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The Yellow Angelfish, often referred to as the Lemonpeel Angelfish (Centropyge flavissima), is a small marine angelfish with a striking bright yellow body and vibrant blue highlights around its eyes and fins. Native to the Indo-Pacific, it’s a popular choice for reef aquariums thanks to its size, colour, and active behaviour. What makes this angelfish unique is its inquisitive nature and semi-aggressive temperament. While it typically does well in a mixed reef tank, some individuals may nip at soft corals or clam mantles, so it’s worth monitoring their behaviour early on. It’s also known for forming strong pair bonds if introduced as a mated pair, adding another layer of interest to your tank.
I’ll never forget the first time I spotted one in my local aquarium shop—its vibrant colours instantly hooked me, sparking my journey into understanding its care needs. In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to keep your yellow angel fish thriving, from tank setup to feeding and health tips.
Choosing Your Yellow Angel Fish
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Setting Up the Perfect Tank
Yellow Angelfish do best in tanks with a minimum size of 70 litres, though 100+ litres is recommended for adult fish or multiple species. The water temperature should be kept between 24°C and 27°C with a stable salinity of 1.020–1.025. They enjoy moderate to high water flow, so use powerheads to mimic their natural reef habitat. These angelfish are active swimmers and love to explore rockwork and caves, so make sure your tank has plenty of live rock and hiding places. They’re considered reef-safe with caution, so if you’re keeping corals, monitor them closely for any nipping behaviour. Using a good protein skimmer and maintaining regular water changes will keep the environment stable and clean.
Feeding Your Yellow Angel Fish
Feeding a Yellow Angelfish is relatively straightforward. They’re omnivorous and thrive on a varied diet. Offer them a mix of marine algae, spirulina, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and high-quality marine angelfish pellets. Supplement their diet with seaweed sheets (nori) clipped to the side of the tank a few times a week. Feed them 2–3 times daily, in small portions. A well-fed angelfish will be active, bright in colour, and less likely to nip at your corals out of hunger. Overfeeding can lead to poor water quality and health issues, so it’s important to strike the right balance.
Health and Maintenance
Yellow Angelfish are relatively hardy but can be susceptible to common marine illnesses such as marine ich (white spot disease), velvet disease, and bacterial infections if tank conditions are poor. Signs of illness include white spots, cloudy eyes, lethargy, or refusal to eat. Quarantine new fish for a few weeks before adding them to your main display tank, and maintain excellent water quality with weekly checks for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH. Should illness occur, early treatment is vital. Use a separate hospital tank and appropriate medications—many copper-based treatments are effective, but always research what’s safe for angelfish. Regular tank maintenance, feeding routines, and water changes are the best way to keep your Yellow Angelfish thriving.
Caring for a yellow angel fish takes some effort, but the payoff is immense. With the right tank setup, a tasty and varied diet, and a bit of TLC, you’ll have a dazzling centrepiece for your aquarium. Got any questions or your own yellow angel tales? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear from you!
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