Flameback angel aggression

MnFish1

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Anyone have experience with flameback angels? Mines a tad aggressive to say the least
They can be - or they can be peaceful - usually things sort themselves out over time. Part depends on which fish was added when. Some people try a mirror, Some people try re-arranging the rock work
 

ca1ore

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Oz for Oz .... most pugnacious fish I ever had. Or, boxing analogy: punches above its weight class.

Plus, there are two very similar species, both called flameback in the hobby. You'd have to check, but if memory serves the African one is much more aggressive than the Brazilian one .... or maybe its the other way around :)
 
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ca1ore

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Well, the most aggressive fish I ever had was a Sohal tang, but that was after it hit 7". Flameback was 1 1/2', maybe a tad more, and specialized in these quick torpedo runs. Little bas$****. That was in the 90's - last time I kept one.
 
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jaganshi066

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Well, the most aggressive fish I ever had was a Sohal tang, but that was after it hit 7". Flameback was 1 1/2', maybe a tad more, and specialized in these quick torpedo runs. Little bas$****. That was in the 90's - last time I kept one.
I have a flameback angel in my reef tank, and he never touches corals, but every new fish I try to add in regardless of different techniques I use, he always goes after the fish as if he’s trying to kill it. Doesn’t matter what size, shape, color or species the new fish is. Then only fish he doesn’t go after is my two clowns which are about 1/3 of his size, and my chromis. My diamond goby used to pick on my flameback but now they get along. When I try adding new fish I even take the flameback out for a few weeks then try putting him back but same thing. Any and all advice is appreciated.
Oh and I tried putting in a carpenters wrasse cause I know he can hide under the rocks but then my diamond goby got him so it’s like they teamed up
 

ca1ore

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I don't bother with flashers anymore, just too danged twitchy.

You may simply have to rehome the flameback. It's good that you are able to catch it. I could not catch mine with any of the traditional methods .... so I hooked him. Few weeks in the QT and he was off to some unsuspecting newbie (kidding, LFS took it) .....
 
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jaganshi066

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I don't bother with flashers anymore, just too danged twitchy.

You may simply have to rehome the flameback. It's good that you are able to catch it. I could not catch mine with any of the traditional methods .... so I hooked him. Few weeks in the QT and he was off to some unsuspecting newbie (kidding, LFS took it) .....
He’s my favorite fish alongside my multicolor angel
 

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Then you have to make a choice .... get rid of it or live with the consequences. I have a lemonpeel in my reef tank. Most reefers would shudder at the thought of having one, but it's one of my absolutely favorite fish. Every now and then it destroys a colony of SPS (usually one of the more 'valuable' ones) but I put up with it.
 
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jaganshi066

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Then you have to make a choice .... get rid of it or live with the consequences. I have a lemonpeel in my reef tank. Most reefers would shudder at the thought of having one, but it's one of my absolutely favorite fish. Every now and then it destroys a colony of SPS (usually one of the more 'valuable' ones) but I put up with it.
Yea this guys my favorite
 

OrionN

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My trio African Flameback harem are beautiful, active fish. I love mine. I have a thread about my Flameback Harem somewhere on R2R

here it is
 

Tyler Flynn

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Have you tried adding a second flameback? Having a pair can change their demeanour. Angels in pairs cause less damage and cause fewer issues
 

Rickybobby

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My gal poppy once and a while will kinda shew a chromis out of her way. Otherwise no issues
 
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jaganshi066

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My trio African Flameback harem are beautiful, active fish. I love mine. I have a thread about my Flameback Harem somewhere on R2R

here it is
You’re the guy who needs to teach me how please. This guy eats everything and is so healthy and I don’t want to get risk of him
 

OrionN

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Is it going into a IM SR60 tank? If this is the case I would just remove him. Add whatever fish you want then re-add him at he end.
You can also add a smaller Flame Back, once you have two, they mostly like to react with each other, more so than with the rest of the fishes.
 
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jaganshi066

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Is it going into a IM SR60 tank? If this is the case I would just remove him. Add whatever fish you want then re-add him at he end.
You can also add a smaller Flame Back, once you have two, they mostly like to react with each other, more so than with the rest of the fishes.
I am cycling another tank, a 60 gallon but do you think I should add two flamebacks at the same time? I love how you have 3, how did you get that to work? Did you add all 3 together
 

OrionN

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You just need to add them anyhow you want, all together or one at a time, only don't add two males together. They are easy to sex. Even if you added two males together in a LARGE tank, they will be fine. There will be a lot of fighting but the looser will change sex back to female. This result in high mortality in smaller tanks where the looser cannot hide form the dominate male before he change sex to female.
In my thread, posts #24 and #28 I documented how you can sex them. The most important is the yellow/orange color on the edge of the anal fin. If there is small orange color near the edge, it's a female, if it bordered with electric blue, it's a male. The shape of the dorsal and anal fins is there too, but easiest to use coloration of the anal fins.
 
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jaganshi066

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You just need to add them anyhow you want, all together or one at a time, only don't add two males together. They are easy to sex. Even if you added two males together in a LARGE tank, they will be fine. There will be a lot of fighting but the looser will change sex back to female. This result in high mortality in smaller tanks where the looser cannot hide form the dominate male before he change sex to female.
In my thread, posts #24 and #28 I documented how you can sex them. The most important is the yellow/orange color on the edge of the anal fin. If there is small orange color near the edge, it's a female, if it bordered with electric blue, it's a male. The shape of the dorsal and anal fins is there too, but easiest to use coloration of the anal fins.
Thank you so much! I see you have yours in a 65 gallon right? Also did you add yours all together and were they all juveniles when you added them?
 

OrionN

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Thank you so much! I see you have yours in a 65 gallon right? Also did you add yours all together and were they all juveniles when you added them?
It is hard to get these in Corpus Christi. I got the smallest first. She was thin and emaciated. Was in my tank for several weeks, then I add the other two at the same time. All three were females. Within two weeks, the largest one have already turn male, and the three have been stable since then. They chase each other a bit as can be seen in some of the video, however, I never seen any missing scale or torn fins, ever.
 

Form or function: Do you consider your rock work to be art or the platform for your coral?

  • Primarily art focused.

    Votes: 20 8.1%
  • Primarily a platform for coral.

    Votes: 44 17.8%
  • A bit of each - both art and a platform.

    Votes: 165 66.8%
  • Neither.

    Votes: 12 4.9%
  • Other.

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