TankBud

Flame cardinalfish

Apogon maculatus

Also known as Flamefish, Flame Cardinal

SaltwaterFish

Flame cardinalfish (Apogon maculatus)
Pauline Walsh Jacobson · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
30 gal
114 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Apogonidae
Origin
Western Atlantic reefs, from Bermuda and the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil

Overview

The flame cardinalfish is a red, mostly peaceful cardinalfish for a reef tank with plenty of rockwork. It is a step up from the easiest marine fish.

Did you know

Flame cardinalfish produce far fewer, larger offspring than fish that scatter their eggs into open water. That is part of why cardinalfish are a popular family for hobbyists attempting their first marine breeding project.

Caring for the flame cardinalfish

Keep a flame cardinalfish in at least 30 gal (114 L), with several caves or overhangs among the live rock. A mated pair does better in 55 gal (208 L) or more. It is nocturnal and most active once the lights dim, so red or blue night lighting lets you watch it.

Hold the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed a mix of mysis, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp and finely chopped seafood. Its red color holds up best on pigment-rich foods and tends to fade on a poor diet.

Freshly imported fish can be touchy, often refusing to eat and struggling to settle after shipping. A quiet, well-hidden spot and a little patience usually get a new fish feeding normally.

The flame cardinalfish is peaceful with unrelated tank mates and safe around corals and clams. It will eat ornamental shrimp small enough to fit in its mouth. It is territorial toward its own kind and other cardinalfish, so keep a single fish or an established mated pair.

The male is a mouthbrooder. After spawning, he gathers the fertilized eggs into his mouth and holds them through incubation, eating little or nothing until they hatch. Breeding them takes a little experience.

Good to know

The flame cardinalfish, Apogon maculatus, belongs to the family Apogonidae. It is also sold as the flamefish or the flame cardinal.

In the wild

The flame cardinalfish is native to the western Atlantic, from Bermuda and the Gulf of Mexico through the Caribbean to Brazil. It hides in caves and under ledges by day.

Common questions

What size tank does a flame cardinalfish need?

A flame cardinalfish needs at least 30 gal (114 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a flame cardinalfish need?

A flame cardinalfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a flame cardinalfish eat?

A flame cardinalfish eats mysis, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp and finely chopped seafood. Pigment-rich foods help its red color hold up.

How big does a flame cardinalfish get?

An adult flame cardinalfish reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

How does a flame cardinalfish breed?

Flame cardinalfish are mouthbrooders. The male holds the fertilized eggs in his mouth through incubation and eats little or nothing until they hatch. Breeding them takes a little experience.

Related species