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Flame Cardinalfish
Cardinalfish

Flame Cardinalfish

Apogon maculatus

A deep-red Caribbean cardinalfish that spends the day hovering quietly in caves and shaded ledges and comes alive to feed at dusk. Hardy and easy to keep, it leaves corals alone, but its mouth opens wider than it looks and it will eat very small ornamental shrimp — so it is reef-safe with a caution around tiny inverts. It is scrappy toward its own kind; keep a single fish unless you can establish a bonded pair, and give it plenty of dim rockwork to shelter in.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
4.3"
Min tank
30 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe
Diet
Carnivore
Zone
Mid-water, Caves
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
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Tankmates

How Flame Cardinalfish gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Purple TangPurple Tang (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Picasso TriggerfishPicasso Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Dragon WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.Golden Dwarf MorayGolden Dwarf Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.Rectangle TriggerfishRectangle Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Miniata GrouperMiniata Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Six-Line SoapfishSix-Line Soapfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.Painted FrogfishPainted Frogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.Dogface PufferDogface Puffer has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.Porcupine PufferPorcupine Puffer has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.Lunare WrasseLunare Wrasse (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Spanish HogfishSpanish Hogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Cardinalfish.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Sailfin TangSailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Red Coris WrasseRed Coris Wrasse (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Emperor AngelfishEmperor Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Queen AngelfishQueen Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Blueface AngelfishBlueface Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Niger TriggerfishNiger Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Blonde Naso TangBlonde Naso Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Desjardini Sailfin TangDesjardini Sailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.Orange Shoulder TangOrange Shoulder Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Flame Cardinalfish and may harass it.