Angelfish Compatibility

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Oct 25, 2006
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Do angelfish get along well with other small cichlids or are other cichlids too agressive?

I know angelfish like gourami's and tetra's but havnt heard much about cichlids.

Thanks
 
Angelfish do love tetras--especially neons--they LOVE to eat them! Also Angels and gouramis can fight, so you have to watch for that.

I have angels and rams together, but my rams are extra agressive so it hasn't been the best pairing.

Angels do need a large tank--especially a tall tank. I have mine in 38g and 55g tanks, where they have enough height.
 
It is more or less a crapshoot with angels. Some will get along with other fish and most will not. If you want to put tetras with the angels you have to choose a species that is large for a tetra and then put in the biggest ones you can find. Also make sure that you put in at the very least six tetras(preferbly more) so the aggression is spread out and the tetras will feel more secure if there are enough of thier own kind. Safety in numbers. The tetras are big on that. I would also make sure there are enough plants and hiding places that they can retreat to if they feel the need to do that. Rams might work but they can be mean sometimes. I think that if you choose rams, the bolivian rams will work better then the german blue rams. And yes angels are cichlids but that does not mean that they will get along with other cichlids. Remember that discus are also cichlids and I wouldn't dream of putting them with just about any other cichlid other than angels and even then there can be problems.

Hope this helps.

Marinemom
 
Also you have to be really careful with what kind of tetras to use--some of the bigger tetras are really nippy--which is bad for angels who have long trailing fins.
 
Yes! Be careful of that. Do not get the red serpae tetras or the black skirt tetras. They are terrible fin nippers.

Marinemom
 
Angels should be ok with less aggressive dwarf cichlids. I have one with a Bolivian ram and there are no problems. However if you get a mated pair of angels they will start annihilating other fishes. If raised from a small size with fish they will not be able to eat, then they should get along.

With regards to small tetras like neons, I've heard plenty of people say that the angels will eat them in the end. Others have said that in their experience the angels have never harmed full-grown neons that they have grown up with. But angels and small tetras is a considerable risk.
 
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