Could I add a flame?

ChickenCannoneer · #1 10/03/2006, 02:31 PM

I would really like to add a pair of flames to my tank but want to know if they will cause problems. I have a little bit of everything in terms of coral and a lot of clams. Tank specs are below. Thanks, Tim

ObscurityKnocks · #2 10/03/2006, 03:25 PM

It is definetly a risk. Some report no issues others have problems with nipping at SPS and clam mantles.

Laura D · #3 10/03/2006, 04:02 PM

I would never put a dwarf angel in a reef unless you are willing to take the risk of having to catch them or have some of your corals nipped. You just can't be 100% certain that they will behave.

I usually think it is worth the risk, but then again I will do what it takes to remove coral eating fish.

My pair of flame angels started eating my montiporas and I took several days of patience and trapped them out! They made a nice addition to a softy tank though.

kelly630 · #4 10/03/2006, 07:06 PM

Laura D,

Did you add your pair of flames at the same time? I am interested in getting a pair but am not sure how to go about doing this (to prevent fighting, etc).

Thanks!

ChickenCannoneer · #5 10/03/2006, 07:38 PM

Well as pretty as they are I will have to pass. I really don't think that I would be able to get him out if I needed to. Thanks, Tim

Laura D · #6 10/04/2006, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kelly630
Laura D,

Did you add your pair of flames at the same time? I am interested in getting a pair but am not sure how to go about doing this (to prevent fighting, etc).

Thanks!

Yes, find two little ones, and add them at the same time. I put them in my 100g sump at first because I was nervous, but they did fine.

I released them and they swam right up to each other, did a little fin flash, than swam off together into some rock and have been buddies since. Later that day I put them in the main tank and they never had a problem. Just be sure to get two small ones, the ones I bought were not super small, just on the lower end size of what you usally see for sale.

Oh, do beware that mine did turn out to be sps nippers, specifically they likes my montiporas. As always, ya put a centropyge in your tank, you assume all risk! However, I know many folks keep them without incident.

Angel*Fish · #7 10/04/2006, 01:00 PM

Laura, do remember how long you'd had them before you took the photo of them by the huge leather?
That leather is huge, BTW! Makes the angels look teeny -lol.

The photo is in her gallery, BTW

Laura D · #8 10/04/2006, 01:42 PM

Well, I think I had them for about a month at that time. I took that photo soon after I caught them from my sps reef and plopped them in my leather tank. The leather was closer to the camera in that shot than the fish, so it really makes the angels look smaller than they were.

But yes, it was a huge leather back then. I used to chop it up into pieces and distibute frags to newbies.

You would not believe the argument I had to get into with my lfs guy to get him to sell me two flames for the same tank, he argued up and down with me that it would not work!

CarlC · #9 10/04/2006, 04:38 PM

Laura you really can't complain about the LFS arguing. In most case's it can't be done with the normal sized fish on the market and the average keeper.

How many times has it been posted here about putting two in a 20g? Have these people check back in a year and see if they still have two. If they haven't starved to death they died from long term stress.

Carl

Angel*Fish · #10 10/04/2006, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Laura D
Well, I think I had them for about a month at that time. I took that photo soon after I caught them from my sps reef and plopped them in my leather tank. The leather was closer to the camera in that shot than the fish, so it really makes the angels look smaller than they were. But yes, it was a huge leather back then. I used to chop it up into pieces and distibute frags to newbies.

You would not believe the argument I had to get into with my lfs guy to get him to sell me two flames for the same tank, he argued up and down with me that it would not work!

I asked because in that photo it is pretty clear that one is a male and the other is a female, so I was trying to figure out if you just happened to grab a male and female at the LFS or if one of them made a change.

IME your desription :

Quote:

I released them and they swam right up to each other, did a little fin flash, than swam off together into some rock and have been buddies since.

is how a new male a female react to each other. That said, I have only done this 3 times, so my experience is somewhat limited

Angel*Fish · #11 10/04/2006, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CarlC

How many times has it been posted here about putting two in a 20g? Have these people check back in a year and see if they still have two. If they haven't starved to death they died from long term stress.

Carl

Has that been posted a lot? I really haven't seen it that much - but I got into this awful long argument with mwp in the breeding forum about this. There is no moving him - he is "right" & I am "wrong" - oh well you can't win them all lol

CarlC · #12 10/04/2006, 09:47 PM

I have been watching that. No you can't win them all but you won't be the one with the dead fish either.

It is getting posted more and more. Not always about pairs in small tanks but someone recently posted about putting one in a 12g that had a clown and a couple of gobies.

I am very sure that my spawning pair of argi would be much happier if I took them out of the 29 and gave them something bigger.

Carl

Angel*Fish · #13 10/05/2006, 07:27 AM

Quote:

It is getting posted more and more. Not always about pairs in small tanks but someone recently posted about putting one in a 12g that had a clown and a couple of gobies.

I am speechless

Quote:

I am very sure that my spawning pair of argi would be much happier if I took them out of the 29 and gave them something bigger.

I'm pretty sure my fish would appreciate a bigger tank also - husband willing, they'll eventually get one

Laura D · #14 10/05/2006, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CarlC
Laura you really can't complain about the LFS arguing. In most case's it can't be done with the normal sized fish on the market and the average keeper.

Oh yeah, not complaining, I think it is a sign of a good fish store. I just thought it was funny!

Laura D · #15 10/05/2006, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Angel*Fish
I asked because in that photo it is pretty clear that one is a male and the other is a female, so I was trying to figure out if you just happened to grab a male and female at the LFS or if one of them made a change.

IME your desription : is how a new male a female react to each other. That said, I have only done this 3 times, so my experience is somewhat limited

I am pretty sure that one was a male already, or on his way to becoming one. And the one that I suspected may be male, certainly ended up the male.

Who know for sure though?

Sadly, I have to say because someone will ask how they are doing, I lost one of them. We were getting ready to move to a new house and I had put them both into my uncovered refugium tub while I took the tanks down, and one day the female jumped out in the night. I feel bad, it was a lesson that I had learned before, about keeping fish like this in open topped tanks.

They were so cool together.

Angel*Fish · #16 10/05/2006, 09:47 AM

What a shame

- Angels aren't usually jumpers, but I guess it just goes to show that you can never depend on such assumptions -

FWIW - I would have thought they'd be fine, too.