Angels in 55G

abcdefghi

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Jun 6, 2007
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How many angels can I house in a 55G? the only other fish will be cories (8) and a pair of bristlenose plecos. I have read that 6 is a good number, and would be happy with that number.

The tank is a standard size 55G, will have a sand substrate, silk plants (may eventually try real) and currently has 1 rock cave and will probably have some driftwood and more rocks if needed.

Thanks.
 
You can grow a school of 6 young angelfish. They will pair up as they mature. This will require you another tank where you place either the pair or the rest of the angels that have not paired off as the pair will have a tendency to spawn subsequently.
 
You can grow a school of 6 young angelfish. They will pair up as they mature. This will require you another tank where you place either the pair or the rest of the angels that have not paired off as the pair will have a tendency to spawn subsequently.

Thats what I am worried about, the only other tank I have is a 10G QT tank and I neither have the money or space for another tank large enough for 4 angels to go into.

I had thought about going with only a single angel, but then read I could get a group in a 55G but to be aware that they may pair off and become aggresive, effectively dividing the tank in half. Maybe I will go back to housing just a single angel, and then getting a school or two of larger tetras.
 
I always found they got very aggressive when spawning. Instead of one lonely one, why not consider two. If they pair up, there are no other angelfish to get aggressive with. If they are both females or both males, they will get along just fine. I'm not aware of them being aggressive at any other time except for spawning. You could still have the tetras.
 
I had 5 angels for 6 months in a 65GL tank when one pair developed and spawned they killed the other 3 angels in one day. Very addressive.
 
Instead of one lonely one, why not consider two. If they pair up, there are no other angelfish to get aggressive with. If they are both females or both males, they will get along just fine. I'm not aware of them being aggressive at any other time except for spawning.

I had read that with 2 one will be aggresive to the other, and that it is better to either keep a single one or a group. I don't want for one to become lonely, and I also don't want any to become stressed from aggression.

More research to do I think!! I am not fully set on a stocking plan yet, so can skip angels for something else if I am not completely happy on how I will be keeping them.
 
I know that two females will get along fine. I kept two together for some time. They got silly and thought they were M/F and they spawned with each other!!! But they did not fight. Not totally sure about how 2 males behave with each other as long as there are not females in the tank. See if one of the angel experts comes along later.
 
it can be hit and miss when adding angels to a tank. often they will get along fine with only two. at issue is if you get an Alpha male who will fight other males in the tank .

the problem, you cannot sex angels until they spawn.
best to add 4-5 and remove singles is a pair form.
it is possible in a 55 to house two pairs.. but not 1 pair and stragglers.. they will kill other singles.
 
it can be hit and miss when adding angels to a tank. often they will get along fine with only two. at issue is if you get an Alpha male who will fight other males in the tank .

the problem, you cannot sex angels until they spawn.
best to add 4-5 and remove singles is a pair form.
it is possible in a 55 to house two pairs.. but not 1 pair and stragglers.. they will kill other singles.

Do you have any thoughts on adding a single angel? I don't want for the fish to ultimately become lonely.
 
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