Flame Angelfish Care

The flame angelfish or Centropyge loricula, is also known as the Dwarf angelfish, or the Flame angel, or sometimes the Dwarf angel or the Flaming angelfish. Wonder why they are called by these names, well it's because of their color; bright orange red (like that of a burning flame), with vertical black or blue purple colored blotches and around 4 to 5 bars on its sides. This type of fish is found mainly in the Pacific Ocean, in the tropical environment. This aquarium fish usually grows up to a size of about 4 inches and lives for about 6 to 7 years. Now that you have some flame angelfish information, let us see how one can take care of them. When it comes to flame angelfish care, the whole process is not that difficult. Given below are some tips which you are going to find useful while taking care of this fish.

Caring for Flame Anglefish

If you are keeping a flame angelfish in an aquarium, then you will find it a less tedious task taking care of the fish, as they can adjust well in an aquarium. Here are certain pointers which you need to keep in mind in order to take proper care of your fish and make them live longer.

• First let us come to the most important part of setting up the aquarium in which you will keep the fish. It's better that you use an aquarium that is around 50 to 75 gallons in capacity. The tank should be big enough to have places for the fish to hide. Add some rocks at the bottom of the fish tank and also some good hiding places because the angelfish loves to hide. You can add live rocks at the bottom of the aquarium to encourage the growth of natural algae.
• The flame angelfish are territorial fish and sometimes they even bully the smaller fish. Hence, it's best that you add the flame angelfish after you have added the rest of the fish in the aquarium. Also, it's better that you do not put flame angelfish together in the same tank or better still, avoid putting two fish from the same genus, in the same tank, as the flame angelfish are known to be hostile towards members of the same species.
• If you are using reefs in your tank then you should know that flame angelfish are reef safe. But, sometimes though you will find them nibbling on the corals in your reef aquarium. For ages probably you will not find the fish nibbling at the reef, but one day suddenly they might start doing that.
• These fish eat both plant as well as meat based food. They can also survive on flakes, but you should also give them frozen as well as live food. The algae that grows on the rocks that you have placed at the bottom of the tank, are also a part of the fish diet.
• One bad thing about the flame angelfish is that they often come with some sort of saltwater fish disease, which might spread to the other fish in the tank as well. Hence, it's best that you keep these fish in a quarantine tank before introducing them in the main tank.
• While mating, the male and the female fish (after the courting) move up towards the surface of the water and then both release the eggs and the sperms, and then go and hide behind the rocks. These sperms and eggs are then swept away by the water current and they soon develop while drifting around the water. If you are thinking of breeding this fish in the aquarium, then let me tell you that it is a bit difficult process.

Now that you know what are the various tips to keep in mind and you also have some flame angelfish facts, it will be easier for you to take care of them. Just follow the above steps and you will not face much problem with your new pet(s).