Angelfish, filter current, and another question

[gimmethatfish]

Ooh one more thing since I already have your attention, ha!

I'm replacing the Aqueon filter with a Fluval C4, and I was going to add a small canister - but what does everyone think about sponge filters? I have one that is for tanks up to 125 gallons. I could return the canister and get a powerhead to hook up to the sponge. I feel like the HOB and the sponge should be plenty of filtration, but I've never used a sponge filter for anything other than a small 5g betta tank.

 

[PNWaquarist]

If your Fluval C4 is enough for your tank size and stocking and you just want some additional filtration, a sponge filter wouldn't be a bad idea. It would also let you quickly set up a hospital tank in case of an illness.

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks all. I ended up not having to turn of the filter at all - though it's not like I was going to uplug it and then go to bed lol! After I fed them last night, they all came out of their cluster and started swimming around with no trouble. Even the "portly" one didn't really have any trouble swimming right past the filter output. So I guess they were just waiting for dinner or something.

As for the gourami, I decided it wasn't worth the drama, so I popped her into my spare 10 gallon tank. FG (fat gourami, a nickname that stuck because she is HUGE) seems to like being Queen of the tank. I'm thinking of getting her a trio of guppies as her minions. She has never bullied any of the little fish.

That's just it with fish, you can't ask them what the problem is. All you can do is guess. Sometimes it's this, sometimes it's that. That's why you have to experiment. Glad things worked out.

 

[ppo8820]

Angels do not like a lot of current through the tank, but the surface is okay as it provides more oxygen. Can you fill the tank up some more so the current goes across the top and not down into the tank? This is how I keep my angel happy as she struggles with a lot of current.

Ive heard you cant keep gouramis with angels as they can fight. I dont know if you know this but angel fish are or can be VERY aggressive when they get older, especially if they pair off. Even on their own, you can get an aggressive one. Putting them all in together was smart as this seems to be the best way. I have 1 small black angel who is a terror to almost every other fish. Ive tried adding other angels and she wasnt havent it. She hated my betta, and now she is after the endler guppies she has been with for months.

With the smaller ones, you could get a pair and then you will have to remove the others as the pair will bully them, or you could be okay and they will never fight since they grew up together in a way. That seems more likely to be honest.

They are my favorite fish, so I hope you enjoy them as well. People think they are delicate, but they are not in the long run. They are part of the cichlid family, which many people do not know. Give them time to settle in before you add anything else and then only put things in that they 1. cannot eat or fit in their mouths now or when older 2. are not gouramis 3. are not too hyper as angel fish get annoyed with fast moving or hyper fish.

My angel is awaiting my big column tank to finish cycling and then she will be the main fish in there. I will probably get some larger tetras or cory fish to go with her, but that is about it.

 

[itskatieebaby23]

Honey gourami are usually more docile, so depending on fish personalities it may be ok with the angels. Keep a close eye on things though, as they do like the same level of the tank and you could run into territorial issues. It sounds like you already have a backup plan ready, so a carefully monitored experiment should be fine.

The angels should be fine with your filtration once they grow up more, but it's very possible that the current is a bit brisk for them right now. They're not the most coordinated while young, and the stress of fighting the current could cause you to lose some of them. Try Andy's suggestion to test the theory out, and if they perk up from the experience you can add a baffle, as suggested earlier.

What's a baffel

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[gimmethatfish]

I think I have everything balanced out with the angels, at least for now. I have the HOB filter baffled (just zip tied an aquarium sponge to the outflow), and I added a large sponge filter with a powerhead that just blows directly up to the surface of the water. It creates a great ripple for gas exchange, but unless the angels swim directly through the current (and a couple of them do it for fun), it doesn't bother them.

I ended up just setting up my 20g long for the gourami. She was so happy with her guppy friends in the 10g I had her in that I didn't want to risk anything or upset the balance. So now she rules the tank with her guppies and a little school of dwarf cories. She seems to only try to murder fish that are bigger than her (not smart), so she has been happy as a clam in the 20.

After some debating about putting the most bullied angelfish in my 120 gallon community, I decided not to because A) I have a ton of current in that tank, like 1900 gph, and B) I have ember tetras and kubotai rasboras in there which could make a delicious snack when she gets bigger. I decided to move the angelfish tank into the office, so I took the opportunity to rescape the entire tank, shove it full of plants, and get a small school of black skirt tetras to put in there. I kept the angels in a 30 gallon bin (heated and filtered) overnight, and I gradually released the angels into the tank in reverse order of dominance. I put the most picked on one in first for several hours with the tetras and loaches, and then I released the three who never bother anyone, and then I added in the 2 bullies. It has been a couple weeks now with very minimal aggression and no more fin nips. The angels don't bother the tetras and vice versa. The tetras even seem to distract the angels, and one of the 2 bully angels likes to hang out in the middle of the tetra group.

I am completely prepared to remove any angels who pair off - I have two 40 gallon breeders bought at the Petco $1/gallon sale. I spoke with the folks at the store I bought the angels from - they breed them there in store - and they said they very often take angel pairs back from people and exchange them for juveniles at no cost, since they like to sell as many house-bred fish as they can as opposed to shipping them in. So that's a good option as well.

I'm really happy with the angelfish once the original panic passed lol. They're beautiful and very relaxing to watch. It's a nice middle ground between my betta tanks which are full of crazy personality and my 120 gallon which is full of schooling spazzes with just constant movement. That tank is a busy place. But the angels are more calm, which is nice to watch while I'm working

Thanks for all the great advice everyone.