Midnight Angelfish
Midnight Angelfish (Centropyge nox), also known as the Black Nox Angelfish, Black Angelfish, Nox Angelfish, and Black Pigmy angelfish.
They have an elegant coal-black color that makes them one of the most attractive members of the genus Centropyge in marine life.
These beautiful angels come from Fiji’s tropical reefs and throughout the Indo-Pacific, where dwarf angelfish is a good reef dweller and rocky outcrops.
In this guide, we will go over everything you need to know about caring for Midnight Angelfish, their diet, habitat, and more!
Midnight Angelfish Characteristics
| Scientific Name | Centropyge nox |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Perciformes |
| Family | Pomacanthidae |
| Genus | Centropyge |
| Species | Centropyge nox |
| Common Name | Black Nox Angelfish, Black Pygmy Angelfish, Midnight Nox Angelfish |
| Care Level | Intermediate |
| Size | 4 inches |
| Lifespan | Up to 5 years |
| Origin | Western Pacific |
| Tank Size | 30 gallons-70 gallons |
| Behavior | Semi-aggressive |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reef Aquarium Compatibility | With Caution |
Midnight Angelfish Origin & Habitat
The Dutch ichthyologist and herpetologist Pieter Bleeker (1819-1878) published the description of the genus Centropyge nox in 1853.
The midnight angelfish can be found across the Western Pacific Ocean, ranging from the Ryukyu Islands in the north to New Caledonia and the Great Barrier Reef in the south, west to Indonesia, and east as far as the Caroline Islands and the Solomon Islands.
They inhabit the outer reef slopes, which are densely coral-dense at depths ranging from 10 to 70 meters (33 to 230 feet). However, they sometimes live near lagoons and channels.
Midnight Angelfish Behavior
Midnight angelfish is a solitary fish that loves hanging out alone or in a mated pair. Also, they establish harems of three to seven individuals, with a single male and many females.
Midnight Angelfish Conservation Statue
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies Midnight Angelfish as “Least Concern” (LC).
This means they’re not currently threatened with extinction and are doing quite well. However, this may change in the future if their numbers decrease due to overfishing or other environmental threats.
Midnight Angelfish Features
Color
Midnight angelfish have uniformly black coloration with a yellow mark on their gill cover and above their pectoral fin.
Length & Weight
The maximum total length of a midnight angel is 10 centimeters (3.9 in), and they weigh generally less than a kilo (2.2 lb).
Lifespan
These fish species can live up to five years old if you provide them with the required care.
Midnight Angelfish Cost
| Size | Price |
| Small: over .75-1″ | $44.99 |
| Medium: over 1-2″ | $44.99 |
| Large: over 2-3″ | $54.99 |
| X-Large: over 3-3.5″ | $59.99 |
How to Care for Midnight Angelfish?
a. Water Parameters
1. Water Changes
Even though midnight angelfish need moderate maintenance, they are still very sensitive to water quality.
Therefore, only dwarf angelfish need water changes of 20% every other week and 50% once a month to maintain good water quality.
Also, ensure that your water changes are slow and gradual to avoid shocking them.
You can use a gravel vacuum during your water changes to remove any uneaten food, waste, and debris from the gravel.
In addition, to maintain good water quality, you should install a good filtration system.
2.Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate
Like all angelfish species, midnight angelfish are susceptible to water pollutants such as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.
Therefore, you should keep the tank’s water ammonia and nitrite-free, with nitrate levels under 20ppm.
In order to achieve these levels, you should test your water regularly using an ammonia, nitrite nitrate test kit.
b. Tank Setup
1. Tank Size
The Midnight Angelfish are semi-aggressive angelfish, thus they require adequate swimming to feel comfortable.
Therefore, only angelfish requires at least a 30-gallon tank. However, if you want to keep them with other fish, it is preferable to use fish tanks with a capacity of 70 gallons or more.
2. Hiding Places
Since midnight angelfish are semi-aggressive, hiding places are necessary to provide them with a sense of security.
You can use live rock, caves, or overhangs to create hiding places in your home aquarium. Also, you should leave some open areas in the tank for them to swim freely.
Midnight Angelfish Diet
The Midnight angelfish are omnivores that consume spirulina marine algae and crustaceans in captivity.
Therefore, you should provide them with a diet rich in plant matter and meaty foods. Some of the best foods for them include:
- Frozen Mysis shrimp
- Clam mantles
- Spirulina
- Sponges
- Small invertebrates
- Zooplankton
- Plants
Midnight Angelfish Compatibility
The midnight angel is a semi-aggressive fish that makes an excellent companion for other quiet to moderately aggressive fish in community aquariums.
However, black nox angelfish are generally aggressive towards their own angelfish types and other dwarf angelfish.
Is Midnight Angelfish Reef Safe?
The Black Nox Angelfish are reef safe and flourish in areas with noxious corals such as soft corals, mushrooms and palythoas.
However, they can damage a variety of corals and sessile invertebrates, as they eat soft coral polyps clam, clam mantles and zoanthids.
Midnight Angelfish Breeding
Midnight Angelfish is a broadcast spawner, which means that the male and female will release their eggs and sperm into the water column just before sunset.
After fertilization, the eggs will float to the surface where they will hatch in 24-48 hours. Then, the fry will be free-swimming and will start to look for food.
You can feed the fry with live foods such as baby brine mysis shrimp until they are large enough to eat frozen or flake foods.
Midnight Angelfish Diseases & Treatment
Even though midnight angelfish are hardy fish, if the water conditions are not ideal or black nox angelfish are not fed properly, they would be susceptible to diseases.
Marine velvet is the most common disease affecting black pygmy angelfish, which is caused by the parasite dinoflagellate.
A midnight angel suffering from this disease will show the following signs:
- Gray or white patches on the fish’s entire body
- The fish scratching itself on rocks or decorations
- The fish breathing heavily
Treatment
- Do a water change of at least 25%
- Start treating the fish with copper.
- Make sure to remove any carbon from your filter
- Raised the tank’s temperature to 86 degrees Fahrenheit
- Stick to this treatment schedule for two weeks until all symptoms have disappeared
Last Words
The Black Nox Angelfish is one of the high-quality angelfish preparations that is a great addition to any aquarium.
Remember to provide them with plenty of hiding places and a diet rich in plant matter and seafood.
Also, be sure to keep an eye on the water conditions in your tank as they are susceptible to diseases if the conditions are not ideal.
We hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Happy fish keeping!
