Quote:
Originally Posted by shaka
I previously had a Yellow Belly Regal ( probably Maldives) for 6 years and I'm thinking of getting another one. I am considering a juvenile this time.
Is everybody having success with their juveniles or do most try a smaller adult or subadult?
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In my experience, juveniles, if healthy, generally do better than adults. And they grow really fast. I actually think that all those 3 to 4 inch subadults you see in stores are no older than a year.
Subadults, those who still have at least some remanants of the eyespot left, shouldn't do too much trouble either.
It's really the larger adults who often have difficulties adapting to tank life and the food you can offer them.
3 of the 4 Regals I have I got as juveniles. One of them, the Maldives one, I got as a barely post-larva baby, less than 2 inches, and he caused the least trouble getting him to eat. From day one he was eating like a pig and doubled his length within 6 months.
My Bali Regal was just 3 inches when I got him and eating like a pig since day one. He turned out to be the most aggressive of all my Regals and had no issues going against a larger damsel or putting my rowdy Neon Dottyback (a fully grown male!) in his place. It also seems that he is somewhat a hybrid between the yellow and blue subspecies.
My Philippine Regal was at the edge of starving to death when I got him and his buddy (that one I had to part ways with due to space constraints). They were both large juveniles with still complete eyespots and eating, but slowly and had not been fed enough at the store so that they had already developed knife-backs. Now he is a fat pig and eats as if there is no tomorrow. Coloration-wise he is as impressive as any yellow belly, if not even more with his blue chest.
My Sumatra Regal was just at the end of transition, and he caused initially the most trouble getting him to eat enough. He is still the most sensitive.
All of them are now eating well and actually love flake food. Generally they eat nearly everything.
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