Multicolor Angelfish : A guide on the deepwater dwarf angelfish Centropyge Multicolor

The Multicolor angelfish (Centropyge Multicolor) is a deep water angel that live at depths from 50 to 200+ feet in the wild. So named because of the myriad of colors this fish has. Its body is white while its chest has a patch mixed with yellow, orange and red. Its tail is yellow while its anal and dorsal fins are blue. The multicolor angel’s most striking feature is its crown, a small patch of neon blue and purple lines that is also found on very rare Centropyge Nahackyi.

Like the flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus), it is collected from the Marshall Islands, Cook Islands and Fiji, not Hawaii as is commonly thought.

Centropyge Multicolor tend to be pricey due to the fact that they’re collected at deeper depths. They retail for about $120. Unlike most of its deep water brethren, the multicolor fare well in captivity. Once it is fully acclimated to your aquarium, it proves to be a very hardy dwarf angelfish.

Swim bladder damage during collection is not uncommon. If they are brought up too fast their swim bladder will start to expand, collectors solve the problem by poking it with a needle. Done incorrectly, severe damage may to the swim bladder may be sustained. Signs of a damaged swim bladder include :-

• Inability to maintain a leveled buoyancy
• Tilting left, right, up or down inexplicably

It has been my experience that this fish tends to turn into a bully once it has established its territory. Among all the dwarf angelfish i’ve kept, this angel along with the brazilian flameback angel have been the most aggressive marine angels i’ve ever had the pleasure to keep.

Smaller fishes will also get some harassment. Nothing too hostile, just quick, short chases to show them who’s boss. You must give the rest of your fishes enough space.

I do not recommend putting two multicolor angels together. If you must have a pair, either buy a mated or buy a large one along with a small one and introduce them to the aquarium at the same time. Do not attempt this in aquariums smaller than 75 gallons.

The multicolor angelfish is considered a medium sized dwarf angelfish (Like the coral beauty angelfish, Flame Angels). They normally come in at sizes ranging from 2.5 to 4 inches. They should be housed in a saltwater aquarium no less than 50 gallons, a 75 gallon or larger tank is ideal.

There is not a lot of light at the depth its collected at so provide plenty of live rock for it to seek refuge. It must be given time to acclimate to captive lighting intensities. Once acclimated however, they are fearless.

In the wild, dwarf angelfish are all grazers. They constantly scan the rock for food items throughout the day, much like surgeonfish. They consume algae, tiny crustaceans and sometimes even detritus.

A well balanced diet should be given in a saltwater aquarium. Foods from many food groups should be given for variety. Feeding them a single type of food for too long is generally a bad idea. Although i’ve heard of hobbyists feeding them new life spectrum pellets for prolonged periods of time with no ill effects. It seemed like they were doing great in fact.

A good pellet like those by New life Spectrum should be offered along with algae/nori sheets plus a balanced frozen food (Formula One, Formula Two).

Ocean Nutrition produces the perfect food for dwarf angels, Pygmy Angel Formula. It closely resembles their natural diet in the wild with a whole slew of ingredients that include krill, algae, kelp, shrimp, squid, vitamins and trace minerals plus many others. Prior to freezing, the cubes are mixed with these ingredients. Unfortunately Pygmy Angel Formula does not come in flake form.

I don’t like feeding brine shrimp as they don’t offer much nutritionally. Frozen adult brine shrimps contain mostly roughage, which is nothing more than fibre. They can fibre just fine from krill or mysis shrimp, both superior foods.

When feeding your dwarf angelfish brine shrimp, always choose a type that has been enriched. Brine shrimp that were feed something nutritious like spirulina prior to freezing are known as enriched brine shrimp. So they are more of carriers of nutrition.

As long as their yolk sacs are still intact, newly hatched brine shrimp are a nutritious food to offer. Once their yolk sacs are used up, they don’t offer much apart from roughage.