Centropyge Multicolor
Scientific Name : Centropyge Multicolor
Origin : Christmas and Marshall Islands, Hawaii
Temperament : Aggressive
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 4 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : Easy to Medium
Reef Safe : With Caution
Tank Size : 50 Gallons
Centropyge Multicolor, or its common name, the Multicolor Angelfish is another deepwater centropyge species. They are found from depths of 50 to 150 feet in the wild. It was named after the variety of colors found on this fish. Its main body is white while the lower half contains patches of orange, yellow and brown. Its face, caudal and pelvic fins are bright yellow. It possesses a neon blue crown which is the color that also lines its anal and soft dorsal fin.
Considered a pricey centropyge angelfish, expect to pay up from $80 to $120 for a single centropyge multicolor. The high price reflects the general difficulty in collected deeper water species as there are hazards to the diver at deeper depths.
Because it hails from deeper regions of the oceans, there is a possibility of swim bladder damage during collection. As they are brought up from their deep habitats, their swim bladder can start to expand with gas. Collectors will usually prick the bladder with a small needle to reduce swelling. This procedure can sometimes damage the bladder. It can also cause infection.
Fish that have a damaged or infected swim bladder will lose the ability for proper buoyancy. They will inexplicably tilt up, down, left and right. These are specimens to be avoided as there is no guarantee that it will heal in the future.
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.
Centropyge Multicolor needs a 50 gallon tank to do well. However, we highly recommend they be housed in larger aquariums above 75 gallons. Always quarantine new fish to avoid spreading diseases and parasites in the main aquarium.
Unlike their deepwater cousins, Multicolor angelfish are aggressive and can be quite a bully in captivity. It will almost certainly become the dominant fish if all its tank mates are smaller than itself.
It is highly aggressive towards all members of the centropyge family and you should never house more than two dwarf angelfish in a small aquarium. In such confines, it will likely harrass its relatives to death.
Centropyge Multicolor is a hardy fish that does very well in captivity once it has been acclimated and adjusted to the marine aquarium. However, its dominant behavior may put off some saltwater aquarium hobbyists. It is an uncommon fish that is sure to take the notice of more experienced hobbyists.
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