Adding African Flameback - thoughts?

[SouthFla]

Looking for any advice-my 125G mixed reef has a trio of Royal Grammas, a 2" Bicolor Angel a 2" Kole tang (they're BFF's ), and a soon to be 3" C. Solorensis wrasse coming thru QT. What do you think about adding a ~1.5" Flameback Angel to the tank? I know they can be a bit obnoxious, but thought he'd need to be to stand up to existing Bicolor and Kole...Do you think he'd harass Grammas and wrasse? While always a risk, do you think my bubble and hammer corals would be toast?

If not him, what about adding a Coral Beauty now-think it would be risky with existing dwarf angel?? Appreciate your thoughts

 

[johnike]

Love mine, gets a little nippy with new additions but the big fish keep it in check.
Beautiful colors.

 

[Lostinthedark]

Mine is a model citizen. Mostly stays in the rock work zipping around the tank through all the tunnels and caves.

 

[SouthFla]

Thanks folks-any issues with munching on LPS (if you have them)??

 

[Dmorty217]

Thanks folks-any issues with munching on LPS (if you have them)??

Will probably nip at corals, some more than others. Individuals vary so it's no guarantee

 

[ginpang]

Adding African Flameback - thoughts?

Little fish big personality .
I find sometimes centropyge display aggression within the same genus of ones sharing similar colour schemes , outside their species.

Example a vroliki will do better with a ferrugatus or loricula than an Eibli let's say. A ferrugatus will do better with an argi than an aurantius or even a bispinosus and so on...
There is a chance that there could be a bit of wrestling going between the bicolor and flame back. It all depends on how " good" both specimens are.

 

[scooter31707]

I had to get rid of one for nipping on my LPS corals. Also saw him nipping on my Monti Cap, but I don't truly know if he was nipping or grazing algae, but who knows, he had to go. Very aggressive to fish equal or smaller than it.

 

[Sandman182]

I have kept both a flameback angel and a bicolor( currently have a bicolor now in my 120) over the years and my experience is as follows: They are both a hit or miss as far as corals go and I am sure you have heard this over and over as much as I have but as you probably know each fish is an individual and therefore unpredictable so add at your own risk. As far as compatibility goes, I have found over the years with keeping dwarf angels that the less color that they have in common the better off you will be compatibility wise when keeping 2 in the same tank. A bicolor tends to be way more tolerant of a flame angel (for example) due to coloration than he would be with a flameback because they share the same coloration in a sense. The bicolor is somewhat aggressive and so is the flameback so be careful. But I will say that you have the perfect size tank and from pics you appear to have plenty of rock work for each to claim their own territory and as long as you have good algae growth for them to graze on you stand a good chance that they will get along and in fact may not see each other enough to really notice one another in a tank your size. I myself have kept dwarfs in the same large tank in the past with tons of rock work and was very careful of coloration issues and had no problems. Sorry for writing a book and good luck!

 

[ace_92101]

On a side note, I really like your aquascape.

 

[brett559]

I've been told bi-colors are among the worst coral-nippers, so if that one is behaving, I'd go for it. Why not go big and get a Regal? Or if you were looking to add a different color, flames are really pretty.

Gorgeous tank BTW. Such clean sand. If that was me, I'd add 7-8 more fish....Seems so empty. And Royal Grammas (at least the ones I've had) are pretty shy.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

I had one- would NOT leave my Zebra eel alone kept picking @ his tail.

 

[SouthFla]

Thanks all for the input and kind comments! Can't decide if I should roll the dice or not on the Flameback-I'm starting to lean not, but appreciate the experience relayed!

"So far" my bicolor's been great, other than an initial nip or two on a Monti for now he seems to care not for my corals...and I'd LOVE a regal if I could find a small healthy local one (right after I win the lottery of course!). I'm trying to keep fish smallish for now to maintain the reef perspective...and BTW my gramma trios are always out ;-)

Cheers!

 

[Shaummy]

I had to get rid of one for nipping on my LPS corals. Also saw him nipping on my Monti Cap, but I don't truly know if he was nipping or grazing algae, but who knows, he had to go. Very aggressive to fish equal or smaller than it.

This was my experience as well...also a PITA to catch and get out of my reef. Mine was going for LPS..open brains, Lobo's etc..

 

[o2manyfish]

I have a pair of the flamebacks and they have been caught spawning in the tank this past summer. I have a huge selection of SPS, LPS, Softy and Clams and the Flame backs don't bother any of the corals.

I also have an extensive dwarf angel collection and they don't bother anyone else.

I've almost always had at least one flameback in my reef tanks for the past 20+ years. I have had a couple that would pick on clams, but they have always left my corals alone. I like a heavily rocked aquascape so there are lots of places for them to hunt and hide.

Dave B

 

[MrCaveman]

I like your gorgonians, a flameback would fit well in that size of a tank.

 

[boxfishpooalot]

Id get a flameback. Curious what are your levels with all that beautiful corralline algae growth?

 

[SouthFla]

Id get a flameback. Curious what are your levels with all that beautiful corralline algae growth?

So far tank has remained pretty steady with just Kalk in my ATO (2tsp/g), and ~10% water change weekly:

Ca:440
Alk: 8.6
Mg: 1380

I can't get my salifert kits to register any nitrate or phosphate, so I'm trying to feed a little heavier...

 

[boxfishpooalot]

Awesome thanks for the info