Angels and ???

[Rbishop]

Have a new 90 almost done with it's cycle. This tank is for my wife, Jackie, and she likes angels. She would like it to be community, with 4-6 angels as the centerpiece fish. It is going in our living room, so it will get visibility.

Most my tanks are species only, and breed tanks.

The 90 has the standard 48 x 18 foot print, RUGF with 2 power heads, all small capacity for a soft turnover through a crushed gravel. One Mag 350 with floss/carbon supplying two of the tubes for the RUGF, one Mag 350 with ceramics and supplying double bio-wheels.

The angels will be coming in from a breeder in Florida and QT as well for four weeks. Try as I might, I can't settle on what else to put in there.

Would like to see some schooling, with activities at all levels, no live plants currently planned, med-low lighting. This tank will get heavy maintenance (50%, twice a week). I am definitely not an over feeder, and am very regular on all maintenance tasks.

Looking for ideas, maybe that tank you have thought about doing and never got around to. Thanks in advance!

[jm1212]

you could try larger tetras, like lemons, black skirts (if you have a large group), bleeding hearts, or diamonds, but they can be a bit pricey. also, corydoras are schooling and are really active.

[jm1212]

no neons, cardinals, or rummynozes... once the angels get big enough they will eat them

[tai95]

Startin out with about 6 angels you have a good chance of getting a pair. If a pair does form do you have another tank that you would be able to move them to? If not the lifes of everything else in the tank could be miserable. I had 4 angels in my 55 and once a pair formed I had to get rid of the other two because they were getting pretty beat up. I know you said your setting up a 90 but it's still a 4 foot tank. If it was my tank I would plant it and put some driftwood in it. Angels look so nice swimming through the blades of vals. You may be able to get away with cardinals or rummynose in the tank if you introduce everything at the same time. I tried adding neons with my angels and it turned out to be an expensive dinner for the angels.

[Rbishop]

Thanks, jm. I knew the large tetras and corys would be where I would probably end up. Ever try to settle on a cory with all the types out there? :thud:

tai..

We do have another tank or two they could move to if the pair off, or my son could take them. We have a pretty unique piece of driftwood going in.

Might I be able to use some shallow pots for the vals, hidden in the rock work, vice having the whole substrate out of eco? Any solid ferts that I could add to the pots or whole tank liquid ferts?

[tai95]

Thats good you have room for them if the pairs do form. I was actualy kind of shocked to see how aggresive angels can be when they lay eggs. Once when I was trying to clean the tank and didn't realize they had layed eggs they both attacked my arm. You wouldn't need eco to keep vals they are a very undemanding plant. Just some normal lighting and maybe added some flourish trace and excel a few times a week and they should spread like mad. My angels also like to lay their eggs on the vals so it makes it easy to pull them out.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/tai95/Fish/Picture069.jpg

[Rbishop]

Looks like we get some Vals!