keeping angels

P

Peanutsweet

AC Members
Feb 20, 2006
180
0
0
I'm wondering if anyone can give me some tips on keeping angels. I have tried several and I am not having very good luck. I have a 150 gal tank and the water is heated to 78-80. The woman at our local pet store told me to add aquarium salt. I am worried about doing that? Will it harm my tetras, loaches or guammis? Is it different than table salt- like the kind you eat? ugh! don't laugh, I am having problems here lol...
I had two large fish for 3-4 yrs and they both died over the weekend. I netted out a congo tetra that was chasing some smaller tetras in the tank, but he wasnt bothering the angels per say, maybe the chasing stressed them even though they were not the ones being chased? I added two small angels a week ago and one of them died today. None of them appeared to have anything wrong with them. Any ideas?
Thank You.
 
When you go pick them out, first look for at least a 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 for best servival rates (my oppinion), second check out there tank mates and look for clamped fins, ich, etc.(these are things a lot of people would not think anything about, plus ich is VERY tiny). Angels also prefer very soft water with a high ph. Without the water set right, they may become short lived. I do not recomend putting these beauties with fish that will chase them, they don't seem to do to well with that.
 
kuzikan said:
When you go pick them out, first look for at least a 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 for best servival rates (my oppinion), second check out there tank mates and look for clamped fins, ich, etc.(these are things a lot of people would not think anything about, plus ich is VERY tiny). Angels also prefer very soft water with a high ph. Without the water set right, they may become short lived. I do not recomend putting these beauties with fish that will chase them, they don't seem to do to well with that.
Click to expand...

Angles come from soft water with an acidic pH (Low). Most likely angels at pet sotres are captive bred and they will adapt well to most tap water pH levels.
 
Just a note about table salt. I have used iodized salt for 15 years now without any problems. I purchase it in 30# bags for about $6. The tiny bit of iodine in there doesn't bother any of us and it won't bother your fish.
 
eh... I wouldn't put any salt in the tank unless you see obvious signs of disease there. The salt might not bother these fish but it does bother others. Are there any plecos other cats in your tank?
 
watch your PH ...find out what the ph is at the IFS and compapre with yours.. a large change in ph can be part of the problem.
watch the fish closely at the IFS..I generally won't buy the fish the same day that I see them..but rather wait a week...
if you get the fish(angles) from a wal-mart, pertsmart or petco..be careful..they bring new fish in almost every week.
if you can..buy the fish from a local breeder..
angels are not that tough to raise..but they tend to be more sensitive to water issues.

the ph can be slightly acidic to over 7.8 and the fish will be fine..as long as the ph stays consistent
 
I'm sorry if I misled some here. I NEVER just added salt to any tank just to have it there. I only used it when ich was spotted or if I was trying to pep up a sick fish usually without success anyway. I did use a full cup of salt every day to hatch out brine shrimp eggs.
 
I have had some luck with angels. I keep the water at about 80 degress and make sure I have plenty of plants for them to hide in. I have all live plants and they love them. I had 13 of them in a 75 gallon with my stingray. I feed mine a lot and they have been growing to a nice size. A couple have a 3 inch body not counting the fins. I have also had them pair off and lay eggs. Give them good plant cover, high quality foods, and good water conditions and they will be fine. If you start to neglect your water, do not be surprised if one of your angels dies one morning. I have had this happen a lot. Out of 13 I have 6 left. Angels seem to get some type of disease that kills them. It looks to me like some type of a fungus. I have read that they carry some diseases and when their water quality slips, their immune system can not fight them off and they show signs of disease. Just make sure you keep the water consistant and your angels should thrive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom