Potters Angel
Scientific Name : Centropyge Potteri
Origin : Johnston Atoll, Hawaii
Temperament : Shy
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 5 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : Medium to Difficult
Reef Safe : With Caution
Tank Size : 75 Gallons
The Potters Angelfish is a stunningly colored centropyge species that is found only in two locations. Hawaii and Johnston Atoll.
It is an exceptionally beautiful fish with bright orange, and deep blue and purple throughout its body. Orand lines its head and main body while its mid section has bits of blue and purple on it. It is a fairly uncommon offering and they usually cost more than the flame angel, which also hails from near the same areas. Expect to pay anywhere between $40 to $60 per specimen.
In the wild, the potters angel is mimicked by the leapard wrasse (Macropharyngodon geoffroy). It is also a shy angelfish that, while abundant in its habitat, are not commonly seen by divers. This is mainly because of its shy disposition.
Due to its shy behavior, some difficulty may arise in getting them to feed. In such situations, we must look to other shy members of the genus centropyge to increase the chance of keeping the potters angel in the long run. The care and requirements of the Golden Angelfish and Centropyge Mutifasciata may help as far as its dietary needs are concerned.
They are a grazing species in the wild that feed on detritus, algea and small crustaceans that it can pick off the rock. Like all members of the genus centropyge, they have been known to nip on corals. Such behavior is hit and miss with these fish.
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.
They need large established aquariums that have plenty of live rock. It is also important that you do not house it with overly aggressive species as it may refuse to come out and eat. An established 75 gallon aquarium would be the minimum requirement for this species. You should always put all new fish in a quarantine tank for a period of time to treat for any parasites and diseases present.
What will ensure the survival of the Potters Angel in the long run is the availability of live rock for it to graze upon. If you have this, your chances of succeeding have improved tremendously. While never a brave open swimmer, over time you will begin to see more and more of the potters angel as it begins to adjust to life in the aquarium. And what a beautiful addition it can make. Under the right lighting, its colors will absolutely pop.
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