In-store pickup only. Your order is reserved, we hold off on bagging until you arrive so it stays healthy in its display tank. The Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loricula) is the fish most reefkeepers picture when they imagine adding a splash of color: a deep red-orange oval crossed by bold black bars, with electric blue trim running the length of the dorsal and anal fins. It stays small at around 4 inches, packs enormous personality into that frame, and spends its day picking at rockwork in full view instead of hiding. Care level is intermediate and temperament is semi-aggressive, so it rewards an established tank with mature live rock. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies to build around it. Why the Marshall Islands Matters This specimen is a Marshall Islands import, which is the grade serious reefkeepers ask for by name. Flame Angels are collected across the Pacific, and the region genuinely changes the fish. Marshall Islands specimens are known for the deepest red saturation and the thickest, cleanest black barring, while fish from other collection points often lean more orange with thinner, washed-out bars. They also come through a short, well-managed supply chain, so they tend to arrive in better shape and settle in faster. If you have ever compared two Flame Angels side by side and wondered why one simply looked richer, this is usually the reason. Care Guide Tank size: 30 gallons is the practical minimum, and 55 gallons or larger is better. The extra footprint is less about the fish's size and more about giving it grazing territory so it stays relaxed. Mature rock is the real requirement: add a Flame Angel to an established system with plenty of live rock. It grazes film algae and micro-organisms off the rock all day, and a sterile new tank simply cannot feed that habit. Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.026. Stability matters more than hitting any exact number. Feeding: omnivore with a strong plant bias. Offer a varied rotation of marine algae and spirulina alongside meaty foods, at least twice daily. Grazing on the rocks supplements the diet but never replaces it. One dwarf angel per tank: unless the system is very large with broken sight lines, keep a single Centropyge. They are territorial toward their own kind and toward similarly shaped fish. Add it later: introduce a Flame Angel toward the end of your stocking order. Adding it early lets it claim the whole tank and bully newcomers. Lid recommended: a startled dwarf angel can bolt, and open-top tanks lose fish that way. Specifications Scientific name Centropyge loricula Common names Flame Angelfish, Flame Angel, Japanese Pygmy Angelfish Origin Marshall Islands, Central Pacific Care level Intermediate Temperament Semi-aggressive Reef safe With caution, see Compatibility Max size 4 inches Minimum tank 30 gallons, 55 gallons preferred Temperature 72 to 78°F pH 8.1 to 8.4 Salinity 1.020 to 1.026 Diet Omnivore, algae-heavy Pickup In-store pickup at Squeaky's Aquatics Compatibility Reef safe with caution. Most Flame Angels live in reef tanks without incident, but the species carries a real and individual risk: some specimens develop a taste for LPS polyps, clam mantles, or zoanthids, and there is no way to predict which one will. Keep it well fed with algae-based food and the odds stay firmly in your favor. If your tank is built around expensive LPS or clams, go in with eyes open. With fish it is an easy neighbor as long as it is the only dwarf angel. Good tank mates include the True Percula Clownfish, Firefish Goby, Banggai Cardinalfish, Blue Green Chromis, and Orchid Dottyback. Avoid pairing it with another Centropyge such as our Coral Beauty Angelfish or African Flameback Angelfish in anything but a very large tank. If you want an angel with a cleaner reef-safety record, the Lamarck Angel is a planktivore and leaves corals alone. Recommended Foods & Supplies SFBB Angel & Butterfly Cube, a frozen blend built for this exact group of fish Vitalis Marine Grazing Pellets, an algae-forward daily staple Two Little Fishies SeaVeggies Purple Seaweed with a VeggieMag Seaweed Clip for grazing between meals Piscine Energetics PE Mysis for the meaty half of the rotation Brightwell AngeLixir, an amino acid soak formulated for marine angels Innovative Marine AccuDrip Acclimator for a slow, low-stress introduction FAQ Will it eat my corals?Most do not, but it is genuinely specimen by specimen. The single best insurance is heavy, varied feeding with algae-based foods so the fish never has a reason to go looking. Soft corals and SPS are rarely bothered; LPS, clams, and zoanthids carry the most risk. Can I keep two Flame Angels together?Not in a normal home tank. They are territorial toward their own kind, and the loser has nowhere to go. In very large systems with heavy rockwork a small group is occasionally successful, but plan on one. How is this different from a cheaper Flame Angel?Collection region. Marshall Islands fish carry the deepest red and the boldest black bars, and they typically arrive in better condition than fish that travel a longer, rougher supply chain. Is it hard to feed?No, and that is one of its strengths. Flame Angels usually accept prepared food quickly. The mistake people make is feeding a meat-only diet; keep algae and spirulina in the rotation and it stays colorful and healthy. My tank is brand new. Should I wait?Yes. Give the system several months to mature and grow a film algae layer on the rock first. A Flame Angel added to a sterile tank is the most common way people struggle with this fish.
