Flame Angelfish

Angels - Small

The Flame Angel is a dwarf angel. Most dwarf angels are classified in the genus Centropyge and reach a size of about four inches in an aquarium. Angelfish are distinguished from Butterflyfish by the spine over their gill cover. This can easily become entangled in nets. The Flame Angel comes from the central Pacific and Australia. It is found in clear lagoons and coral reefs to a depth of 50 metres. It is a bright orange with heavy black horizontal stripes on its back half and blue tipped fins. The tail is white or yellow.

The Flame Angel is our top recommendation among angelfish.  It is very popular and is a good choice for the intermediate aquarist. It adapts well to aquarium life. A tank of 100 gallons is recommended, although a smaller tank will suffice if there are few other inhabitants. It should have plenty of hiding places and live rock as a source of algae. The water flow should be strong in the tank.

The Flame Angel is omnivorous and will eat algae, dried seaweed, spirulina flakes, mysis shrimp and frozen shrimp. Algae based foods should be the main staple. The Flame Angel will nip at corals and anemones, so it is not a great choice for a reef tank.

The Flame Angel is susceptible to Oodinium and Brooklynella, so quarantine and preventative chemical treatments are suggested before releasing them in an established tank.

Flame Angels are egg layers. The juveniles start out as females and then some turn to males. Males are slightly larger and more colorful. They will normally attempt to control several females for breeding. Spawning occurs at dusk and the eggs float away with the current. Breeding in captivity is extremely difficult.