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The Regal Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) is one of the most beautiful and sought after reef fish. Known for their striking pattern of yellow, blue, and white bars, they are a “dream fish” for many hobbyists. Wild caught Regals are notoriously difficult to feed, but captive bred Regal Angelfish are raised on prepared foods like pellets. Even so, they are a sensitive species that requires careful planning to thrive. Even if you have decades of experience with other reef fish, you may need to plan your Regal Angelfish care protocol differently from what you're used to.
Though they aren't related at all, you'll often hear me compare Regal Angelfish (and other sensitive angelfish species like Golden aurantia) to Mandarin Fish or Seahorses - two species that are similarly sensitive, have different care and feeding requirements from other fish, are prone to appetite loss, and also need special planning.
Stress management is the single most important factor in successfully keeping Regal Angelfish. These fish are highly sensitive to changes in environment, tank mates, and water parameters, and stress is the number one cause of appetite loss. To give them the best chance, avoid sudden changes and provide them with a calm, stable environment from day one.
Adult "misbar" Bali captive bred Regal Angelfish photo courtesy David Lundberg
Regals should always be introduced to a new aquarium through an appropriately large sized acclimation box. This provides a safe, controlled space for them to adjust while allowing you to observe their behavior and feeding. An acclimation box should be furnished with hiding places such as PVC pipes large enough for the fish to fit their entire body inside of, along with live algae, artificial plants, and live rock rubble with sponge or algae for grazing. These features reduce stress and encourage natural behaviors. A Regal without hiding places in the acclimation box will certainly experience appetite loss. Keep the acclimation box clean. If food or any organic waste is allowed to accumulate in the box, this causes localized water quality issues and bacterial growth. Remove uneaten food and waste before and one hour after each feeding.
It can also help to cover the acclimation box top and sides with an opaque cover like aquarium background for shade. This is especially important for deepwater species like Golden aurantia Angelfish. 
Regal Angelfish do best in very mature, stable reef aquariums with abundant live rock for grazing and hiding. A well established reef provides both security and natural food sources. While juveniles can be started in smaller tanks, adults can reach up to 10 inches in length and will need a minimum of 125 gallons with plenty of open swimming space.
Tank mates should be peaceful and not overly large or boisterous. Gentle companions help keep stress levels low. Interestingly, Regals kept alone often fare better when paired with small, outgoing “dither fish” that provide social cues without intimidation. These fish help show the Regal that "it's safe to come out" and actually reduce stress.
When they first arrive, it's also important to keep the lights low, and avoid sudden movements around the tank. Commotion in the same room as the tank keeps them stressed. Keep foot traffic around the tank to a bare minimum, including pets and children near the tank. It's important to observe the fish often, but try to do this from a distance. Though it's important to keep the tank clean, keep your hands out of the tank as much as possible. Avoid moving rockwork around or changing things in the tank. These fish are easily startled, especially during the acclimation period.
Captive bred Regal Angelfish are raised on prepared foods, which makes feeding easier than with their wild counterparts. Offer a varied diet of small, high quality pellets such as Easy Reefs DKI or TDO B2 pellets, along with frozen Spirulina brine shrimp and angelfish-specific frozen diets that include sponge. Avoid over reliance on fatty foods like Mysis shrimp, as these can cause both short term and long term consequences, and can even lead to fatty liver disease over time. Ensure foods are high quality and fresh, and soak foods in vitamins and HUFA supplements.
Young or newly acquired Regals have a fast metabolism and should be fed 3 - 5 x per day. They like to graze on small meals throughout the day, and this gives them more opportunities to eat.
Many failures with Regal Angelfish have less to do with fish size and more to do with handling after arrival. Observe closely to see what foods they accept, how they interact with their environment, and whether they’re showing natural foraging behavior.
Some hobbyists even recommend initially housing Regals in a small, coral-filled observation tank with controlled flow, rock, and substrate. This setup allows for closer monitoring of feeding habits and stress levels, while still offering natural grazing and enrichment opportunities. It is absolutely imperative, however, that the tank be allowed to mature. Even moving seasoned live rock into a new tank won't make it stable enough for a Regal right away, though it will speed up the process.
