A flame angelfish is a pygmy angelfish that is smaller than a “regular” angelfish. Flame angels are pygmies, meaning they grow no larger than 6 in (15.2 cm). Most only reach 3-4 in (7.6-10.2 cm) as adults.
Hobbyists often place flame angels in their saltwater tanks as their main showpiece.
They range in colors of gold, orange, and scarlet. The tops of their backs and their undersides are usually darker than their sides. Their fins have blue edges, and there is black barring along the sides of their bodies.
- Common Names: Flame Angelfish, Fire Angelfish, Hawaiian Flame Angelfish, Philippine Flame Angelfish, Pacific Flame Angelfish
- Scientific Name: Centropyge loricula
- Origin: Pacific Ocean
- Size (Length): 3-6 in (7.6-15.2 cm)
- Lifespan:
- Aquarium Size: 30+ gallons
- Temperament: Peaceful to Semi-Aggressive
- Ease of Care: Moderate
Habitat
Flame angelfish live in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. Researchers first discovered them in the Society Islands. Their range extends across the following areas:
- Belau Islands
- Hawaiian Islands
- Marquesas Islands
- Ducie Islands
- Pitcairn Islands
- The Great Barrier Reef
These dwarf angels make their homes around the edges of stony coral reefs in lagoons. The waters are shallow and clear in these areas.
The angels stay near the water’s surface, traveling at most 16-82 ft (4.9-25 m) deep.
Variations Due To Region
The regions these angels inhabit determine minor variations in the fish’s patterns.
Around Marshall Island, the angels tend to be deeper red with thicker black bars.
The fish that live around Hawaii are similarly deep red. They also have vibrant blue edges on their fins.
Around the Christmas Islands, the angels are lighter orangish-red with thinner black bars.
The fish surrounding Cebu and Tahiti are the darkest, with their blood-red bodies. The black bands on their sides are not as clear-cut and appear somewhat fuzzy. A hint of yellow occurs between the black bars.
Lifespan
Flame angelfish usually live for about five to seven years in an aquarium.
Behavior & Communication
Flame angelfish are ideal community fish because they are friendly toward other species.
They can become somewhat territorial. It isn’t much of an issue as long as there is plenty of space for each fish.
It’s usually best to only keep one angelfish per tank. They do not tolerate other angels in small spaces and will become aggressive.
Flame Angelfish Can Change Sex
Flame angels are protogynous hermaphrodites. They can change genders based on social status.
The fish are born female, though the most dominant fish transitions to male.
The transition is not always permanent. The dominant fish can be “overthrown” by another, stronger fish. That fish (originally female) will then transition to male. The original dominant male will transition back into a female.
The transition also occurs due to death. The most dominant fish will eventually die. The next most dominant fish will take its palace, transitioning to male.
Time Frame Of Transitioning
Transitioning from one sex to the other can take up to two months.
The long time frame can cause increased fights in tanks where the fish live near each other.
Two males in a tank together will show more aggression toward each. They are more tolerant of their female tank mates.
Forming Harems
Flame angels live in groups in the wild. They form small harms comprising one male and two to six females.
Activity Levels
Flame angelfish are highly active fish that constantly swim and pick at the food around them.
How To Care For A Flame Angelfish
Flame angelfish are not suitable for beginners. They are sensitive to water fluctuations and highly susceptible to “new tank syndrome.”
These angels aren’t super challenging to care for if aquarists have experience. Aquarists should know how to handle water chemistry in aquariums.
Intermediate fish keepers usually do well with these fish.
Flame Angelfish Tank Size
Aquarists can begin their flame angelfish in a 30-gallon tank if they get the fish as juveniles.
As the fish grow, hobbyists must upgrade the fish’s tank, giving them at least 70 gallons.
Larger aquariums are always better for fish because they are easier to care for. The water parameters are less likely to fluctuate, which is dangerous.
Despite what many believe, small aquariums are more challenging to care for.
Larger tanks also allow more space for the fish to swim and allow room for tank mates.
Water Parameters
Flame angelfish are not very picky about their water parameter needs. They need the typical conditions that most saltwater fish need.
Flame angels are sensitive to fluctuations in water parameters. Hobbyists should do their best to keep conditions as stable as possible.
