I have a 36 gal bow front and have 2 Angels and a clown pleco. Filtration is Fluval 306. The Angels are very close to same size, about a silver dollar coin, but one is ruthlessly nipping the other, chasing him around the tank. I rescaped tank yesterday and added more plants, but it's not helped at all. I know they establish dominance, but is that what this is? How long does it last? Should I move the bully to another tank? I have a 300 gallon with mostly community but current is stronger in there than the 36. Attached is pic of my 36. Any advice is appreciated as I don't like to see the one with frayed fins and getting picked on constantly! Today is day 3 of bullying..
One on left is victim, right side is bully.
Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
One on left is victim, right side is bully.
Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
( I have both. lol ) Since they do live in a hierarchy society, the bullying can go on indefinitely so if this behavior bothers you and you are not willing to possibly lose the victim, you will need to separate them. In some cases, after a few days to a few weeks, reintroduction will not yield the same result and things can be fine. HOWEVER, there are no guarantees that this will happen so be prepared to remove the bully again and just keep him/her separately in another tank. As I said, when it comes to Angelfish, they aren't always Angels.
As a Cichlid, they can be very aggressive fish towards not only other Angels but other fish as well. Each fish, however, is unique to their behavior. 
