Lethargic Angels???

[CandiBug2]

So I went to a few local fish stores to check out their supplies. At the first fish store, they had about two dozen angels most of which had nipped each other's tails completely off. The second petstore had some better looking angels. However, these angels seemed pretty lethargic. I didn't notice any blurriness in the eyes or spots, but they didn't move a whole lot. They just kinda drifted around the bottom of the tank, hanging out. Is this normal? Are these fish sick or are angels just slow? They were pretty young looking, about the size of a quarter, perhaps a little bigger.

[PumaWard]

First off, angels usually don't move slowly until they are older, and even then they have their moments of ungraceful racing to the front of the tank because the owner is there... at least this is in my experience. I would say that those young angels were sick or extremely stressed and soon to become sick.

About buying two dozen angels... I have to ask you how big your tank is? Are you planning on returning most of them after a few pairs form? Angels don't stay small for long. If kept in good water, they can grow from about a quarter size to full grown (4 inches long and 7+ inches tall) in 6 months or less.

[CandiBug2]

Oops, I think maybe what I typed either came out wrong or was misinterpreted. I didn't mean that I was buying a dozen or so angels, I was just saying that the store had over a dozen to choose from. However, out of those 20-some fish, none of them looked healthy. They had either nipped eachother practically bald or had a wicked case of finrot. I'm only interested in obtaining 2 - 4 angels. My tank is 55 gallons. I've decided to make in an "angel only" tank. I haven't purchased any yet. I was just checking to see the types of angels sold in my local area. Fortunately, I found a different store, although a bit farther away, but with beautiful angels. They are supplied by a local breeder. Their angels seemed more active than all the other angels I had witnessed at other stores. I mean, they weren't buzzing around the tank, but they were moving and they appeared to be very alert. They seemed a lot "happier." :D

[PumaWard]

I would buy those angels, especially since they are a local breeder. They are most likely a lot more rugged than those shipped in to LFS's. If you're going to have an angel only tank, you could have up to 5 angels in your 55. And, if you had that many your almost garenteed a pair, maybe even two.

I figured you'd made a typo, lol, but you can never be too sure :D.
Good luck with your tank.