Coral Beauty & Flame Angel?
- Thread starter atvdave
- Start date
I am planning on doing this very thing and am watching this thread with great interest.
I plan to buy them both, introduce them to the tank at the same time.
a couple of questions:
1. Angel*fish suggests selecting a female flame angel; how can one tell the sex?
2. mr_098 suggests turning off the lights for 4 hours. Are we talking lights out at night or just during the day?
FYI, my tank is 65"x24"x30" (not quite 6 ft, but close) with 200 lbs of rock built into two piles, one on each end. So, I think I have the space, the hiding areas, and the obvious division of territories (if the fish will read my mind and play along :lmao: ).
My wife, and my LFS salesmen are telling me I'm crazy to try this. But, how can I resist?
I plan to buy them both, introduce them to the tank at the same time.
a couple of questions:
1. Angel*fish suggests selecting a female flame angel; how can one tell the sex?
2. mr_098 suggests turning off the lights for 4 hours. Are we talking lights out at night or just during the day?
FYI, my tank is 65"x24"x30" (not quite 6 ft, but close) with 200 lbs of rock built into two piles, one on each end. So, I think I have the space, the hiding areas, and the obvious division of territories (if the fish will read my mind and play along :lmao: ).
My wife, and my LFS salesmen are telling me I'm crazy to try this. But, how can I resist?
Angel*Fish
cats and large squashes
Obvious femalesare not that easy to come by IME. You can tell a female flame from a male flame by the amount of blue on the rear of the dorsal & anal fins. Males have more. Probably the amount you are used to seeing on flames is the amount for male - cut that in half at least for the female. There's a thread with some pics i'll try to hunt it down. Also the black bars are thinner on the female. All that said- a female will change to male behavior before she changes to male coloration.
From the sounds of your tank I don't think you'll have problems - don't buy large specimens regardless of sex - they may be set in there ways
Here's a photo of mine It's fuzzy but you can see the blue streaks shooting out the rear of the male (LOL) but it's barely visible on the female
HTH
Thanks Angel*fish!
Your picture makes it clear to me how to tell. I believe you are right: all flame-angels I've noticed have been males.
If you think I'll be all right with a male in my tank, I'd prefer the stronger blue.
"blue streaks shooting out the rear of the male", what a hoot. Water or not, they will always find a way, won't they....
Your picture makes it clear to me how to tell. I believe you are right: all flame-angels I've noticed have been males.
If you think I'll be all right with a male in my tank, I'd prefer the stronger blue.
"blue streaks shooting out the rear of the male", what a hoot. Water or not, they will always find a way, won't they....
Angel*Fish
cats and large squashes
Thanks!
This fish did it themselves. 
Angel*Fish
cats and large squashes
Post pics when you get them. And feedback out on how it works out.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7645652#post7645652 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by deeppitt
Thanks Angel*fish!
Your picture makes it clear to me how to tell. I believe you are right: all flame-angels I've noticed have been males.
If you think I'll be all right with a male in my tank, I'd prefer the stronger blue.
"blue streaks shooting out the rear of the male", what a hoot. Water or not, they will always find a way, won't they....
One good thing is that lots of times, if it doesn't work out with your angels, the "offending" fish winds up being "easy" to catch. Not just my experience, but I also know of another person who keeps multiple angels & pairs who has described this. That doesn' mean to imply that adding an angels together doesn't evoke tons of worry on my part
Since you mentioned separate bommies, angels can also learn to tolerate each other if separated by an eggcrate partition for a period - probably not less than 2 weeks
Well, the deed is done!
Two days ago I put a flame angel and a coral beauty in the tank together. :fish1: :fish2:
So far, so good. There has been a little chasing going on ( the flame occasionally chases/follows the CB at a speed of about 6 in. per sec. ).
Also, the flame takes an occasional nip at a SPS here or there, but not much.
Mostly, they appear to be exploring the rocks and nipping at them as if looking for algae. Today, I intend to get some sheet algae and an algae clip to see if that might give them what they want.
They are beautiful fish; I am so hopeful that this will work out.
I acclimated them in a small acclimation chamber with a piece of egg crate between them so they got a bit of seeing each other.
I then put them in the tank, turned the lights out and covered the glass with couch pillows (they were handy) for 4 hours. By then, it was late (9 PM) but I turned the lights on anyway for another hour.
The next day they seemed mostly preoccupied learning their new surroundings. I wonder how far down the road I need to go before I can feel they they have settled in together.
The only "incident" I've had was between the flame angel and my foxface at the first feeding the day after introduction. There was a sudden splash of water at the surface, the fox face then had his spines up and the angel fish ran for cover in the rocks.
Nothing else has taken place between them or others that I have seen.
We'll see what happens.......wish me luck!
Cheers!