The following are the water conditions needed by flame angelfish:
- Ammonia: 0 ppm
- Nitrites: 0 ppm
- Nitrates: <20 ppm
- pH: 8.0-8.4
- Water Temperature: 72-78°F (22.2-25.6°C)
- Specific Gravity (Salinity): 1.020-1.025
We recommend only adding flame angelfish to established tanks. Since they are sensitive to fluctuations, newer tanks can be dangerous.
Established tanks have larger colonies of the organisms that flame angelfish snack on. The angels may go hungry in newer tanks because there is nothing to graze on throughout the day. *
Current
Flame angelfish don’t seem to prefer one type of current over another. They are as happy swimming in slow currents as in fast currents.
For best results, give them a variety of currents throughout the tank. They can swim into the high-current areas to be more active and go into the calmer areas when they want to rest.
We don’t recommend having only fast currents in the tank, as they may cause exhaustion if the fish can’t rest.
Lighting
These angels don’t seem to prefer low, moderate, or high lighting. Hobbyists can choose whichever lighting works best for them.
Ensure the lighting comes on during the day and turns off at night. Establish a day-night cycle to mimic the angel’s natural environment.
Decorations
Set up a vast landscape of live rock — this is easier done in larger aquariums. Flame angelfish love swimming in and out of the crevices in the rock, scavenging for food.
Live rock is essential for most saltwater aquariums. It holds beneficial bacteria and other tiny organisms vital to the ecosystem.
Besides live rock, set up lots of cave space inside the aquarium for the fish to hide.
Diet
Flame angelfish are omnivorous foragers that pick on organisms on coral reefs.
In the wild, they eat a variety of the following foods:
- Algae
- Small crustaceans
- Microorganisms
In captivity, hobbyists should aim to mimic their natural diet. Feed a variety of the following:
- Nutritious marine pellets or flakes
- Freeze-dried nori (Japanese seaweed)*
- Frozen foods
- Brine shrimp
- Mysis shrimp
- Spirulina
- Marine algae
* Clipping seaweed stripes to the aquarium’s side is easy. It is an excellent way of ensuring that flame angelfish always has something to graze on.
Like most fish, flame angelfish should get a variety of foods. Variety ensures they get all the correct nutrients.
Feeding fish the same thing every day can quickly lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Flame angels not getting enough nutrients are more likely to attack corals.
These angelfish are grazers that eat continuously throughout the day in the wild. It’s best to provide them with three small meals throughout the day to mimic their natural behaviors.
Setting up a refugium underneath the tank is a great way to always have food available for the flame angel. They are excellent for growing macroalgae and other microorganisms.
Tank Mates
These angelfish are semi-aggressive because they have territorial tendencies.
As long as the tank is large enough, they usually don’t bother other species much.
Avoid keeping flame angels with overly small or shy fish. The angelfish might terrorize them.
Peaceful and semi-aggressive fish of similar sizes are usually the best bet.
Fish with their own feisty personalities work really well. They can stand up to the flame angels when they’re being bullies.
Some good tank mates for flame angelfish include the following:
- Anthias
- Wrasses
- Damselfish
- Gobies
- Blennies
- Ocellaris clownfish & other larger clownfish
- Dottybacks
- Some tangs*
- Royal Grammas
- Basslets
- Saltwater shrimp
- Crabs
- Starfish
* Keeping flame angelfish with tangs isn’t always a good idea because they compete for food. They both eat food off the sides of the tank, like algae, biofilm, and encrusting organisms. There is rarely enough food for both of them. The scarcity can cause fighting, and the fish will need supplemental feeding.
Some aggressive fish species can do well with flame angelfish as long as they are smaller than the angel. Never add aggressive fish to the tank if they are the same size or larger than the flame angel.
Fame angelfish are semi-aggressive. They tend to have more docile personalities since they are pygmy angelfish.
Full-size angelfish usually have far more aggressive personalities. They are more difficult to keep with other fish.
Keeping Pygmy Angelfish Together
It’s not usually a good idea to keep pygmy angelfish together. They compete for food and are highly territorial — fights are very likely.
It’s not impossible to keep pygmy angelfish together.
To keep more than one, ensure the tank is at least 100 gallons. The larger the tank, the more tolerant the fish will be of one another since they have room to escape.
Choose different kinds of pygmy angelfish — don’t place two flame angelfish in the same tank.
Instead, choose pygmy angelfish that have vastly different colors. The fish will likely be less aggressive toward each other if they don’t look like each other.
Some pygmy angelfish that can do well with flame angelfish include the following:
- Black Nox Angel
- Cherub Angelfish
- Keyhole Angelfish
- Coral Beauty Angelfish (200+ gallons)
Are Flame Angelfish Reef-Safe?
