Flame angelfish pairs and harem successful

Areeflover · Dec 3, 2020

Hey all! So I have a large decently aged flame angel and I’m wondering what are my chances to creating a harem or pair if I add a small one when I transfer my fish to my new 90 gal? I wanna here y’all’s success stories!

nereefpat · Dec 3, 2020

@OrionN

William Mumford · Dec 3, 2020

Areeflover said:
Hey all! So I have a large decently aged flame angel and I’m wondering what are my chances to creating a harem or pair if I add a small one when I transfer my fish to my new 90 gal? I wanna here y’all’s success stories!

Sounds interesting im following for sure.

Roosterjack · Dec 3, 2020

Put one in an acclimation box and see how it goes...

Areeflover · Dec 3, 2020

Roosterjack said:
Put one in an acclimation box and see how it goes...

What behavior would I be looking for?

Kal93 · Dec 3, 2020

Maybe. See this thread on flameback angel harem successes: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/m...m-african-flameback-dwarf-angel.766113/page-2

Areeflover · Dec 3, 2020

Kal93 said:
Maybe. See this thread on flameback angel harem successes: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/m...m-african-flameback-dwarf-angel.766113/page-2

Wow.. I think I’m gonna do it.. If I can successfully do it and maybe have them breed that would be incredible.

OrionN · Dec 3, 2020

Areeflover said:
Hey all! So I have a large decently aged flame angel and I’m wondering what are my chances to creating a harem or pair if I add a small one when I transfer my fish to my new 90 gal? I wanna here y’all’s success stories!

You can easily introduce one (or more) juvenile or female Flame angels to a male Flame angel and get a pair or a harem. They wont fight unless the tank is tiny. The problem is when you put two males together. I always have harem of flame angels from 3-5 in my large DT at home. 320 (now) or 420 (20 years ago) gal DT.
Here is a video of my Flame angel pair in my 65 gal tank. It was too small for them so I moved them home. They were about to spawn but the tank is too small for them to properly do their pre-spawn routine.

Areeflover · Dec 3, 2020

OrionN said:
You can easily introduce one (or more) juvenile or female Flame angels to a male Flame angel and get a pair or a harem. They wont fight unless the tank is tiny. The problem is when you put two males together. I always have harem of flame angels from 3-5 in my large DT at home. 320 (now) or 420 (20 years ago) gal DT.
Here is a video of my Flame angel pair in my 65 gal tank. It was too small for them so I moved them home. They were about to spawn but the tank is too small for them to properly do their pre-spawn routine.

Okay, what do you think about a 90 gallon?

OrionN · Dec 3, 2020

What is the footprint of a 90 gal tank?
Likely it would be OK for a pair or three of them. If yur tank good care of them, they will do fine and will spawn. However, they may be cramped when they spawn. My 36 inches from front to back is barely wide enough for them to do their circular swim when they spawn and not hitting the wall. This may or may not be important for you.

Areeflover · Dec 4, 2020

OrionN said:
What is the footprint of a 90 gal tank?
Likely it would be OK for a pair or three of them. If yur tank good care of them, they will do fine and will spawn. However, they may be cramped when they spawn. My 36 inches from front to back is barely wide enough for them to do their circular swim when they spawn and not hitting the wall. This may or may not be important for you.

It’s 48 inches long, and 18in deep

squidarcher · May 5, 2023

OrionN said:
You can easily introduce one (or more) juvenile or female Flame angels to a male Flame angel and get a pair or a harem. They wont fight unless the tank is tiny. The problem is when you put two males together. I always have harem of flame angels from 3-5 in my large DT at home. 320 (now) or 420 (20 years ago) gal DT.
Here is a video of my Flame angel pair in my 65 gal tank. It was too small for them so I moved them home. They were about to spawn but the tank is too small for them to properly do their pre-spawn routine.

Old thread, but how do you tell the sexes apart?

OrionN · May 5, 2023

I have thread and pictures somewhere on one of the thread. It is the shape of the anal and dorsal fins, especially anal fin. Fully extended female has rounded anal fin while male has pointed fin. This is a sure way
On average male has more black bars and more blue and black dorsal and anal fins. Of course the coloration cannot really be use because some Angels just have more base black coloration than other.

squidarcher · May 5, 2023

OrionN said:
I have thread and pictures somewhere on one of the thread. It is the shape of the anal and dorsal fins, especially anal fin. Fully extended female has rounded anal fin while male has pointed fin. This is a sure way
On average male has more black bars and more blue and black dorsal and anal fins. Of course the coloration cannot really be use because some Angels just have more base black coloration than other.

I see. However, accoriding to what you and other people have said, smaller angels will change sexes in the presence of other angels?

OrionN · May 5, 2023

The male will keep females from changing.
male angels will fight and the looser will change to female but mortality is high. A study said that in a 55 gal with full of rock, mortality was about 50% (can’t remember the exact percentage here since it was so long ago that I read it but it is either 50 or 75 percent)
The sex change can be reverse. (Bidirectional)

squidarcher · May 5, 2023

OrionN said:
The male will keep females from changing.
male angels will fight and the looser will change to female but mortality is high. A study said that in a 55 gal with full of rock, mortality was about 50% (can’t remember the exact percentage here since it was so long ago that I read it but it is either 50 or 75 percent)
The sex change can be reverse. (Bidirectional)

Ah I see! And i just found a few studies that confirm this with Centropyge. have you experienced high mortality with this protoandrous sex change?

OrionN · May 5, 2023

I never introduce 2 males together since it is so easy to sex them

dieselkeeper · Jul 31, 2024

What are my chances that putting two males in a 220 gal tank, one will turn to female? Or will they fight all the time?

OrionN · Jul 31, 2024

In a normal 220 reef, they will fight then the looser change to female and pair up.
A friend of mine put 4 in a 120. There were a lot of fight for about 2 weeks or so then he had a harem of 4.