The french angelfish (Pomacanthus Paru) is among the three most popular angelfish in the marine aquarium hobby. The Emperor Angelfish and the Queen Angelfish make up the other two.
Its closets relative is the gray angel, as such, they look completely alike to the untrained eye. Differentiating between the to is easy, adult french angels have yellow/gold flecks on their bodies while gray angels do not. As Juveniles they are completely alike except for one very minute difference. Juvenile Queen angelfish have tail fins that are rounded while juvenile gray angelfish tail fins that are straighter.This trait is also seen on adult french and gray angels.
The juvenile form of the french is also one of the most beautiful among its cousins. A full jet black with bright yellow vertical bars. Like other juveniles in the genus they are cleaners in the wild, actively picking off parasites off other larger fish.
They commonly sighted by divers around the Caribbean Sea. Other angelfish from that area include the gray, blue and queen angelfish.
Not a cheap fish, small juveniles go for $80 to $90 USD while larger adults can cost upwards of $200.
Like its larger cousins, the French Angelfish can be aggressive towards other members of the pomacanthidae (Marine angelfish) family. Expect a lot of fighting/torn fins if you put two french angelfish together in a marine aquarium.
Despite this, french angelfish are normally friendly towards their keepers. It is generally peaceful with species outside its own family. Dottybacks, clownfish and smaller wrasses are generally left alone.
At 16 inches the French angelfish is a whopper! If you plan on keeping one long-term you should house one in a marine aquarium no less than 150 gallons. It always helps to aim higher of course, a 300 gallon aquarium is a great choice.
Some hobbyists are tricked into buying a small juvenile french angel only to have it outgrow their small aquariums in a matter of months.
Juveniles grow very quickly, do not be fooled by their small sizes. French angels are commonly kept in large community aquariums with a very "open" rock scape. This is to ensure they have ample swimming space. Hobbyists with a reef aquarium generally avoid keeping the french angelfish, we find out why in the next section.
The french angelfish is not reef safe, like all its brethren. You may come across some reef tanks with french angels but they're more suited to fish-only aquariums.
In the wild, they feed on sponges, corals, algae and polyps. Most people avoid keeping them in their reef aquariums as they can make short work of their prized corals. A source of algae like nori/seaweed should be offered along with meaty foods like krill and mysis shrimp.
Try to get them on a good pellet like those from New Life Spectrum as well. A pretty good and balanced food to offer would be formula two, it contains seafood and extra algae for herbivorous fishes. Available in, flake, pellet or frozen cube form.
The best food for a french angelfish is Angel Formula by Ocean Nutrition. Designed to cater to the specific needs of large angelfish, it contains a mix of algae, fresh seafood, vitamins and most importantly, marine sponges. Unfortunately, Angel Formula is only available in frozen cubes.
more about nori and seaweed. You can go to your local supermarket to get some or you can choose to purchase them from companies catering to herbivorous fish. Prices vary with market nori, they're either expensive or cheap depending on the brand.
Make sure you buy the plain, unflavoured/unspiced version. If available, raw nori is a great offering. Get a clip for your nori and stick it on the side of the aquarium glass.
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