Flame Angels! to get or to skip...

[Whipples]

Hi Folks,

So I've been doing a fair amount of reading on flame angels and I know at this point that they are considered "with caution" for a tank with corals. The majority of the threads I came across seemed to indicate the fleshier corals like acans, mushrooms, etc., were the most likely victims of flame angel nipping.

With that said, I am planning on a euphyllia dominated tank (torches and hammers) and was curious if any of you had experience with flame angels and these kinds of corals and if they were problematic?

Thanks!

 

[Salty1962]

The one's I've had did like to taste the corals just enough to irritate them from fully opening. My biggest issue was aggression, they can become, and usually do, very aggressive.

 

[Whipples]

Hey there, thanks for the response. I've also read about their aggression. Such a pretty fish with so many problems...

 

[Salty1962]

Hey there, thanks for the response. I've also read about their aggression. Such a pretty fish with so many problems...

True

 

[Absolutekind]

I had a Flame Angel and he went after my huge colony of watermelon zoas. They were closed up for several days to a week and I finally caught him (her?) picking at them. Just an FYI, very difficult to catch if you end up needing to!

 

[Waters]

I have tried two different flame angels and had to remove both due to nipping (and in some cases decimating) my fleshy LPS corals and clams. I have given up on Dwarf Angels in a reef tank lol.

 

[Whipples]

That's a bummer to hear, especially with how moody zoas can be! Looks like I might steer clear then as that may be more problems than it's worth. I appreciate y'all posting your experiences.

Are there other fish with a similar activity level that you would recommend? Currently just a pair of ocellaris who chill under the overflow 24/7.

 

[spidercrab]

I had flame in my small reef tank with out problems. The tank was fed pretty heavily. I think if there is plenty of fish food they will most ignore corals. But as soon as she goes hungry she can probably wreak havoc.

 

[Absolutekind]

Try a Six Line Wrasse! Cheap, small (little bio-load), easy to keep, and beneficial to reef tanks for pest control with LOTS of energy.

 

[Whipples]

I'll check into a wrasse, thanks! If I do get a wrasss, since they feed in pods would that impact my ability to keep a dragonet in the future? I know, another difficult fish

 

[Absolutekind]

I've had two six Lines (in two different tanks) and they both took to frozen pretty quickly. Tough call on the pods, depending on your population. In the past, I've allowed pod populations to grow for many months (at least 6) before introducing pod eating fish, especially Dragonets who pretty much only eat pods (unless you get lucky and find one that has taken to frozen).

 

[Whipples]

I took advantage of the Algae Barn bogo coupon and got 2 of their pod packs and phytoplankton to help seed. I can see pods all over the glass in the display and the refugium is pretty active, just hoping to keep it growing. Good to hear they took frozen on the wrasses.

 

[mta_morrow]

I am sitting here looking at my BOGO from Algae Barn as well! my ruby red dragonet should be very happy over the next few days!

 

[spidercrab]

Nice deal im about to get that as well.

 

[Whipples]

I did two of their 5280 packs so it should be a pod frenzy soon!

 

[becks]

My coral beauty leaves Lps alone, i keep him wel feed enough that he don't enough pick the rocks, maybe that's why?? He never even looked at my corals

 

[eatbreakfast]

Euphyllias pack a potent sting so are usually safe with dwarf angels.

Sixline wrasses will compete with a dragonet for pods. Plus, once they mature, they can get pretty aggressive, especially toward fish added after them.

Wrasses that won't compete with dragonets would be fairy or flasher wrasses.

 

[Rjramos]

Here is my Flame angel, I've had him for about 10 years and never seen him picking on any corals. This 120 gal is heavily stocked with LPS including many euphylia types. I have another flame angel in a tank at work along with a maxima clam and many LPS, and never a problem there either.

 

[Salty1962]

Try a Six Line Wrasse! Cheap, small (little bio-load), easy to keep, and beneficial to reef tanks for pest control with LOTS of energy.

They can turn into terrors as they get bigger

 

[Salty1962]

Individual fish are going to act differently, they could be model citizens or holy terrors. Just need to know that just in case. I had an Ellibi, or Red Stripped Dwarf Angel, that was a model citizen for 1 year until one day taking a munch out of my SPS and LPS. Just enough to keep them closed up. Their beautiful fish as long as you're willing to take the gamble. I just hope my Regal Angel doesn't hear me talking