flame angel

[annetate]

i'm looking into getting a flame angel. I have blue tang, 2 clowns, a midas blenny. will they get along? i am also beggin to get sps and i have a frogspawn, spegetti leather, xenia, zoos, and some star polyps. will he nip at these if i feed him enough? what is everyones experiences with this fish? any input would be appriciated!

[BenH98]

I am not getting one because I have heard that they will nip on corals. I don't have any experience with them tho... they are an amazing looking fish! :)

[wpar]

Stacy,

Most people on the list will tell you that it is strictly a case by case basis. Many people have had flames that were completely reef friendly while others have had them terrorize their tanks. Depending on what you have in your tank, you might find it difficult to remove after you introduce it. If you really want one, and they are gorgeous, I would say go for it.

Bill

[Porkibear]

I just got a flame angel about a month ago and dealt with the same concerns....

Experienced flame angel owners will say that "reef-safe" flames are hit-and-miss depending on their specific personality and appetite. The one that I got seemed really friendly at the LFS and exhibited an interesting personality, so I decided to take the gamble.

The first two days, my flame angel was busy warding off my kole tang's territorial attacks. Since they were about the same size, it was difficult for the kole tang to share the tank with the new flame angel. After two days of battling for water rights, they finally threw in the towel together and became friendly tank-mates. I was really afraid right from the start that the flame would start pecking at my soft corals (I have xenia, zoo polyps, a torch, and some star polyps).

Sooner or later, I noticed the flame angel always "hung out" near the rock where the xenia was planted. It soon started to "peck" at the tips of my xenia, making them shrivel into their base. My solution was to have two small feedings a day rather than one feeding per day. So far, it's been working, even though the flame still tends to peck at the xenia when it's hungry. It's basically the signal for me to feed.... =)

I don't mind it as much because flame angels are one of the most brightly colored and beautiful fish IMO. My flame really doesn't bother any of my other corals... my further research on the internet resulted in finding that flames WILL favor xenias and similar corals over others. As I'm typing this reply, my flame is starting to PECK, so I guess it's time to FEED!

Hope that helps!

[steve the plumb]

mine is fine but he killed my clams.He didn't touch anything else.I have him for about 1 year.

[scrmbld33]

mine is fine but he eats all the mini feather dusters he can find

[ACBlinky]

I've only had my flame for a few days, but from what I've seen with our flames at work they're as likely to nip corals as any other angel - as everyone has said, it depends on the individual fish.
My flagfin does the exact same thing Porkibear's flame does. I have about five stalks of nicely trimmed Xenia in my 65g ATM and no doubt in my mind that he'll teach the flame what he's discovered - if I mangle this pink thing, the human comes running with mysis! :D

[Sesshoumaru]

I also have a potter angel in my quarantine tank, and I am a little reluctant to transfer this beauty to my main reef tank, where my crocea clam resides. Any opinons ^^?

[iaJim]

I think I'd be most concerned about clams, but my flame lives peacefully with Xenia, Anthalia, brain coral, mushrooms, ricordia, leathers, and softies. He's a great reef citizen. Very colorful, usually out and about. When he goes, I'll replace him. If you listened to Reefcast #4, it was stated that many flame angels die after two weeks because of cyanide poisoning. The key seems to be to find one that is not only swimming around, but that is actively hunting food on the live rock or substrate in the tank he's in. I believe there are also two subspecies of this fish, or at least two color variations depending if they are hawaiian or indonesian (?) I can't remember that part too well. Someone else needs to weigh in on that. I believe one of them is more apt to be a problem. Maybe.....

[K1971]

My flame, while it got along with everything in my tank, had a tendency to pick at my SPS. I never had polyp extension while he was in there. 2 days after taking him out, all of my millipora had their polyps out during the day. 3 weeks later all of my corals now have polyps out during the day. Even some that I have never seen polyp exenstion at all. My corals were more important to me than the Flame Angel so I am glad I gave him to another reefer that put him in a softy tank.

[Sesshoumaru]

wow cyanide poisoning!? umm... Well, I just check on my 40 dollars investment. He is actively nipping around the live rock. Hopefully, nothing will happen for the next 2 weeks. Thanks for the info. iaJim^^! Just curious, Do you have a tridacna clam in your tank as well?

[iaJim]

No clams. I don't have the right lights....

[Sesshoumaru]

Thanks for the info, iaJim and k1971.

[annetate]

thanks for all the input folks. i have come to the conclusion that despite how beautiful this fish is, i cannot let him destroy stuff that is worth 5 times as much as he is, like my condalactus did to my copperband,(ate it) so i'm researching what i buy and this has led me to not buy this fish. thanks again!