The most brilliantly colored of all the dwarf angelfish, the flame angelfish (Centropyge Loriculus) is the most popular and recognizable member of of the genus centroypge, ahead of even the Coral Beauty.
Like the Queen Angelfish, almost everyone in the marine aquarium hobby has at one time either owned a flame angel or at least considered getting one.Called the flame angel probably because of its orange/red flame like colors. Neon blue patches color their dorsal and anal fins.
Expect to pay between $40 to $50 for a flame angel. While some may deem it expensive, their price is nothing compared to what they’d pay for rare species like the Japanese pygmy angelfish.
While commonly thought to hail from Hawaii, they are actually collected around the Marshall and Christmas Islands instead.
They can be aggressive towards other fishes. They save their highest levels of hostility for members of the same family.
An aquarium no smaller than 50 gallons should be used to house a single flame angelfish. Larger aquariums like 75 gallons and above are recommended.
Your scape should have plenty of holes and caves for them to seek refuge in.
As with all dwarf angelfish, flame angelfish have been known to nip on corals in a reef aquarium. This may happen immediately or after a few months. I’ve heard stories of flame angels that have never bothered corals for years only to begin sampling them overnight.
In the wild, dwarf angelfish are all grazers. They constantly scan the rock for food items throughout the day, much like surgeonfish. They feed on small crustaceans, algae of various types and sometimes even detritus.
A balanced diet should be given in a saltwater aquarium. A wide range of foods should be given, variety is important. They should never be fed a single type of food for too long. Although there have been hobbyists that have fed them new life spectrum for long periods of time with no ill effects. They seemed very healthy in fact.
They should be offered nori/algae sheets in addition to a balanced frozen food (Formula One, Formula Two) and a good pellet like those produced by New Life Spectrum.
A very good food for dwarf angels is the Pygmy Angel Formula, produced by Ocean Nutrition. In an effort to provide a balanced and nutritious diet, a wide variety of ingredients are used such as kelp, shrimp, vitamins and trace minerals, krill, squid, algae and many others. The ingredients mentioned are all added prior to freezing. Pygmy Angel Formula is only available in frozen form i believe.
About the Author:
Gabriela Desouyez has been in the ornamental fish trade for over 20 years, giving her hands on experience with a wide range of marine fishes. Do visit her hubpage for a video and picture guide on the Flame Angelfish and another popular angelfish, the stunning Coral Beauty Angel.