The flame angel is arguably one of the most beautiful of the dwarf angel species. Thankfully this fish is also one of the most hearty of the dwarf angels.
Origin: Tropical Central to Western Pacific
Size: 3-4? adult size
Min Tank Size: 30 Gal
Temp: 76-80F
Specific Gravity: 1.020-1.025
PH: 8.1-8.4
The flame angel is bright red with a orange/yellow base to its body. It has a few black vertical stripes with some purple at the ends of the top and bottom caudal fins.
Be very cautious of an extremely bright specimen. This could be a sign that the fish was caught using cyanide. Cyanide use can cause unrecoverable health/appetite problems and often times the fish will only survive for a few days/weeks after the capture.
The flame angel should be kept in an aquarium where there is a fair amount of live rock; the angel can then swim in and around the rocks.
While this fish is rather peaceful it should not be kept with fish of similar body/coloration. The flame angel should be kept singularly in a system unless the tank is very large (100+ gal) and has ample hiding places where each angel fish can establish its territory. Due to their size, dwarf angels are natural food sources for large predator fish like lions, triggers and groupers. They should not be kept in aquariums that also keep these predator fish.
The diet of the flame angel is similar to that of other dwarf angels. The staple of its diet should be marine algae supplemented with more meaty foods like prepared squid, fish, scallops, clams, etc. The flame angel shares the undesirable trait of potentially developing a taste for the soft polyps of corals. If the flame angel is to be kept in a reef aquarium, be sure to keep an eye on this fish. Should it begin to nip at your corals you will need to either remove the corals or remove this fish.
Sources:
The Conscientious Marine Aqurists by Robert Fenner
http://www.aquahobby.com/marine/loriculus.html
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=444
This article was contributed by Aquarium Advice member fishfreek
Filed under Fish Profiles, Saltwater.
