Angelfish in community aquariums?

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beautifulfish

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Aug 17, 2005
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Can you have Angelfish in community aquriums or are they too aggressive?


29 gal.

2 female mollies
2 mickey mouse platys
1 blue gourami

6 gal.

1 ADF
2 male guppies

2 bettas
 

Dangerdoll

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They can do fine in community tanks, however being cichlids, there are some you'll need to watch after. For instance, neon tetras are prey in the wild for Angels and this instinct may show in the home aquaria as well as fish of similar size. So as with all fish, the compatabilities vary depending on the fish. The are slower moving fish so that needs to be focused on and they need a lot of space with regular maintenance.
 

LongTime

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IMO, it depends on the angel, and of course, what other fish are in the community and the size of the tank.. As an example, fin nipping fish, like tiger barbs, do not go well with angels. Many people have kept angels with small fish like neons and not had any problem. Others have tried the same thing and ended up without any neons and a very fat angel.

What are you planning?
 

beautifulfish

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I have 1 blue gourami, 2 mickey mouse platys, and 2 female mollies in a 29 gal. tank. I am hoping to get a male mollie and a red tailed shark and an angelfish. What do you think?
 

blitzen25bm

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they do fine with the right fish, nippy fish will go for thier fins but smaller fish will get eaten. i had angels and endlers until i only had angels now i have andgles, red points a firemouth a pleco and some cories, im sure some bigger tetras would fit in fine if i wanted them.
 

LogJam

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Mar 30, 2005
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Some fish can be like some people: some are nice, while some are jerks!

Growing up, we had some angels in our community tank. We bought the angels small and had them a long time. The angels would not bother any of the fish that were present when the angels were introduced. However, when they were grown, the angels did eat any small fish it could fit into its mouth, but only newer small fish. They would never eat small fish that were always there - only the new small fish! Same size, but the old ones were left alone!

I am not sure if you will have similar results.

Kind Regards,
LogJam
 

LMOUTHBASS

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i keep angels in a community tank - however it's not a good idea to keep them with smaller fish - i've even had some zebra danios vanish! - hmmm? My angels are all pretty big now though - but I would say it's probably not a good idea to keep them in a 29g considering the room they will need - they can actually get quite large - as for your tank mates they are fine companions but considering the amount of fish you already have you might find things a bit cramped - trust me i made this mistake i have 6 adult angels in a 55g - i have other fish also , there is room for all but the angels will bully each other etc from time to time - they dont bother other fish - but now i realize i over stocked my tank because I didn't know enough about the fish in general before keeping them - now i'm hoping to get a bigger tank when i have some more room - i dont think a pair of angels in your current set up is a good fit - space wise - but to each his own!
 

zazz

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I also think that sounds kind of crowded. From what I read, angels need a larger tank.
 

Candycat21

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I agree with the last 2 posts. Some people have kept a pair of angels in a 29 but they were the only fish in the tank.
If you could, rather save for a larger tank, say 40 gallons or more then think about the angels.
Right now your setup is fine, I wouldn't add anymore fish. The blue gourami gets good size around 5 inches or so. If you do have your heart set on adding a couple more fish though, add the molly you were wanting to add and maybe some cories for the bottom. They like to school so I would get at least 3.
Don't get the red tailed shark. They get a good 8 inches and are very territorial, will chase and nip fins as well. Not a good fish to mix with the community fish you have and not for a 29 gallon. They require at least a 40 IMO because of how aggressive and nasty they can become (some more than others)
As far as wanting angels. If you want one for that 29 then only get one, but don't add anything else to the tank as the angel will put you over your limit as far as stocking limits are concerned. Also the gourami and angel may not get along, so keep that in mind also.
Good Luck and keep us posted! :thm:
 
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