Flame angelfish
Centropyge loriculus
Also known as Flame Angel, Flaming Angelfish
SaltwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–79°F
- 22–26°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 3.9 in
- 10 cm
- Minimum tank
- 50 gal
- 190 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Own kind
- One male per tank
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe with caution
- Family
- Pomacanthidae
- Origin
- Central and western Pacific, common around Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, and other Pacific island groups
Overview
The flame angelfish is a dwarf angel for an established saltwater tank with plenty of live rock. It suits a keeper who has kept saltwater fish before.
Did you know
The flame angelfish is one of the most recognizable dwarf angels, with a bright red-orange body, vertical black bars and blue-tipped rear fins. The intensity of the red varies by collection locality.
Caring for the flame angelfish
Give a flame angelfish an established tank of at least 50 gal (190 L), with steady algae growth. It needs lots of live rock with tight caves and mature grazing surfaces.
Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It is an active grazer, so give it several small feedings of algae-based and meaty foods each day.
The flame angelfish is mostly peaceful but highly territorial toward its own kind and other dwarf angels. Keep just one, unless the tank is very large and heavily aquascaped. It is reef safe with caution. Plenty are model reef citizens, but individuals may nip LPS, zoanthids and clam mantles, and the risk rises if it is underfed.
Flame angelfish have been bred in captivity, and tank-raised fish are sold. Rearing the larvae is difficult, though, and captive-bred stock is far less common than wild-caught.
Good to know
The flame angelfish is a dwarf angel in the family Pomacanthidae, and it also goes by flaming angelfish. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that lives in small harem groups in the wild, with one male over several females.
In the wild
Flame angelfish live on clear, coral-rich outer reefs and lagoons across the central and western Pacific. They are common around Hawaii, the Marshall Islands and other Pacific island groups. They often keep to the deeper faces, near cover, and rarely stray far from the rock. At the first sign of trouble they duck into holes. They graze algae and detritus off hard surfaces.
Common questions
What size tank does a flame angelfish need?
A flame angelfish needs at least 50 gal (190 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a flame angelfish need?
A flame angelfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
What does a flame angelfish eat?
A flame angelfish is an active grazer. Give it several small feedings of algae-based and meaty foods each day.
How big does a flame angelfish get?
An adult flame angelfish reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).
How does a flame angelfish breed?
Flame angelfish have been bred in captivity, and tank-raised fish are sold. Rearing the larvae is difficult, though, and captive-bred fish remain far less common than wild-caught ones.
Related species
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