Whether you're keeping your Regal in a temporary "grow out" tank or a quarantine tank, it's imperative that you keep the tank very clean! We recommend removing waste and uneaten food before and one hour after each feeding in addition to regular water changes. Though we recommend quarantine and observation as best practice, we also recognize how difficult it is to do with sensitive species like Regals. Unfortunately, the majority of customer reports and difficulties about the Regal Angelfish happen when they are in quarantine aquariums. We have some more information here to help keep quarantine tanks safe for species like these: https://shop.thebiotagroup.com/blogs/news/the-secret-to-a-healthy-quarantine-aquarium
Adult captive bred Regal Angelfish in a thriving reef tank photo courtesy Carlos Machin
One common mistake is rushing to medicate or dip Regal Angelfish upon arrival. These fish are highly sensitive to treatments and should never be subjected to medications or chemical dips right away. Instead, allow them ample time to settle, regain their appetite, and build strength before considering any prophylactic treatments.
It's absolutely necessary to have very stable, healthy water parameters. Most hobbyists test temperature, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, alkalinity, pH, calcium, and magnesium. Even when these test results are "perfect," unfortunately that is not always a sure bet that the water quality is truly perfect. One important parameter most hobbyists don't have the equipment to test for is Oxygen. Oxygen and ORP levels are very important for this sensitive fish, even though they aren't easy to test. Make sure you have gentle currents breaking the water surface, and keep organic matter cleaned up at all times. Some modern homes are particularly air-tight and build up CO2 more easily. Running a tube from your skimmer venturi to the outdoors can help bring oxygen to your tank if needed.
While these parameters tell most of the story about our water quality, they don't tell the whole story. This is usually "enough" for most species of fish, but occasionally, you might run into issues with a sensitive fish species that needs further water quality testing to make sure another toxin hasn't entered the tank and is affecting it. There are countless toxins that can accidentally be introduced to a tank and cause stress on more sensitive fish while your other fish seem unaffected. ICP testing can be helpful in finding the culprit, which is often an excess heavy metal like Zinc or Cadmium. ICP testing can give you the bigger picture about your water quality, but it can be overwhelming. Be sure to check with an expert if you're unsure about your results.
In my May/June 2020 CORAL Magazine article, Sea Change — ICP-OES Water Testing: A Reefkeeping Revolution in the Making by Felicia McCaulley, I talked about a few instances where friends or colleagues were experiencing seemingly unexplainable fish deaths. One incident happened years ago when a friend lost almost an entire fish room. Long story short, she discovered thousands of dead ants in her RO water and concluded that the ant baits her husband put around the outside perimeter of the house were causing poisoned ants to come inside and contaminate her RO bin. In another incident, a friend had two identical tanks side by side with a sensitive fish species. One tank suffered losses while the other remained healthy. ICP testing revealed that an old ceiling fan above the affected tank was leaching zinc into the water, which explained the difference in outcomes. Once the fan was removed, the issue resolved.
Contamination issues like these are shockingly common, and often go overlooked because most fish species are hardy enough to handle small amounts of toxins. These toxins can come from just about anywhere in the household, with cleaners and sprays being most common, but sometimes the source of contamination is a difficult mystery. 
Regal Angelfish have a reputation for being one of the more reef safe angelfish species, especially when well fed. Wild Regals may nip at fleshy LPS corals, soft corals, or clam mantles, but generally leave SPS corals and certain soft corals alone. Most customers report that captive bred Regals seem to be even more reef safe than wild ones, often preferring prepared foods over ornamental inverts and corals.
One of the joys of keeping captive bred Regal Angelfish or other Pomacanthids is watching their color and pattern develop over time from the juvenile coloration to the adult coloration. Each individual is unique, and the pattern is like a fingerprint. 
Juvenile captive bred Regal Angelfish photo courtesy @zdubz86
The key to success with Regal Angelfish is tank stability, maturity, and proper planning. With proper care, these once “impossible” fish can now thrive in home aquariums, offering hobbyists a chance to enjoy their beauty while supporting sustainable aquaculture. Every captive bred Regal represents a step forward for the hobby, and a fish that was never taken from a reef!
