African Flameback Angelfish

Water

Species-specific Bob Goemans husbandry recommendation; not an experimental tolerance boundary · Confirm the source animal’s temperature and salinity, document stable oxygenated conditions, and obtain a species-matched operating plan before acquisition. No independently corroborated numerical water prescription is published in this review.

Temperature

72–82 °F (22.2–27.8 °C)

Salinity / specific gravity

1.020–1.027 SG

pH

8.0–8.5

Habitat

MLL precaution: provide secure rock refuges, accessible foraging surfaces and room for the adult to move between territories. Confirm the actual captive history. Research broodstock vessels and experimental temperatures cannot establish universal home-aquarium minimums.

MLL precaution: provide accessible retreat areas without blocking swimming paths.

Light: Set from the animal’s documented holding history; wild depth is not a prescribed light setting.

Flow: MLL precaution: maintain oxygenation and accessible feeding zones; assess individual swimming and resting behaviour.

Feeding

Omnivore · Record individual intake and body condition; no universal feeding frequency established in this review. · Food options: Mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp, Chopped marine shrimp, Spirulina-containing marine food, Appropriately sized marine flakes · MLL precaution: verify established prepared-food acceptance and provide a varied marine diet alongside foraging, tracking intake and body condition. Larval prey and early-development results cannot establish adult nutritional completeness. Avoid relying solely on whatever growth is visible on rock. Source: species-specific aquarium author guidance; meal count is a husbandry recommendation, not a validated nutritional limit.

Compatibility

Baensch’s genus-level care synthesis warns that coral picking varies by species and individual. MLL precaution: monitor coral and sessile-invertebrate condition and retain a separation option; no unconditional reef-safety claim is warranted. Assess territorial interactions rather than copying wild harem sizes into an aquarium.

Avoid or assess carefully: Territorial aggression, Individual coral or sessile-invertebrate picking, Confusion between African and Brazilian flamebacks.

What the evidence establishes

Museum natural history and named captive observations; management precautions are identified as MLL inferences.

• Species identity and natural habitat
• Species-specific feeding and social context within the named sources
• Reported maximum body size with measurement type
• temperature_c
• specific_gravity
• ph
• minimum_volume
• feeding_diet

Advisor risk categories are MLL planning precautions rather than measured probabilities. Qualitative source-scoped care and MLL planning precautions. Numerical enclosure and water limits, lifelong nutrition and safe group density remain unverified; natural depth and experimental settings are not aquarium operating presets.

Still unverified

• Species-matched lifetime adult ration and enclosure dimensions
• Reliable pair or group introduction and invertebrate-specific outcomes

Acclimation and quarantine

MLL precaution: verify identification, collection and transport history, demonstrated food acceptance and source-water conditions; use a quarantine and transfer plan with a qualified marine aquarium professional. Observe respiration, swimming, injuries and appetite before moving to the display.

Stocking safeguards

Aquarium setting: Home aquarium. Starvation risk: moderate.

After identification, quarantine, feeding and housing assessment.

• No acquisition without demonstrated food acceptance and appropriate adult housing
• No assumed safe group size or unverified numerical water presets