Flame angelfish care

Quick reference

What is a flame angelfish?

Centropyge loriculus lives across the tropical Pacific in clear lagoons and seaward reefs, from the lower surge zone to 57 m. FishBase describes it as secretive, staying near shelter, feeding on algae and forming harems of 3–7 fish.^[4] Like other Centropyge it is born female; in a group the dominant fish becomes the male.^[3]

Feeding

LiveAquaria recommends spirulina, marine algae, angelfish preparations, mysis and other quality meaty foods,^[1] and Quality Marine says to feed at least twice a day with a varied diet.^[2] It also needs plenty of live rock to graze between meals.^[1]

Aggression and spacing

LiveAquaria rates it semi-aggressive and says it should be the last fish added to a peaceful community, housed with dissimilar genera.^[1] Meerwasser-Lexikon notes that most imported flames are males and that two males often don't tolerate each other even in large tanks; one owner reports a male turning on every tankmate but a yellow tang.^[3] Keep one dwarf angel per tank unless you have the space and experience to build a harem.

Tankmates

This is the decision to make before buying. LiveAquaria warns it is prone to nip at stony and soft corals, sessile invertebrates and clam mantles.^[1] Quality Marine advises caution with corals and clams, noting that some keepers report long-term success while others see angels pick at invertebrates and sometimes harm them.^[2] Meerwasser-Lexikon says it may nibble SPS, giant clams and gorgonians, that the habit is inborn so captive-bred fish do it too, but that established corals usually tolerate it; one owner returned a flame after it repeatedly destroyed Acanthastrea polyps, while another kept a pair for years with no coral losses.^[3]

Disease and quarantine

We found no disease information specific to the flame angelfish. General marine fish guidance applies: CORAL Magazine recommends quarantining every incoming fish, captive-bred included, for at least 2–4 weeks, and UF/IFAS advises 3–6 weeks at 24–27 °C, longer when ich is suspected.^{[6, 7]} LiveAquaria advises keeping it in an established system.^[1] A Meerwasser-Lexikon owner reports a female jumping out, so cover the tank.^[3]

Breeding

Flame angels have been reared in captivity.^[4] Quality Marine announced aquacultured flames from a partner facility in 2016, calling the work labour-intensive because larvae spend a long time in open water and need tiny live foods,^[2] and Florida's ORA later revealed a 127-day-old captive-bred flame, its third Centropyge after the coral beauty and flameback.^[5] Supply still falls short of demand.^[3]

Troubleshooting

Common mistakes

• •Buying it as reef safe without accepting the coral-nipping risk.^[1]
• •Adding it before peaceful fish.^[1]
• •Keeping two males.^[3]
• •Putting it in a new tank.^[1]
• •Assuming captive-bred fish won't nip.^[3]

Equipment & food for this species

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Frozen mysis is a good staple and quality pellets cover daily feeding. Many keepers soak food in a vitamin supplement such as Selcon.

Flame angelfish FAQ

Is a flame angelfish reef safe?

With caution. LiveAquaria warns it is prone to nip at stony and soft corals, sessile invertebrates and clam mantles;^[1] some keepers report no losses for years, others lose corals.^{[2, 3]}

What size tank does a flame angel need?

LiveAquaria says at least 70 gallons; Meerwasser-Lexikon recommends 500 L (about 132 gallons).^{[1, 3]}

Can you keep two flame angels together?

Two males usually fight even in large tanks; groups in the wild are one male with several females.^{[3, 4]}

Do captive-bred flame angels nip corals?

Meerwasser-Lexikon says the habit is inborn, so captive-bred fish can nip too.^[3]

How big does a flame angelfish get?

About 4 in in aquaria;^{[1, 2]} FishBase gives a wild maximum of 15 cm (6 in).^[4]

What do flame angels eat?

Algae and meaty foods: LiveAquaria recommends spirulina, marine algae, angelfish preparations and mysis.^[1]