Biota Captive Bred Flame Angelfish

The Flame Angelfish is one of the most beautiful fish in the world. The eye-catching scarlet red body and contrasting black bars make this fish stand out among all others in any aquarium. Look closer, and you'll see vivid blue accents on the fin and a yellow tail. Many individuals have an ombre yellow and red body, adding even more interest to the coloration. This species is highly variable, and each individual's pattern and coloration is charmingly as unique as a fingerprint. 

Biota's offerings are 100% captive bred at our Biota Hawaii facility in conjunction with our partners at the Oceanic Institute - Hawaii Pacific University. Though captive bred Flame Angelfish are highly sought after, they haven't been regularly available commercially. In the past, the production costs exceeded their value, so only a small number have been sporadically offered over the years. We have been honing our skills and increasing efficiency to increase production of this species, and we hope to have them more regularly commercially available in the coming years. This will be a significant achievement in aquaculture for this incredible species. 

Adult Flame Angelfish ideally should be housed in an aquarium of 65 gallons or more. This species is territorial with its own kind and other dwarf angels, but is compatible with large angelfish species. Like other angelfish, Flame Angelfish are sequential hermaphrodites. They begin life as females, and the most dominant turn into males. Captive bred dwarf angelfish may be kept in pairs if individuals from the same batch are added to a large aquarium at the same time. Highly experienced and adventurous aquarists have even kept harems of this species in very large aquariums.

Biota Hawaii Manager James says, "Flames are my favorite dwarf angel and I've wanted to raise them since I got into aquaculture. The price point was always so low and the time to raise them is very long and drawn out. Around or upwards of 3 months.

I recently noticed that the price for wild Flame Angelfish increased. With the cost of everything rising it makes these fish more feasible to culture. Although we still working to iron out the kinks to raise their production up to a commercial scale, we will hopefully continue to be able to produce limited releases to offer a sustainable, captive-bred option to aquarists looking for hardier fish that are more comfortable in captivity.

The staff here at Biota Hawaii love these fish because their personality develops almost as soon as their stripes do. Once they settle out they become incredibly social and friendly. When feeding time comes they are the first fish to swim up to the side of the tank and look up at the person who is lovingly feeding them."

This dwarf angelfish species typically grows to about 4” in captivity. They are considered to be "reef safe with caution," and they may pick at soft corals, clams, and fleshy LPS. Frequent feedings of nutritious foods might prevent coral picking behaviors.

We recommend a varied diet and frequent feedings including angelfish blend frozen foods, Easy Reefs DKI pellets and Masstick. They are a curious fish and will regularly pick at rockwork for sponges and algae to munch on between feedings. 

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