Angel FIsh

[mother2kamryn]

I'm not new to having freshwater fish but my family just recently made a move cross country and we are trying out something new. We've had our 39 gallon tank set up now for about a week and we decided to go and get some angel fish to put in them. I have had some problems with gouramies before and I was just wondering If there is anything that I should know ahead of time about angel fish. Any information of advice would be appriciated.

Thank You!

 

[Devilishturtles]

Angel Fish are a fairly nice community fish. Make sure you don't have hard water, Angel fish require fairly soft water to live. Also, don't buy fin nippers such as tiger barbs, etc, as they could pose a threat to your angels. I have angels now, and they are beautiful! I love them!

 

[fishluvr]

Don't forget to keep at least a pair...when on their own they can get pretty aggressive towards their tankmates...

In my experience (west coast to east coast US and western europe), they're pretty tolerant of water conditions once your tank has cycled, but I'd also avoid small tetras in the tank, since those are on their 'natural' menu!!!

 

[Allivymar]

Oooo angelfish; my fav *grin*

Angelfish are actually fairly hardy campers; before I got a clue I cycled my tank with 2 of em! While I certainly don't recommend this, its obvious they are hardier then some of the other South American cichlids, such as discus or rams. They do prefer soft water, but since they have been so domesticated its no longer necessary (unless you purchase wild angelfish) to keep pH levels too terribly low. In fact, angels have been known to breed in pH levels as high as 8.0.

Angels need around 10g each; I'd suggest no more then 4 in your tank. While they are certainly more peaceful then african cichlids, they can be rowdy buggers and have been known to beat the crap out of each other or even on occasion kill each other when pairing up. Unfortunately its impossible to tell male from female unless they ARE mating and you can see their..erm..bits. However, take this more of a warning then a guarantee; I have 6 angels in my 55g and while they face off, none of em cause any more damage then a split fin. If you check the Freshwater & Brackish - Fish or Plant Profiles, there is the article I wrote on Angelfish.

What sort of probs did you have with the gouramis?

Oh, and if you want to see my piglets, you can catch em here: http://www.myaquaria.com/gallery/album01

 

[BrianNY]

It was angel fish that started my aquariums. I saw one at a friends house and thought the shape was so neat. I bugged my father for days until he finally got me a 10 gal. I think I was 9 years old. Let's see.......that's 90 years ago LOL.

My only comment would be to avoid mixing veils and regulars. The veils move so much slower.

 

[Allivymar]

Mwuaaahahaha I don't agree Bryan. I've 2 superveil combtails, 4 standard fin angels and I tell you what; my biggest fish (a superveil) rules the tank! He is a quick mover and the most aggressive in the tank atm. I've read veils are supposed to be slower, but that hasn't been my experience.

 

[BrianNY]

Well I will bow to the angel expert, cuz I'm not. But my veiltails are taking one heck of a beating from my standard. I have to get rid of him.

 

[Allivymar]

Heh it may simply be that one fish. They can be nasty buggers when the mood strikes em. I originally had 2; one killed the other after 6 months (my fault; had em in an 8g tank...too small and not enough territory). The crew I have now tho (including the killer) all fuss with each other, but aren't out to kill, just to proclaim dominance. So I have split fins from time to time, and the occasional scratch, but no dead guys and no badly beat up ones either

You might want to try removing him for 2 weeks, rearranging the tank and letting the veils establish territory. Maybe add a few more tall plants? Then reintroduce him once they figure out whats theirs. It might work; no guarantees tho LOL Either that or yeah, find him a new home if he's that aggressive and it doesn't work.

I have read angels who were raised singly, then introduced to other angelfish tend to be much more agressive. Again, hasn't been my experience (my killer lived alone for 8 months before getting a tankmate).

 

[mother2kamryn]

I love this website. You guys are the best and always post so quickly. I thank you so much for the information. Most of what you included I already knew except for the soft water. every bit is appriciated. My husband does plan to get a few more fish but only gouramies. i guess we will try them agian. but no more than the four angels that we have. They are doing well. breathing has slowed down and they are getting thier color back already. And to the person who asked about the problems that I had with the gouramies. well... where do I start. The first 2 that we brought home.. no problems what so ever. But then we added about 5 more a few months later... only thing different that i can guess is bad batch. who knows? They got like internal toumors in their heads, they got internal boulges in thier heads, their eyes sank in, and due to stress lost all color. sat at bottom, quit eating and died. i tried everything. medication, you name it. it happened one at a time. about a week after the previous ones death. it was awful. wish me good luck this time.

 

[mother2kamryn]

In addition to the problems to the gouramies. i bloopered. the internal boulges were in thier stomachs.simular to the boulges in thier heads. their scales were a little funny looking as well.

 

[Allivymar]

You're welcome and good luck mother2kamryn

Just for future reference, if you haven't already I strongly recommend purchasing and using a QT tank. By QT new fish for a minimum of 2 weeks (more is better) you can avoid some of the problems you experienced with the gouramis. It gives you a chance to observe the new fish for any signs of illness, and to treat them prior to adding them to a main tank (thus keeping your other fish from becoming ill).