The Coral Beauty (Centropyge Bispinosus) is a commonly available marine angelfish that sits firmly within the lower price range bracket unlike many of its cousins. $15 to $20 should net you this fish just about anywhere. It is very popular angel (not as popular as the Flame Angel though), the combination of flame like coloration on a deep blue body plus the price is bound to make this angel a popular fish among hobbyists.
They are commonly know as the Dusky Angelfish and the Two-Spined angelfish. These dwarf angelfish are collected heavily for the trade as they are common throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Some of them have been known to have been caught with the use of cyanide, particularly those from the Philippines. Coral beauty angelfish from the Philippines tend to have high mortality rates, no surprises there. Goosed colors (Brighter than usual colors) are common in cyanide collected fishes. They may do fine for a month and then suddenly perish inexplicably.
The coral beauty angel can reach up to 4 inches in the wild so in the interest of allowing it room to breathe i'd suggest at least a 50 gallon. A 75 gallon or larger tank is of course, recommended.
Coral beauty angelfish are not as aggressive as other members in the genus and they mostly ignore other species of fish. But it is aggressive towards other dwarf angels and the same species so avoid putting two coral beauty angelfish in the a small tank. If you insist on having two coral beauty angelfish then you can either ensure the aquarium is large enough or you could buy a mated pair if you're lucky. Not likely though. Torn fins are a common occurrence between two fighting dwarf angelfish.
In the wild, dwarf angelfish are all grazers. Like surgeonfish, they scan the rock throughout the day for food. They feed on small crustaceans, algae of various types 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. Never feed them a specific type of food for too long. Although there have been people that have fed them new life spectrum pellets for months at a time with no ill effects. They were all very healthy in fact.
They should be offered nori/algae sheets in addition to a balanced frozen food (Formula One, Formula Two) and a good pellet like those produced by New Life Spectrum.
The perfect food for dwarf angels is the Pygmy Angel Formula by Ocean Nutrition. Ingredients such as kelp, krill, squid,squid, vitamins and minerals and much more are used in this frozen food. The ingredients mentioned are all added prior to freezing. Unfortunately there is only one form of Pygmy Angel Formula, frozen cubes.




