Flame Angelfish
Scientific Name : Centropyge Loriculus
Origin : Christmas, Marshall, Hawaiian Islands
Temperament : Semi-Aggressive
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 4 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : Medium
Reef Safe : With Caution
Tank Size : 50 Gallons
The Flame Angelfish is one of the most brilliantly colored member of the genus Centropyge. It is also the most popular and recognizable dwarf angelfish on the market. It is not too difficult to see why. Its entire body is a bright flame orange and red with black vertical lines across its body.
While most people think they come striclty from the Hawaiian Islands, they are actually caught mostly around the Christmas and Marshall Islands. True Hawaiian flame angels are rare to say the least. They also look slightly different as their black vertical bars are thin and narrow and their coloration is red throughout with no orange at all.
Specimens can be had for anywhere between $40 to $50 which is a steal considering the beauty of this fish. It is also much cheaper than rare centropyge species like Centropyge Multicolor.
Once established, the flame angelfish can be aggressive. A trait that is shares with many other dwarf angels. It reserves its aggression to other members within the genus in particular. If it is housed in a marine aquarium with smaller species, it will almost certainly be the most dominant fish. One way to go around this type of aggression is to put in the flame angelfish as a last addition to the marine aquarium. This ensures that the other tank mates have already established themselves within the tank.
The genus centropyge feed primarily on detritus, small crustaceans and algae. Despite this, the vast majority of them tend to accept most prepated foods in captivity. It is always important to offer a mix of both meaty and algae or spirulina best foods in the marine aquarium.
A good mix of meaty and vegetable matter is essential to the overall health of dwarf angels. Some other good foods to feed daily are * Sea Veggies Seaweed, which are nutritious seaweed for grazers. Prime Reef * Flake Food which is a blend of numerous seafood and algae such as seaweed, lobster meat, salmon, shrimp, squid and zooplankton.
The best dry pellet foods on the market come from the highly reputable makers, * New Life Spectrum. Use a * Seaweed Clip when feeding them seaweed sheets. Simply take a sheet, fold it and clip it. Secure the clip to the aquarium glass in a location of your choice and they should graze on it throughout the day. Centropyge species can nip on corals so be warned.
An aquarium no smaller than 50 gallons should be used to house this fish. However, if you can get a 100 gallon or larger tank, that would be best. The more room you can give the flame angelfish, the better. Generally speaking, putting more than one flame angelfish in a small tank is not a good idea. If you want a pair then your two options are either to purchase a mated pair (Difficult to find) or to pair them yourself. You should always remember to put all new fish in a quarantine tank for a period of time to treat for any parasites and diseases present.
The pairing process can be difficult and should only be attempted in large tanks. Purchase one large and one small specimen and put them in at the same time. While the larger one will dominate the smaller fish, over time (months) they have the potential to become a mated pair. However, there is the risk of the larger flame angel killing the smaller one. So always be alert. If the harassment gets too serious, seperate the two.
Overall, the flame angelfish can be a very hardy and beautiful addition to your marine aquarium once it has acclimated and begun to feed in captivity. It will likely be the most striking addition to your tank as far as fish are concerned.
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