Flame angel on a New Reef Tank Without Live Rock

praveen956 · 07/13/2017, 10:43 AM

I got a small flame angel about a week ago and he is in a QT eating nori and frozen mysis shrimp.

My DT(29 gallon) is newly setup & cycled and no algae yet. Without the live rock, I'm concerned that he might go after the corals when I introduce him to the DT.

I'm planning to feed nori (once daily) and 2 servings of frozen/flake food.

Shall I try:
1. to put an LPS Coral frag on the QT (It is not medicated yet) for a couple of days to see if he goes after it.. It will be easier to remove him from the QT rather than in the DT.
2. Any other recommendations to supplement his diet for the lack of live rock to resist the urge to go after the coral?!

Cliving1 · 07/13/2017, 10:47 AM

Why dont you have live rock in the DT?

praveen956 · 07/13/2017, 10:50 AM

Adding to the previous post.. I have used the Pukani Dry Rock in the tank. it hasn't started having algae yet except some diatoms here and there...

praveen956 · 07/13/2017, 10:51 AM

I haven't got the live rock to avoid any unwanted pests.

brett559 · 07/13/2017, 10:53 AM

I tried that with this tank. Added a flame after maybe 2 months of starting the tank. Used dry rock for BRS. The flame lived about a week and then died. It was eating the frozen food I put into the tank, but it must not have been enough for it.

praveen956 · 07/13/2017, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brett559

I tried that with this tank. Added a flame after maybe 2 months of starting the tank. Used dry rock for BRS. The flame lived about a week and then died. It was eating the frozen food I put into the tank, but it must not have been enough for it.

I'm so sorry. will try to feed him a variety of food before adding him to DT. Thanks for sharing your experience.

humaguy · 07/13/2017, 11:07 AM

a 29 gal is too small for a flame

praveen956 · 07/13/2017, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by humaguy

a 29 gal is too small for a flame

I agree.. he is probably little more than an inch now.. will take him out when he grows bigger and hopefully i can upgrade as well

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ca1ore · 07/16/2017, 10:39 AM

Most dwarf angels are obsessive grazers. That yours eats nori is good, though I think the longterm success I improved with grazable rocks.

carrots · 07/17/2017, 10:46 AM

I don't think there is anything that will stop him from munching on certain corals. It comes down to you learning which corals the fish doesn't eat or bother to the point of causing it to die. It may not touch any frags in the QT due to stress but once comfortable in the DT he may act differently. In a small tank without a ton of coral you may find that the Flames constant grazing/tasting will cause your corals to die. A suggestion that may help is to get some live pods and add them to the DT before the Fame. Good luck.

slyseekr · 07/17/2017, 02:52 PM

+1 on the pods recommendation, though YMMV on the individual angel.

I find that my Multicolor Angel continuously grazes the rocks for pods (and possibly some algae), sometimes it looks as if he's picking on coral, but is really going for a pod that's on the coral – they haven't suffered any damage in the long-run, but I've yet to add any meaty LPS and polyps to the system (have plenty of monti caps, acropora, Aussie finger, leptastrea and a hammer coral).

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

praveen956 · 07/17/2017, 04:27 PM

Thanks for all your input.. just checked with LFS and looks like they have copepods .. will add them in the tank and hope for the best.. I recently got a diatom bloom since it is a new tank so maybe the angel will go after the diatoms .. im prepared to rehome him in the worst case

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

07/13/2017, 10:43 AM	#1
praveen956 Registered Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 127	Flame angel on a New Reef Tank Without Live Rock I got a small flame angel about a week ago and he is in a QT eating nori and frozen mysis shrimp. My DT(29 gallon) is newly setup & cycled and no algae yet. Without the live rock, I'm concerned that he might go after the corals when I introduce him to the DT. I'm planning to feed nori (once daily) and 2 servings of frozen/flake food. Shall I try: 1. to put an LPS Coral frag on the QT (It is not medicated yet) for a couple of days to see if he goes after it.. It will be easier to remove him from the QT rather than in the DT. 2. Any other recommendations to supplement his diet for the lack of live rock to resist the urge to go after the coral?!

07/16/2017, 10:39 AM	#9
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Most dwarf angels are obsessive grazers. That yours eats nori is good, though I think the longterm success I improved with grazable rocks. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

07/13/2017, 10:47 AM	#2
Cliving1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 1,923	Why dont you have live rock in the DT?

07/13/2017, 10:50 AM	#3
praveen956 Registered Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 127	Adding to the previous post.. I have used the Pukani Dry Rock in the tank. it hasn't started having algae yet except some diatoms here and there...

07/13/2017, 10:51 AM	#4
praveen956 Registered Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 127	I haven't got the live rock to avoid any unwanted pests.

07/13/2017, 10:53 AM	#5
brett559 In Memoriam Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Visalia, CA Posts: 1,790	I tried that with this tank. Added a flame after maybe 2 months of starting the tank. Used dry rock for BRS. The flame lived about a week and then died. It was eating the frozen food I put into the tank, but it must not have been enough for it.

07/13/2017, 11:07 AM	#7
humaguy Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Western Ct, NYC Posts: 8,218	a 29 gal is too small for a flame

07/17/2017, 10:46 AM	#10
carrots Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Mendham, NJ USA Posts: 395	I don't think there is anything that will stop him from munching on certain corals. It comes down to you learning which corals the fish doesn't eat or bother to the point of causing it to die. It may not touch any frags in the QT due to stress but once comfortable in the DT he may act differently. In a small tank without a ton of coral you may find that the Flames constant grazing/tasting will cause your corals to die. A suggestion that may help is to get some live pods and add them to the DT before the Fame. Good luck.

07/17/2017, 02:52 PM	#11
slyseekr Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 68	+1 on the pods recommendation, though YMMV on the individual angel. I find that my Multicolor Angel continuously grazes the rocks for pods (and possibly some algae), sometimes it looks as if he's picking on coral, but is really going for a pod that's on the coral – they haven't suffered any damage in the long-run, but I've yet to add any meaty LPS and polyps to the system (have plenty of monti caps, acropora, Aussie finger, leptastrea and a hammer coral). Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

07/17/2017, 04:27 PM	#12
praveen956 Registered Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 127	Thanks for all your input.. just checked with LFS and looks like they have copepods .. will add them in the tank and hope for the best.. I recently got a diatom bloom since it is a new tank so maybe the angel will go after the diatoms .. im prepared to rehome him in the worst case Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk