2 Flame or not 2 Flame, that is the ?

C

Crush Coral

New member
I have a 75 reef with button polyps, candy cane, blastos, electric green leather and GSPs. Fish are yellow and hippo tangs, 6 line wrasse, a couple clowns, fire shrimp, sand sifting star, picusion urchin, snails and crabs. If I get a flame angel what are chances of it destroying any corals? Your best guess is all I ask. The lfs has a couple flames that have been there for 3 weeks, are eating like pigs and are on sale for $40. What do you think?
 
I know. They are pretty, and if on sale, doubly so. You say "best guess", so here goes. I say no. Flame angels are known to pick on stonies and softies, including invertebrates, and even clam mantles. At least for my tank, since I plan to have a full range of coral eventually. I don't want my coral choices limited by a single fish.

Having said that, I do have a coral beauty, heh-heh ;). But I guess i have been lucky so far, as my CBA is happy graing at algae and eating my frozen food.
 
FOr softies I had several years of good luck with a coral beauty. Since coral is part of angels' diets, I don't trust any longterm, however.
 
Between a fire angel and a coral beauty, my understanding is that the coral beauty is less likely to be a problem. BUT, as Sk8r said, all angels are a risk, no matter what.
 
the flame angel is so vibrant. I had a coral beauty that never bothered any of my corals that I witnessed. will the flame really eat the corals. I guess I have learned that some of these fish do not really exhibit the personalities they r suppose to and others do. I had a dog face puffer in my last reef tank and it never bothered anything other than the rock itself. Go figure
 
Each dwarf (( not just flames )) are going to be a risk, some (( individuals )) are going to be worse then others.

I have had 2 flames over the years, and neither one bothered any of my corals/inverts (( SPS, zoas, clams, polyps, anemone, and open brain )). On the other hand, my coral beauty LOVED to eat open brains.

So, there is going to be risk, it is up to you if you want to take it -- no one can say for certain what a particular fish will do in your tank. Are you willing to deal with some damage? Willing to take the fish out? Willing to sell the fish? Answer those questions yourself, and that will tell you what to do.
 
As I watched the flames in store I noticed that they were constantly picking at everything. I would imagine that they would eventually get to my corals so I will pass on the angel and get a couple more clowns and corals. The flame was always my main fish I wanted and is hard to resist. If I get some more inverts, which I find very interesting, then I should be able to resist.
 
Crush Coral said:
As I watched the flames in store I noticed that they were constantly picking at everything. I would imagine that they would eventually get to my corals so I will pass on the angel and get a couple more clowns and corals. The flame was always my main fish I wanted and is hard to resist. If I get some more inverts, which I find very interesting, then I should be able to resist.
Click to expand...

A couple more clowns (( meaning adding them to 2 existing clowns )) would most likely end with a couple of dead clowns.
 
I had a coral beauty and had no problems with it eating any of my corals. Lps or sps. It was an awesome fish. It liked to swim in and out of the structure of the reef. I plan to get another one once the 180 is setup and ready to go.
 
It's hit or miss. I have a flame angel that's been in my tank for about 8 months and he ignores all my corals. I do keep all the fish fed well with 3-5 feedings a day when I'm working out of the house. I make sure that they are fed at least 2-3 feedings at day at other times.

About the clown idea you mentioned... I was given a pair of clowns for free a while back so I figured I'd see how well they got along with my existing mated pair. Well, it turns out that those cute little clown fish of mine have a mean sidde to them. They quicky attacked the new pair like there was no tomorrow. The smaller of the new clowns was killed in a day and the larger one was seriously ripped up along the fins by day two so I had to remove him. You live and learn.
 
I have had a flame angel in my 90 gallon 48" tank since this summer and my corals dont seem bothered by it, although I do notice that the angel sometimes nips at my large wellso brain coral. I only feed 1 time daily, mysis and sometimes cyclops or other coral food.
 
DONT DO IT!!!! I am in the process of taking out my lemon peel and flame. They pick at EVERYTHING. I have had to put alot in my frag tank just so it could recover from them.
 
Contrary to other posts in this thread I have a flame in my 30 gallon with a pair of clowns, a 6 line, 2 small gobies, and a diamond watchman goby. I have a number of leathers, zoas, shrooms, and a huge duncan colony as well as a good sized sebae anemone. (please don't pick on me for being over-stocked. I do weekly water changes and test monthly now. Tank is over 2 years old) Anyhoo- my flame is actually pretty good buddies with my clowns and I have never seen him picking on any corals. As with everything in the hobby though, there are risks and I would advise against getting one unless you have a backup plan for if it doesn't work out.
 
my flame angel has never givin me any problems. I have a 120 gallon mixed reef. Now my Powder Blue Tang on the other hand nipps at everything. My nassarius snails can't even come up for food because the PBT nipps at their snout thing (that's my technical name for it)
 
They are a risk, but I have one. He seems to leave most everything alone, but picks on the rock. All angels are a risk, but they are beautiful at the same time. I say you should have another tank set up for him in case he ends up picking at your corals, or else you shouldn't make the purchase.
 
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