unexpected eggs

[Onna Shinigami]

I could use a little help here...I've got I'm guessing a breeding pair of angels but I have no idea what to do. They've already laid eggs and that but I dont know if I need to take the other out or not. Please help!!!!


Onna


Oh yeah, one more thing, one of them is beating up the other...Should I take it out or just leave it in there?

Update: Guess I won't be having any baby angels swimming around soon. The parents ended up eating all of the eggs last night.

[LongTime]

I would like to know the size of the tank and about how old are the angels.

You could just have a female that laid eggs and she is trying to keep another female from eating them.

You could also have an inexperienced pair of breeders who aren't quite sure of the procedure.

Needless to say, you don't want to loose either of the fish, so if the one getting beat up cannot escape you will have to move it no matter what else happens.

[Onna Shinigami]

The tank is about a 20 gallon more tall than long. Both angels are different ages. the one getting beat up is just over 2yrs and the other is maybe a year old...I had another one in there before, onlly about a year old, but it was beating up the older fish and never laid eggs. I figured they were the same sex, but when I put the one thats in there now they laid eggs. Right now there are only 2 angels in the tank, the third one is in another with guppies.

[Tommy]

I agree with Longtime in that this doesn't sound like a normal spawing. In a normal situation the male and female should form a strong pair bonding and share in the protection of the nest. I would also guess that you have two females so be prepared to remove one if it starts getting too badly treated by the other. Keep us updated if the eggs hatch then this theory was wrong of course.

[Onna Shinigami]

well so far things have gotten better since last night. the younger one isn't going after the older since I let it out about an hour ago. It looks like so far that they are sharing taking care of what eggs there are. Course I could be wrong too, I've never been around breeding angels. If they were the same sex, then wouldn't they have done it before when I had the third angel in there?

[Tommy]

If the "other" one is being allowed anywhere NEAR the eggs then they are probably paired after all. It will probably just take a couple of times for them to get it right is all. Again keep an eye on the situation if the one starts getting shoved away again.

[Onna Shinigami]

Thats what it looks like to me. The one that was being beaten up is now sitting up by the eggs and the other is off to the side. I've been keeping an eye on them for a bit now and they're doing fine. If there are babies from this I don't know what I'm going to do. I leave next month for college and I can't take it with me. Hopefully if they do this again they wont beat each other up.

[LongTime]

It sounds now as if you may have a pair that are just new to the game. A 20g high, if that is what you have, is, IMO, a little small for a breeding pair of angels and that does not include their fry.

Hopefully, if they are now a pair, the next spawning won't be as brutal. My concern is the male may be ready to spawn before the female and begin to display the usual cichlid spouse abuse. In a tank that size, she may not be able to get away from him.

[Onna Shinigami]

I'll have to keep an eye on them then but the 20 is the biggest tank I have aside from the green severum tank. Is there any way I can tell which is the male and which is the female without taking them out of the tank?

I really wasn't trying to get any breeding angels, more trying to add fish to the tank so there are less tanks to take care of while I'm gone.

[LongTime]

It is not easy to sex angels. Someone once told me, "The only way to be sure is to see who is laying the eggs."

Right before she was ready to lay, the female may have looked a lot heavier and rounder than the male because she was full of egss, but don't count on it. By now the tube that she used to lay the eggs is back inside her.

The older one may be the male since you didn't have any eggs before now. The one you have with the guppies and the older one are probably the same sex since they were having a conflict.

If you have time, after you have resolved the current issue and before you go to school, you might try switching the two younger fish. If the one in with the guppies isn't just an evil little angel, the absence of the oposite sex my allow it to settle down with the older one.

It is all a gamble right now. I wish you luck!

[Onna Shinigami]

That was how I had it before, but the one in with the guppies now, used to pick on the one that is in with the older angel. He/she is fine with them so I may just end up giving it away if it can't stay with the other ones.

[LongTime]

I thought you had all three in the same tank before. Sorry, I misunderstood you.

[Onna Shinigami]

Actually I did for less than a day but two of them ganged up on the littleist one, so it went upstairs for 3 months. When I found the other 2 fighting it got switched around again about a month ago.

[LongTime]

OK, with you going away and the size tanks you have I would take one angel back to the LFS, put one in with the guppies, and leave the other in the 20g.

You will at least keep down the guppy population!

Here is a site you might want to check out:

http://websvirginia.com/angels/

I don't agree with everything they say, but I don't agree with everything most people say. :)

[Onna Shinigami]

Actually that's a problem, I'm only allowed to keep my two biggest tanks. The third angel I was planning on giving to an Aunt since she has a big enough tank. But the rest of the guys might have to go to a LFS, if any of them will take guppies. If worse comes to worse I can just take the little things (guppies) with me and my betta to keep me company.

[LongTime]

I was editing when you replied. Did you get the link?

[Onna Shinigami]

Yeah I did get the link, almost forgot about that. Thanks

[Onna Shinigami]

If the eggs do hatch, would it be safe to transport them into another tank? I've done this before with my severums, using a cup of the tank water and chasing babies into it, but only after they are free swimming. Or would it be better to just leave them in there?