FLAME ANGLE!!!!! is it reef safe

[shrimpfishy]

I have a 30 gallon reef with some clams soft corals and mushrooms. Will the angle pick, bite or eat thease corals?
thanks

 

[hairtrigger]

Depends on the specimen's personality I think. I hear some people say they nip at some corals and inverts. But, I have had two in seperate reefs and have never had a problem with either. I know that if they have a ready supply of algae to eat they probably won't bother anything. I assume that they get curious and taste corals when they are hungry. Like I said, it all depends on the specimen I think. Also, what kinds of corals would you like to keep with them?

 

[shrimpfishy]

I would keep them w/ a colt coral,green star polyps, clams mushrooms, yellow polyps that came on lr and xeina.

 

[barracuda]

As with all angels: hit or miss. Possible coral nibbler and potential sponge eater. Many people successfuly keeping em in their reefs though.
I suggest you to use "search" feature of the board. Many angel discussions could be found useful for you.

 

[hairtrigger]

I have all those corals in my reef. I have noticed that when I don't feed my Flame for a while he starts to pick at the algae on the rocks. (Which is why I dont feed sometimes. ) But in doing so he somtimes grazes some of the polyps. He stays away from the mildly aggressive ones like the colt, and the super aggresive ones like bubbles. But, the polyps seem to close up and then open right afterwards. I have yet to see him devour any corals. I would say pygmy angels are ideal compared to the infamous larger, definitely not reef safe angels. It really depends on personality. Hold one at the LFS and observe him for a while. Or if you buy, watch him in the tank. It may also have something to do with when you add them and with what. Good luck.

 

[barry769]

For the most part what I have heard is that the majority of flame angels are fine with reefs, but you can occasionally get a bad one. However, I just started a thread yesterday about keeping a flame in my 30 gallon tank and was told that a 30 isn't big enough to keep a flame happy and that you would be better off going with a pygmy angel instead if you still want an angel. They aren't as good looking IMO, but I'd rather have a happy not as good looking fish than a stressed and dying flame.
-Scott