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Coral Beauty Angelfish Care & Info | A Dazzling Dwarf Angel

What attracts many aquarists to the saltwater hobby are the amazing colors of the oceans’ inhabitants. The coral beauty angelfish is definitely no exception in this: this small species makes up for its size with its spectacular coloration.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about caring for coral beauty angels in your home aquarium. 

Name (Common, Scientific)Coral beauty angel fish, coral beauty, dusky angel, two-spined angel, Centropyge bispinosa
Minimum tank size70 gallons
Minimum group size1
Temperature72-78 °F
Salinity1.020-1.025
pH8.0-8.4
Difficulty levelEasy

Coral beauty angelfish description

The coral beauty angelfish is a dwarf angel that grows to about 4” in length. It’s appreciated by aquarists for its lovely coloration: dark blueish purple with an orange pattern on the body, as well as bright yellow fins.

Although they are a relatively rare occurrence, there are also (almost) fully orange coral beauties.

Did you know? The coral beauty angelfish is native to the Indo-Pacific oceans, where it mostly inhabits shallow coral reefs. It’s a common species to spot in the Great Barrier Reef.

Coral beauty angel fish (Centropyge bispinosa), a popular small aquarium fish.

Coral beauty angelfish aquarium

The coral beauty angelfish is one of the most popular aquarium fish out there, and there’s good reason for that. Not only is the species beautiful to see, it’s also highly suitable for beginning reef enthusiasts.

Coral beauties are hardy, mostly reef-safe and peaceful, which is why they’re one of our 6 favorite easy saltwater fish. They’re captive-bred, pretty easy to find and not too expensive at all.

Despite their size, coral beauty angelfish do need a bit of space, as they’re very active swimmers. A minimum aquarium size of 70 gallons is often recommended to avoid possible nippy behavior towards both corals and other fish species.

This may sound like a big tank for such a small fish but trust us, when you see how active these guys are, you’ll be glad you went for something bigger! Provide plenty of live rock for your coral beauties to pick algae and other morsels off, as well as dart behind if they happen to feel threatened.

In terms of water quality, normal saltwater parameters work fine for this hardy species. Just keep the tank clean with regular water changes and you should be good to go.

Coral beauty angelfish compatibility

Although dwarf angels are generally pretty territorial towards their own kind, the coral beauty angelfish is considered a pretty peaceful species in general terms. As long as the aquarium is large enough they generally won’t bother their tankmates, although some aquarists do prefer adding them to the aquarium last just to be safe.

The species is considered tentatively reef-safe. They are omnivores, which means they do occasionally nip at corals, especially soft ones. Keep them away from your most prized corals but don’t worry too much otherwise!

If you want to keep multiple coral beauty angelfish, getting a male/female pair is usually your best bet. The species can also be kept alone, though.

Coral beauty angel fish (Centropyge bispinosa) in the aquarium

Coral beauty angelfish diet

Keeping your coral beauty angelfish well-fed is not much of a challenge, as the species is omnivorous (leaning towards herbivorous) and not picky at all. You’ll probably see yours picking at algae and other foods throughout the day, actually helping to keep nuisance algae under control.

You can feed a staple pellet or flake and supplement with all sorts of (thawed) frozen foods. Plant-based nutrition can be provided through nori sheets or spirulina tabs. Giving small portions throughout the day is ideal, since the species is very active.

Conclusion

Although the coral beauty angelfish is one of the easier saltwater fish to keep, maintaining a successful marine aquarium still requires plenty of knowledge and patience. If you don’t have the expertise or time, we can help! Contact FantaSEA Aquariums here so we can make your dream tank a reality.

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Marijke Puts

Hey! I'm Marijke, FantaSEA's resident blog writer. I'm a full-time pop science author, part-time PADI diver and snorkeler, and have been keeping fish since I was a kid. When I'm not writing fish care guides, you can usually find me underwater or trying to figure out how to fit more tanks into my house.

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