Flame angelfish are reef-safe with caution. The personality of each flame angelfish is quite different from every other.
Some are entirely peaceful and never pick at corals. Instead, they focus on algae, small invertebrates, and detritus.
Others are feistier and unsafe for corals and other reef inhabitants. They pick at delicate coral polyps, clams, sea anemones, and other decorative invertebrates.
Knowing if a flame angelfish will be safe with corals before getting it home is difficult. Hobbyists should always be ready to move their flame angel into a non-reef tank if needed.
Aquarists can lessen the chance of flame angelfish picking at corals.
Consider keeping them in a larger tank (100+ gallons). Larger tanks grow more organisms, like algae and biofilm, that angelfish love to feast on.
Flame angels are less likely to pick at corals when there are plenty of these organisms to eat.
Sticking to harder corals rather than soft ones is also safest. Flame angels tend to go after the tender, fleshy parts of corals.
Small polyp stony corals (SPS) are often the safest bet when keeping a flame angelfish in a reef tank.
Common Health Problems
Flame angelfish are particularly prone to marine ich, especially when new to a tank.
They are sensitive to water fluctuations. They become highly stressed from the shipping process. Stress leaves them susceptible to illness, particularly ich.
Always quarantine new flame angelfish before adding them to the main tank.
Quarantine should last about four weeks. An extended period allows hobbyists to spot any illnesses or infections.
Marine ich is more challenging to treat than its freshwater counterpart. Marine ich, or Cryptocaryon irritans, usually needs strong medication.
Some aquarists try slowly reducing the pH and salinity of the tank over several days. Such methods are gentler than medications and create an inhospitable environment for parasites. It’s often tough to successfully pull off this method.
The symptoms of marine ich include the following:
- Small, salt-like white spots on the body, gills, and fins
- Labored breathing
- Rapid breathing
- Loss of color
- Flashing (rubbing against hard objects to relieve discomfort)
- Lethargy
Marine Velvet
Marine velvet is another common problem that flame angelfish tend to have.
The key to treatment is catching the infection early and treating it immediately. The longer the infections go untreated, the more chance they have to spread, making the fish more ill.
Breeding
It’s possible to breed flame angelfish in captivity. It is a difficult task and is best left to those who have had saltwater tanks for a long time.
Getting A Mating Pair
It’s challenging getting angelfish to choose a mate.
For the best results, choose two or more juvenile fish and keep them in the same tank. As they grow together, they will become used to one another and establish dominance. The more dominant fish will become a male, leaving a breeding pair.
Once the fish have chosen to mate, they will wait until sunrise or sunset to do the deed.
Spawning
Flame angelfish reproduce through broadcast spawning. The females release their eggs directly into the water column. Likewise, the male releases his sperm.
The parents provide no care; the eggs are on their own, and few survive.
Eggs Usually Die
Eggs usually die because of filters and other organisms in the tank.
The eggs and fry are very tiny. Use a gentle filter with a fine-mesh sponge over the intake to prevent the eggs or fry from being sucked up.
Breeders must also account for the other organisms in the tank. Other fish will likely eat the eggs if the breeder doesn’t move the parents to a separate tank for breeding.
It’s difficult to care for flame angelfish fry if they even survive hatching.
Fry Are Hard To Feed
We know little about their feeding habits. Most fry die of starvation before becoming adults. Phytoplankton, called “green water algae,” and marine phytoplankton suspensions often see success.
The fry that survives can transition onto bigger foods as they grow. They do well eating copepods, rotifers, and brine shrimp nauplii.
FAQs
Where To Get Flame Angelfish & How Much Do They Cost?
Flame angelfish often cost between $75-175. Cost depends on the variety, size, and where the fish comes from. The larger, older angels will cost more than the younger ones, as will more colorful fish.
Captive-bred fish usually cost less. They are also less common because breeding is difficult.
Tahitian and Marshall Island flame angelfish are the most expensive. They have strikingly vibrant colors that are in high demand.
Why Are Flame Angelfish So Expensive?
Flame angelfish are so expensive because most of them are wild-caught.
Wild-caught flame angels are more common because breeding is challenging. They are more expensive because of the difficulty of catching and transporting them.
Their priciness also stems from their desirability. Flame angels have striking colors. They are one of the most in-demand fish in the saltwater aquarium industry.
