Angelfish compatibility

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pbecot01

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Dec 27, 2004
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McGuire AFB, NJ
I have a 75 gallon tank that I am setting up. Right now it is planted with rocks and 6 cory's.

I REALLY like angelfish as the main species for my tank. But I wanted to keep some schools of small colorful fish with them. So I need to tap into your experience.

1. If I have a school of neons/cardinals in the tank, how quickly would a full grown angel eat them... the way an oscar does, snapping them all up at once, or one every other day like. (was thinking about buying them as feeder fish once in a while... get the color without worrying about keeping them safe.)

2. Tiger barbs/Angels ... Tigers nip, Angels are bigger and can bully other fish... would they go together or would one bother the other too much.

3. How many would you recommend for them to be happy. It seems like they like to breed to be happy, but that they get aggressive while doing so, and may not pair off with just 2 (lol). If I got 5 and 2 paired up, the rest of the tank would not be big enough. If I got 2, one may bully the other too much. How would you make that decision.

4. And finally, in a 75 gallon tank, I could still have other fish with them if they decided to breed, right?
 
ok ill try to answer a couple of your questions.

Not all angels will eat other fish. If you add a full grown angel to a tank of neons, yes it will probably eat some. But i have cardinals in with my angelfish and she has never eaten them. I believe if you get an angel young and put them in with cardinals or neons they will be less likely to eat them. If they do eat the neons i believe they will eat them slowly, not like an oscar would.

I wouldnt' put tiger barbs in with angels. The tigers will nip the angels fins. Tigers are far to aggressive and active to be with angels. Most tetras will work with angels though(with teh exception of more aggresive species like serpae).

Since you have a 75g planted i would start off with a group of 6 young angels. When young angels will get along. If they start pairing off you might get aggresion but you can always remove the problem fish or the fish that are getting picked on untill your numbers are right for your tank. I definantly would jsut go out and buy 2(unless they are already a pair) as one will pick on the other. I say angels are best kept in 1 or 3+, unless they are a breeding pair.
 
Thank you Valerie.

Dumped the barbs, thinking a school of cardinals, some guppies (they should be too big to be lunch as adults, right?), a pair of rams, and a smaller species of pleco.
 
[QUOTE=pbecot01

1. If I have a school of neons/cardinals in the tank, how quickly would a full grown angel eat them... the way an oscar does, snapping them all up at once, or one every other day like. (was thinking about buying them as feeder fish once in a while... get the color without worrying about keeping them safe.)


Ahh, I never heard of giving angel "feeder fish". As for neons, I have and had neons with angels. If I had baby angels with neons and the angels grew up with them, they did not eat the neons. BUT if I ADDED more neons to the exsisting school, the angels might eat some. I do not know if it was a case of "growing up with neons or being well fed that prevented the neons from being eaten. But overall there is nothing to prevent me from keeping them to together.
2. Tiger barbs/Angels ... Tigers nip, Angels are bigger and can bully other fish... would they go together or would one bother the other too much.
I hate barbs but I have kept them together I found it's one or the other. I do not keep them together ever.
3. How many would you recommend for them to be happy. It seems like they like to breed to be happy, but that they get aggressive while doing so, and may not pair off with just 2 (lol). If I got 5 and 2 paired up, the rest of the tank would not be big enough. If I got 2, one may bully the other too much. How would you make that decision.

I have a breeding pair of angels in a 20, you have enough room for 2. remember 1 is the lonest number. So what do you think? do you buy 2 or more or just 1. It's easy, just pick.

4. And finally, in a 75 gallon tank, I could still have other fish with them if they decided to breed, right?

Ehh, the question is do you want breed them for sale/trade or as a mark of a healthly tank?
The more hiding places you give fry the greater their chances.
As I stated, I have ( now and in the past) a breeding pair in a 20 gallon community tank. Do they all grow up? No, some ( or all) get eaten or sucked up. Have I taken them out to raise them? yes. Is my goal to have 75 baby angels? no. Do I care that they breed? mmm, not really ( maybe they are the same sex or do not like each other)but if they do, I'm happy.
So yes, you can have other fish with them if they breed just as long as your goal is not to be a breeder and do care if all the fry live. Nature will take it's course in your 75 gallon just as it does in my 20's and 55's
 
Thanks for the reply. What I meant was that they get aggressive and chase other fish while breeding... would 75 gallons be enough space for the other fish to get out of their way :)
 
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