Flame Angel - Tahiti (reddest); Marshall Islands (next reddest)

[Salty150]

Anyone have a Flame Angel from Tahiti?

They are supposed to be the reddest...

I guess the Marshall Island ones are supposed to be the next reddest...

 

[nanoreefer1000]

Usually the Hawaiian ones (Rarer) are the reddest.
DD will get them sometimes.

 

[Stevenliu9]

Funny thing about flame angels is no matter how red they are at the time of purchase, mine always tend to turn "orange" after several months. But there is no sign of disease or nutritional issue as it is fat and healthy. Anyone has suggestions on keeping them RED?

 

[Salty150]

Funny thing about flame angels is no matter how red they are at the time of purchase, mine always tend to turn "orange" after several months. But there is no sign of disease or nutritional issue as it is fat and healthy. Anyone has suggestions on keeping them RED?

Yeah... feed them a good food like New Life Spectrum

I read some article that showed various fish over a long term that were fed with it and fed with other food - and the fish fed the NLS food were much more colorful...

 

[Salty150]

Usually the Hawaiian ones (Rarer) are the reddest.
DD will get them sometimes.

Do you mean Marshall Island?

Here is a direct copy from the Live Aquaria site:

There are slight differences in both coloration and markings of this species based on the location of collection. Flame Angelfish from the Central Pacific include both Marshall Islands and Christmas Island. Marshall Island Flame Angelfish are redder in color, with thicker black bars running vertically down the body. Christmas Island Flame Angelfish are normally red/orange coloration with thin black bars running vertically down the body. Flame Angelfish from Cebu are red/orange with undefined black bars and a tint of yellow in between the bars. Flame Angelfish from Tahiti are rarely collected and are blood red in coloration and possess very little to no yellow.

 

[LargeAngels]

No. The Hawaiian are reddest, at least from what I have seen and read. But IME Hawaiians loose their redness, even being fed NLS pellets.

 

[mav3rick478]

In my experiences from when I lived in HI and worked at CFH the Hawaiian Flame angels were more red than the Marshall Island ones that we imported. And yes they eventually lost that super saturated coloring.

 

[Salty150]

In my experiences from when I lived in HI and worked at CFH the Hawaiian Flame angels were more red than the Marshall Island ones that we imported. And yes they eventually lost that super saturated coloring.

I wonder why that is...

Eating habits?

 

[mav3rick478]

I wonder why that is...

Eating habits?

Quite possibly, plus too for me this was back in the late 90's when I last had a Flame Angel and did not have half the products and equipment we have today. Back then I was feeding my Flame Brine Shrimp Plus frozen food that I actually soaked the cubes with Liquid Gold or VitaGold can't remember exactly what it was called, some vitamin additive, Spirulina flakes and it use to graze on my polyps and algae on my rocks. None of my polyps had tentacles, they were all just round discs.

 

[Salty150]

Flame Angels are not compatible with polys?

 

[mav3rick478]

Flame Angels are not compatible with polys?

All angels are always a risk to them, some leave them alone and others like my Flame, Lemonpeel and Coral Beauty liked to nip at them. They never ate them fully just a nip here and there.

 

[Kayvon]

Yeah... feed them a good food like New Life Spectrum

I read some article that showed various fish over a long term that were fed with it and fed with other food - and the fish fed the NLS food were much more colorful...

I've been feeding mine NLS but it's still going orange :headwallblue:

 

[Salty150]

Well, what the heck?

How do you keep them red?!

 

[CuzzA]

I wonder if feeding them a steady diet of brine shrimp would maintain or bring back the redder coloration. I say this because we can look at the effect of the beta carotene in brine shrimp that make flamingos pink.

 

[mav3rick478]

I wonder if feeding them a steady diet of brine shrimp would maintain or bring back the redder coloration. I say this because we can look at the effect of the beta carotene in brine shrimp that make flamingos pink.

Well mine never turned fully orange but I had some that were intense red and eventually lost that intensity but were still red and orange. I always looked for the ones that had the least amount of orange when I got some, but I also had first pick since I worked at the store and could see the selection before anyone else. We used to find the best looking fishes and put them in the back of the store and put reserved tags on them. Baby Clown Triggers at 2" are awesome looking because they are so dark and their bellies don't have that white coloring yet!

 

[ca1ore]

I wonder if feeding them a steady diet of brine shrimp would maintain or bring back the redder coloration. I say this because we can look at the effect of the beta carotene in brine shrimp that make flamingos pink.

Hah, Excellent! , I was thinking flamingos as I read this thread :lol: I think it's more than diet though with reef fishes. I've tried to color up a group of evansi anthias by feeding them foods high in carotenoids; and it helps, but I cannot get them back to wild coloration. Maybe there's a social aspect to it as well?

 

[Typography]

anyone got some pics to show off.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Would Cyclop eeze not enhance their colors?

 

[LargeAngels]

Not IME

 

[Mael]

when people are using the NLS pellets, are they using the ones speficially for red coloration?

I also agree the beta carotine would help, LRS adds it to the PE mysis before they mix it into their foods to help as well, just not sure how much it will help if there are also other factors like ca1ore mentioned with captivity and social aspects.