual specimens.
