Flame Cardinal

Flame Cardinal (Apogon maculatus)

The Flame Cardinal is a beautiful, peaceful cardinalfish that brings a unique look and plenty of personality to the reef aquarium. With its reddish-orange body, dark markings, and bright eyes, this species stands out without being overly flashy. They are generally calm fish that spend much of their time around rockwork, especially when they feel comfortable in their new home.

Flame Cardinals are a great choice for peaceful community aquariums and can make an excellent addition to a mixed reef. They are relatively hardy once established and are a good option for hobbyists looking for something a little different from the more common cardinalfish.

Suggested Parameters

• Temperature: 24–27°C (75–81°F)

• Salinity: 1.024–1.026

• pH: 8.1–8.4

• Alkalinity: 8–12 dKH

• Minimum aquarium size: 30 gallons

• Nitrate: Less than 20 ppm

• Phosphate: Less than 0.10 ppm

Care and Temperament

• Reef safe

• Peaceful temperament

• Relatively hardy once established

• Appreciates rockwork, caves, and shaded areas

• Can be kept singly or as a compatible pair

• May become territorial toward other cardinalfish in smaller aquariums

• Best suited to peaceful community aquariums

Diet and Compatibility

Flame Cardinals are carnivores and do best on a varied diet of frozen mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, finely chopped seafood, and quality marine pellets. Offering smaller meals throughout the day can help encourage feeding, especially when newly introduced.

They generally get along well with peaceful tank mates such as clownfish, gobies, blennies, wrasses, basslets, and other non-aggressive reef fish. Avoid housing them with overly aggressive or highly territorial species that may outcompete them for food or keep them stressed.

What exactly are you buying?

You will receive one healthy Flame Cardinal, carefully selected and conditioned before making its way to your aquarium.

Health and Acclimation Notes

• Acclimate slowly to help reduce stress.

• Provide plenty of hiding places when first introduced.

• Newly arrived fish may spend more time hiding before becoming comfortable.

• Offer small amounts of enticing frozen foods to encourage feeding.

• Maintain stable salinity and water parameters.

Why We Love It

The Flame Cardinal is one of those fish that doesn't need to be the biggest or most active fish in the aquarium to get noticed. Its beautiful red-orange colour, peaceful personality, and love of hanging around the rockwork make it a great addition to a calm reef community. It's a simple, underrated fish that can fit into a wide variety of reef setups.