Flame Angelfish Pairs

[alton]

Just checking with others to see if right before mating time does their male get real aggressive to other fish in their tank?

[albano]

Don't think that I've noticed that...I have 4 Flames in my tank, a large pair and what seem to be a small pair, that all seem to get along fine

[alton]

Maybe I need to add a couple more very small Flames?

[OrionN]

You can sex flame angel. Just add the females. I know that you have a large tank. Having 3-5 in a 120 gal would be fine. I got 3 in my 320. It was really neat when both of the female spawned on the same night. The male acts like a yoyo going from one to the other, fun to watch.

[OrionN]

To answer your question, they are not very aggressive at all. At dust, my Anthias spawn and the Flame Angels spawns. The Anthias routinely chase the Flame Angels as they spawned.

[Funkateer_1]

IME, my male gets nasty almost every night when the halides shut off. I keep a pair in a 50 gallon tank, he relentlessly chases the female around for an hour or so, then they stop do little circles and act like nothing ever happened.

[Tkieu78]

OrionN. How do you determine sex difference in flames?

[OrionN]

Males fins are of different shape than females. The dorsal and ventral fins are somewhat pointed in males and round in females. I will do a search to see if I can come up with a picture. Males have more blue and black but we cannot use this since the regional variance is such that some females in certain reagions are darker than males in other regions

Males also are larger. Flames Angels are also hermaphdites so if you put two females together one will become male

[OrionN]

These pictures are pictures I found on the Internet of Flame Angel. Not my fish. I think the color have been enhanced a little but will serve to point out the different between male and female Flame angels

Female
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=303764&stc=1&d=1421152238

Male
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=303765&stc=1&d=1421152167

My angels
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=303767&stc=1&d=1421152235

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=303766&stc=1&d=1421152182

[OrionN]

IME, my male gets nasty almost every night when the halides shut off. I keep a pair in a 50 gallon tank, he relentlessly chases the female around for an hour or so, then they stop do little circles and act like nothing ever happened.

Courting is not at all like fighting. He is courting her, you will never see him nipping at her during courtship. My three flame angels do not fight or nip at each other. It is possible that your tank is to small. However, I have a 65 g tank with a pair of Flame Angels in it. They don't fight or nip at each other either.

[alton]

Yea mine don't fight, what is funny when the female chases the male sometimes around the tank.

[HiImSean]

What size tank is suitable for a pair? My wife's been wanting a flame and I won't add one to my reef so I told her I'd set up a tank with a pair.

[OrionN]

I have a pair in my 65 gal tank. they are doing great. I think a 40 gal breeder would be fine for the pair if you dont have more than 2 inches sand. 65 gal is just a 40 breeder that is deeper a little.

My Flame Trio is doing great in my reef. They do get fee a lot. All my fish does not bother my SPS and Clams. Somebody eat all the Xenia, so my Xenia is getting wipe out.

[HiImSean]

I've been thinking of using a 65g. Do you have anything else in the tank with them?

[OrionN]

I only have a blue damsel pair and a Percula pair. One large Gigantea, two small BTA, One Malu anemone, Three SPS, Several LPS and a lot of Xenia. I can add more fish, likely a small tang in this tank but have not for several years.