angelfish getting picked on

[m.bug]

i am up against yet another problem.
i got a pearlscale angel a little over three weeks ago. i put it in a 30g with some cories, some neon tetra, 2 female betta and 1 black lace angel.
at first the pearlscale was hanging at the bottom behind a rock and some plants. i thought she'd get comfortable given time. but the situation worsened; she never ate and eventually moved up to the heater where she stayed all the time and her fins started deteriorating.
i thought she had fin rot. i talked to a guy at the lfs and he advised moving the older, larger black lace to different tank because he thought it was not fin rot at all but that she was being terrorized. i tried that and she does seem better. she came out of her hiding spot a little and is eating a little. then i noticed one of the bettas was nipping at her and w/in an hour of moving the black lace, her dorsal fin is completely gone. so i know it was not fin rot at all. i moved that betta as well. now it's been about two days, she is still hovering behind the heater. i am very worried about the future of this fish. is there anything else i can do to get her moving and stand up for herself?
sorry so long.

 

[TCTFish]

Being her dorsal fin is gone, she most likely cannot swim very well. She should, at this point, go into a QT and treated with an antibiotic. She may get picked on even by the tetras if she stays in there due to her weakness. If she gets better, introduce her and the other angel back in the same tank at the same time.

 

[TomK2]

Agreed, that fish needs a QT - hospital tank. Close observation. good nutrition. It is always hard to introduce angels into a tank that already has angels in them. Once it is nursed back to health, then you can try putting it back without the other angel. If all goes well, then perhaps you can try to put in the black lace angel.

I don't know enough about Betta's , was this an attack of opportunity (angel perceived as weak and defenseless)? Or are Bettas fin nippers that shouldn't be kept with angels?

 

[TCTFish]

The order of introduction of fish will have a profound affect if the newbie gets nailed by the tanks present population. Lesser aggressives should be introduced first. Bettas vs angels, a juvenile angel may get picked on by a resident betta, but a resident adult angel may go after a new male betta.

Both bettas and angels are considered fin nippers.