Centropyge Multifasciata - Facts On The Deepwater Centropyge Multifasciata

Scientific Name : Centropyge Multifasciata

Origin : Western Pacific

Difficulty : Hard

Minimum Tank Size : 75 to 100 gallons

Temperament : Passive, on the shy side

Temperature : 72 - 82°F

Reef Safe : With caution

Maximum Size : 5 inches

Diet : Omnivore

Centropyge Multifasciata is a deep water marine angelfish commonly found at depths ranging from 60 to 200 feet. Its also known as the multibarred angelfish. It is the only marine angelfish that features vertical black zebra like strips down its white body. Bits of orange line the bottom nose to the anal fin.

Like the Golden Angelfish, most Centropyge Multifasciata that are seen on the market end up dying due to swim bladder complications and starvation. Since this is a deepwater angelfish, care must be taken when choosing specimens.

Avoid angelfish that have trouble maintaining bouyancy or are tilting left, right up or down inexpicably.

Most deepwater marine angelfish tend to be on the shy side and the Centropyge Multifasciata is no exception. Do not house this angelfish in a marine aquarium full of aggressive tank mates.

It cannot hold its own against even aggressive flame angels.

Big. The bigger the better. An established aquarium 75 gallons and above are suitable tanks for this species. They plenty of live rock to find shelter and also to feed off (more on this later). Shade is important to this fish as it gives it time to acclimate to higher lighting intensities.

Don't expect to see this fish with any regularity within the first few days of introduction.

In the wild, dwarf angelfish are all grazers. Throughout the day they scan the rock for food, 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. Never feed them a specific type of food for too long. Although there have been hobbyists that have fed them new life spectrum for long periods of time with no ill effects. They all looked 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.

A very good food for dwarf angels is the Pygmy Angel Formula, produced by Ocean Nutrition. A wide range of ingredients are used. They are shrimp, algae, krill, vitamins and trace elements, kelp, squid and much more. Prior to freezing, the cubes are mixed with these ingredients. Unfortunately there is only one form of Pygmy Angel Formula, frozen cubes.

I am not a fan of brine shrimp as nutritionally, they're garbage. Adult frozen artemia are nothing more than roughage, which is fibre. Krill and mysis shrimp are two superior foods that also have fibre.

Enriched brine shrimp should be chosen for your dwarf angelfish if you insist on feeding artemia. Enriched brine shrimp are simply artemia that were stuffed with a nutritious food (like spirulina) and then frozen. So they are more of carriers of nutrition.

Newly hatched brine shrimp are also quite nutritious, as long as their yolk sacs are still in place. Once thats gone they become garbage again.

Cherub Pygmy Angelfish - Centropyge Argi

Coral Beauty Angelfish - Centropyge Bispinosus

Eibli Angelfish - Centropyge Eibli

Fishers Angelfish - Centropyge Fisheri
Flameback Angelfish(African) - Centropyge Acanthops
Flameback Angelfish(Brazilian) - Centropyge Aurantonotus
Golden Angelfish - Centropyge Aurantia
Heralds Angelfish - Centropyge Heraldi
Lemonpeel Angelfish - Centropyge Flavissima
Multibarred Angelfish - Centropyge Multifasciata
Multicolor Angelfish - Centropyge Multicolor
Potters Angelfish - Centropyge Potteri