TankBud

Bicolor angelfish

Centropyge bicolor

Also known as Oriole Angelfish, Two-colored Angelfish, Blue and Gold Angelfish

SaltwaterFish

Bicolor angelfish (Centropyge bicolor)
Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
55 gal
210 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Pomacanthidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific, from East Africa across to Samoa and the Phoenix Islands, north to southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef

Overview

The bicolor angelfish is a dwarf angel for a mature saltwater tank with plenty of rock to graze. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The bicolor angelfish's sharply split, two-tone body is why the trade also calls it the oriole angelfish. The name nods to the similarly bold black-and-orange plumage of the songbird.

Caring for the bicolor angelfish

Give a bicolor angelfish an established tank of at least 55 gal (210 L), with plenty of live rock and tight caves. It needs steady algae growth and a mature film of algae to pick at.

Keep the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It is an active grazer, so add regular feedings of algae-based and meaty foods to the algae it finds on the rock.

Bicolor angels are mostly peaceful but bolder than many dwarf angels, and more prone to squabbling with tank mates. They will not tolerate other Centropyge in anything but a very large system.

It is reef safe with caution. Many leave corals alone, but some nip LPS polyps, zoanthids, soft corals or clam mantles, especially if underfed. Breeding it is hard.

Good to know

The bicolor angelfish is a dwarf angel in the family Pomacanthidae. Like the rest of its genus, it is a protogynous hermaphrodite that lives in small harems, with one male over several females. The top female changes sex if the male disappears. Its sharp break from a yellow-orange front half to a deep blue-black rear half is one of the more distinctive patterns among dwarf angels. That split gives the species both its scientific and common names. It also goes by two-colored angelfish and blue and gold angelfish.

In the wild

The bicolor angelfish lives on outer reef slopes and reef flats across the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Samoa and the Phoenix Islands. Its range reaches north to southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef. It is usually found where live coral mixes with rubble, so it can duck for cover. It grazes algae off rock and coral debris through the day and rarely strays far from a bolt-hole.

Common questions

What size tank does a bicolor angelfish need?

A bicolor angelfish needs at least 55 gal (210 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a bicolor angelfish need?

A bicolor angelfish is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a bicolor angelfish eat?

A bicolor angelfish is an active grazer that picks algae off the rock. Give it regular feedings of algae-based and meaty foods as well.

How big does a bicolor angelfish get?

An adult bicolor angelfish reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

Related species