Flame angel? Recommended or Not for reef?

TonyOrlando

New member
I would like to add a flame angel to my reef tank. I have soft and lps corals. Would a flame angel be ok or not? I hear so many mixed review about it. My LFS said he wouldnt add one if he was me, then I see people that have them in their tanks. What do you guys think?
 
The reason you hear so many mixd reviews is because some do nip corals, some don't. IMHO/E it just seems to be luck of the draw. If you really want one, give it a try. Hopefully he won't touch anything. If he does, then you have to decide if he stays or the coral stays.
 
Is a 50 / 50 chance. is all a matter of luck.
What about if you put one in your tank, and starts nipping at the corals, then you have to get it out. The worse part is if you have a fully stock tank you have to remove most of the rock to get it out. think twice, what are you really looking for, colors and size, or just because is agood deal. Be careful buying just by impulse.
Good luck
 
I've had good luck with one in a reef but I agree with sd guy that they are just a risk you have to be willing to accept if you want one. If you are prepared to go through all the nightmare of getting it out of your tank you may be ready for one.
 
I had one and kept it with LPS (Candycane, blasto welsi, acans) and softies (Kenya tree, gorgs, toadstools, GSP, zoas) without a problem. I think the nipper to non-nipper ratio isn't as high as 50/50, I know several people who have them without problems, even the guy who has a huge mixed reef at the LFS said he has one w/o problems (and pictures in his shop to back it up).

If you like it get it, just be ready, I said when I got mine any coral he nips at is gone.
 
PS - fish traps work really well...don't rip apart your tank to remove a fish.
 
Re: Flame angel? Recommended or Not for reef?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9272880#post9272880 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TonyOrlando
My LFS said he wouldnt add one if he was me

The LFSs here either would heartily recommend me to BUY anything that is in the grey area or has no slightest clue what is going on. :D

That said, I have never had a problem with dwarf angels (coral beauty and bicolor), but I've never kept them with LPS or SPS though.
 
From what I've read, heard, and experianced, its part luck and part stock.

Generally its just luck on wheather an angel will nip at the corals or not. So if they leave the corals alone, you are fine. If not, they are actually nipping at the slime, and usually not the flesh, so the main problem is that they cause the coral to close, thus not feed. This also depends on the corals you stock. Since a lot of soft corals do not taste very nice, they will leave them alone. However, LPS and, more often, SPS corals taste better to them, so there is more of a chance they will nip at those. But weather they will really cause problems can depend on the tank size and stock. If they tank is FULL of a lot of corals, the angel may go from coral to coral, and no pick on one specifically enough to cause it to stay closed. Again, you get luck from the fish in that it may only like one specifically.

Basically, I just wasted time saying, it is mainly luck, and trial and error is really the only way to go.

IMO, never had ANY problems with Potter's or Coral Beauty, and Flames are said to be similar to both of those.
 
If you have a QT or smaller tank, get the angel used to eating out of a trap. Then, they are easy to catch.

I think that 50/50 might be a bit low. Many people have never really noticed their flames picking at coral, but can tell a large difference in polyp extention and growth once the fish is gone. You don't have to see it for them to be nipping.
 
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