Two days ago I put a flame angel and a coral beauty in the tank together. :fish1: :fish2:
So far, so good. There has been a little chasing going on ( the flame occasionally chases/follows the CB at a speed of about 6 in. per sec. ).
Also, the flame takes an occasional nip at a SPS here or there, but not much.
Mostly, they appear to be exploring the rocks and nipping at them as if looking for algae. Today, I intend to get some sheet algae and an algae clip to see if that might give them what they want.
They are beautiful fish; I am so hopeful that this will work out.
I acclimated them in a small acclimation chamber with a piece of egg crate between them so they got a bit of seeing each other.
I then put them in the tank, turned the lights out and covered the glass with couch pillows (they were handy) for 4 hours. By then, it was late (9 PM) but I turned the lights on anyway for another hour.
The next day they seemed mostly preoccupied learning their new surroundings. I wonder how far down the road I need to go before I can feel they they have settled in together.
The only "incident" I've had was between the flame angel and my foxface at the first feeding the day after introduction. There was a sudden splash of water at the surface, the fox face then had his spines up and the angel fish ran for cover in the rocks.
Nothing else has taken place between them or others that I have seen.
We'll see what happens.......wish me luck!
Cheers!
Angel*Fish
cats and large squashes
Congrats! Sounds like you're basically home free - that said, as a fish matures it can become dominant and start picking on other fish it ignored before - but in my experience angels are usually "angels" once they've accepted a tankmate -- and if they aren't going to get along, it should be quite clear in the very beginning
A little chasing is to be expected, but not so much that the fish don't have a peaceful existence ---- like, for example, if the flame is constantly deliberately seeking out the CB to bully it -
Keep us updated!
A little chasing is to be expected, but not so much that the fish don't have a peaceful existence ---- like, for example, if the flame is constantly deliberately seeking out the CB to bully it -
Keep us updated!
There is a bit more chasing going on now, but each chase still doesn't last more than 5-10 seconds. The Flame doesn't seek out the CB, but if the CB wonders into the Flames area, the Flame sometimes chases him for a lap around the tank.
Here are some pics of my new friends.
The coral beauty pic is admittedly lousy, but he's being very camera shy and testing my patience.
When he decides to cooperate, I'll post a better one.
Here are some pics of my new friends.
The coral beauty pic is admittedly lousy, but he's being very camera shy and testing my patience.
When he decides to cooperate, I'll post a better one.
kass03
New member
I added a flame and coral beauty at the same time in my 150.
They were fine together for OVER 4 YEARS.
Then 1 day the flame decided it did'nt like the CB anymore and kept picking on it relentlessly.
By the time I realized what was going on and removed the CB and put it in my 55 it was too late. The CB died a few days later.
Sad but true. I guess you never know how long they'll get along.
kass
They were fine together for OVER 4 YEARS.
Then 1 day the flame decided it did'nt like the CB anymore and kept picking on it relentlessly.
By the time I realized what was going on and removed the CB and put it in my 55 it was too late. The CB died a few days later.
Sad but true. I guess you never know how long they'll get along.
kass
Angel*Fish
cats and large squashes
Though I'm sorry about your CB, that's very interesting. Is there anything at all you can think of that changed? Which one was larger? Was it always the larger fish? Did you say something annoying to the flame?
Seriously any details, any little thing would be of interest 
It's hard losing a fish you've had that long
Asuran, I recommend you pick up a copy of S.Michael's Angelfish & Butterfly fish, it gives some details of which angels tend to be more likely to munch on which corals - but with angels you can't always predict their behavior
Kass03,
I am sorry for your CB loss. I would have thought that 4 years would have been enough time for things to settle down.
I am still on pins and needles every time I see a chase start up. I hope you'll do it again. It has certainly added beauty and charm to my tank.
Asuran,
I noticed this morning that some polyps had been bitten from my devil's hand leather. I am hoping that a bite here and there won't stress the coral too much, and that over time the fish will learn to prefer the food fed to them. The CB eats my food rather well; the Flame Angel seems to be more picky about type and size. I am trying formula I, formula II, Spectrum, and flake food hoping to find something he really likes (besides corals)
Here are some much improved pics of the CB for your viewing enjoyment!
Cheers!
I am sorry for your CB loss. I would have thought that 4 years would have been enough time for things to settle down.
I am still on pins and needles every time I see a chase start up. I hope you'll do it again. It has certainly added beauty and charm to my tank.
Asuran,
I noticed this morning that some polyps had been bitten from my devil's hand leather. I am hoping that a bite here and there won't stress the coral too much, and that over time the fish will learn to prefer the food fed to them. The CB eats my food rather well; the Flame Angel seems to be more picky about type and size. I am trying formula I, formula II, Spectrum, and flake food hoping to find something he really likes (besides corals)
Here are some much improved pics of the CB for your viewing enjoyment!
Cheers!
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