Centropyge Bicolor
Scientific Name : Centropyge Bicolor
Origin : Indo-Pacific Oceans
Temperament : Shy
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 4 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : medium to difficult
Reef Safe : With Caution
Tank Size : 75 Gallons
The centropyge bicolor is a strikingly colored member of the genus centropyge. The front half of its body and tail is a bright pastel tellow while its body is a deep royal blue. This blue coloration is also seen as a crown above its eyes.
It is found throughout the Indo-Pacific ocean and are a somewhat shy species. In the wild they do not leave the general reef and are not found swimming out in the open. This behavior is much like the stunning potters angel.
They are a relatively cheap species of fish to purchase. Expect to pay between $25 to $35 for a specimen. Their low prices probably have something to do with the large amounts in which they are collected from the wild.
Like a few other members of the genus, Centropyge bicolor does not seem to fare too well in captivity. The reasons for this are a result of the fact that these fish may be collected improperly and they are difficult to feed in captivity. So the best way to care for them is to look at similarly difficult species such as the potters and multibarred angelfish.
In the wild, they graze throughout the day on algae, detritus, sponges and small crustaceans. Getting this fish to feed is somewhat difficult. In the beginning, these foods should be target fed to ensure the fish actually comes across the food.
The genus centropyge feed primarily on detritus, small crustaceans and algae. Despite this, the vast majority of them tend to accept most prepated foods in captivity. It is always important to offer a mix of both meaty and algae or spirulina best foods in the marine aquarium.
A good mix of meaty and vegetable matter is essential to the overall health of dwarf angels. Some other good foods to feed daily are * Sea Veggies Seaweed, which are nutritious seaweed for grazers. Prime Reef * Flake Food which is a blend of numerous seafood and algae such as seaweed, lobster meat, salmon, shrimp, squid and zooplankton.
The best dry pellet foods on the market come from the highly reputable makers, * New Life Spectrum. Use a * Seaweed Clip when feeding them seaweed sheets. Simply take a sheet, fold it and clip it. Secure the clip to the aquarium glass in a location of your choice and they should graze on it throughout the day. Centropyge species can nip on corals so be warned.
Hopefully it will learn to recognize prepared foods and begin eating. Once this happens, you have increased your chances of rearing this striking fish in captivity by a huge percentage. Like all other dwarf angels, they can begin to nip on corals so proceed with caution.
Always quarantine new fish to avoid spreading diseases and parasites in the main aquarium. Prepare a tank no smaller than 75 gallons. It should be an established tank that has been up and running for at least 6-8 months. The aquarium requires plenty of liverock. The more the better. The rock is going to supplement the diet of centropyge bicolor during its stay in captivity.
Centropyge Bicolor is nowhere near as difficult an angel to rear as the golden angelfish. The care and requirements for this fish mimicks that of the Potters Angel closely.
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