Can A Flame Angel live off live rock?

[dermp]

Hey guys its been a long time since I posted on here!!!

I have been getting back into reefing again and decided to add a couple of new fish to my tank. How many more fish would be safe to add? 1 maybe 2?

72 gallon with about 100 pounds live rock, skimmer, fudge on back, couple of power heads, rena 3xp. few corals! Crabs, snails!

Blue tang, Maroon clown, midas blenny, Flame angel

Its been setup and going for about 5 years, all is good lots of life, lots and lots of pods and those little shrimp things lots of live on the rock.

My question is! I added a flame angel who seems really healthy lots of colour swimming in and out of the rock picking at the rocks. He has been in there a few days but isn't interested in my food, flakes, pellets with cyclops in it, mysis shrimp and scallops, he won't eat any of it.

However he is always picking at the rocks and has done a poop last night and the poop looks like 'LOL' good fish poop, not the type of starving fish poop. Will he be able to survive off the rock's and inhabitance or will he slowly starve to death.

Is there any other foods I can try and get him to eat, or is still really early and will he eat once he gets established in the tank.

dermp

[Loverotties]

Try soaking the food in garlic and get some Nori too!

[crvz]

I imagine the fish is picking the rock in search of food, but I wouldnt expect it to survive on this alone. I'd recommend trying to get it to eat what you feed the tank. Consider getting an angel specific frozen food (these usually contain sponge, which is a good portion of their diet) as well as adding garlic to the food in attempt to entice the fish. It can last a while without actively feeding, but it's not getting what it needs from live rock alone (unlike madarins, which will often survive on just pods in the tank).

[scoop]

I agree w/ above on feeding, but imo I wouldn't add any more fish to your tank. You have plenty, the Blue Tang will outgrow it as it is, and the maroon clown can get pretty big.

[dermp]

Update!

He started to eat mysis/brine shrimp saturday, not a whole lot but he is eating, plus still picking off the rocks! I think the garlic trick worked, plus it drove the other fish mad.