Adding Angels but how?

[clockradio]

Well I want to add some more angels to my setup. Last time I tried adding in 2 more, my other 2 angels that I have seem to have gotton a little mad and started picking on them. Needless to say I took them back to the lfs.
I there a way to doing this that I don't know about? I would really like for all of them to get along.

 

[BrianNY]

You just can't change the nature of the species clockradio. Once angels become established they become very territorial. It's unlikely you'll be able to add more peacefully. Sorry, but they are what they are.

 

[Guest]

i agree with bryanNY... they are very territorial and don't take well to other angels once they get established.
HOWEVER... you can try to add angels of exactly the same size. How big are yours? This is something that might work, but it probably won't. Ive done it with angels up to about the size of a quarter.. after that its useless.

 

[clockradio]

Oh well :| I was afraid of that. They are about 2-3 inches right now so I guess I'm out luck. They are my pride and joy (since they are the only ones that follow me around the room) and I wanted to get them some friends.
Thanks for the advice before I repeated that same mistake

 

[TomK2]

Be happy that you have two of them living together, and leave it at that. However, if you do try to add more, then be prepared to isolate agressors and or picked on fish. Be prepared to take them back to the LFS or buy another tank. Like you, I once tried to add more angels to a 55, it was a disaster.

 

[Acer]

i recently added new angelfish..i started with 1 pair of angels, then i added 1 more pair, that didnt go off too good, the 2 new guys were forced into a corner and if the even thought about leaving it they would get jumped on quick... that went on for about 3 days.. right when i was thinking about giving up, i got a chance to put up my 55 gal due to the 29 gal leaking.. i transfered the 4 angelfish and added 3 more.. at first the original 2 didnt know who to go after, but after a couple of mins the other 5 started fighting back and that calmed them down pretty quick.. no they all live together with no major problems.. i even added 2 juvi discus this weekend with no problems.. i think that the fact that they are overcrowed may of brought down the aggression factor.. hth..

 

[Acer]

oh i forgot to add, try taking them out and rearrange everything in the tank so that all of the original territory markers are moved to a different place then add the old & new guys in at the same time..

 

[clockradio]

wow, this could get complicated. is it possible to move the 2 i have now to another tank and add about 4 smaller ones to the 55 gallon then add the first two back later? whats the limit for angels in a 55 gallon?

i really appreciate the help, the people at the lfs don't seem to know what they're talking about.

 

[RoK]

Would taking them out, rearranging the tank decor, and adding all the angels at the same time not work? I really don't know, as I've had very little experience with them.

 

[Jchillin]

"Established" Angels are considered that when they have had the time to have the run of the tank, check everything out, including tankmates and claiming the entire tank as theirs.

Introducing any angels after this point will only end badly. You can turn lights off, flip the tank upside down and give it a couple of spins...they will still know each other and begin re-establishing their dominance.

It's just their nature.

 

[QTOFFER]

As some of you know, I have a generally peaceful pair of 3 inch angels in a 15 gal tank, and four half dollar-sized juvies in a 10 gal. Very soon, I plan to relocate the juvies to the 58, followed in a few days by the more mature pair.

I'm hoping that the bigger fish (having been cooped up in a 15 gal for months) will be so thrilled by their larger space that they won't fatally harass the smaller angels. And I'm hoping that giving the smaller angels free run of the tank for a few days will embolden them, or at least give them the advantage of knowing where the good hiding places are - it's a heavily planted tank with lots of driftwood and rock caves. If it doesn't work out, the four juvies will go into the 15 gal (still a step up from the 10 that they now occupy) until the next GCAS auction in March.

From what I've read, cichlids have such varied personalities that you never know what will work out OK until you try it - but it's important to have a Plan B in case things don't work out as planned.

then of course, there's always Plan C...

You can turn lights off, flip the tank upside down and give it a couple of spins...

 

[clockradio]

ok I like plan c.
but since i dont have that much room to spin ill try putting in a larger group of angels instead of just one or two at a time. let me know how it goes QTOFFER with the move. ill be a while since i have to set up a new tank just in case

 

[cd5]

I added a new 1 inch angel to my 55 gallon that had 3 3inch angels, and two severums, he is still kicking, Of course he survived my little sisters tank so he must be strong

 

[Jason the Lost]

I recently aded 3 3" angels to my 55 that houses one very active 1.5" juvi...he reminds me of that little puppy bulldog that would bother Spike in the Tom and Jerry cartoons. He's always swimming around the others and first one to grab food and I think theyre warming up to the tank greatly due to the fact that this little guy is fearless...all are eating well, except one of the new guys hopefully he comes around.

 

[clockradio]

I'm starting to think this is possible. I guess as long as the new ones are the same size or bigger.



hhmmm...it just might work

 

[dnaelting]

I heard the best way to add angelfish, is to rearrange the decor so everyone is claiming new territory. Otherwise the established ones will defend.

 

[QTOFFER]

I'm also encouraged to see that others have done this too.

When I got my five juvie angels two months ago, there were five the size of a quarter. One died after two weeks, and now a second one dies this morning. Neither of the angels that died were eating very well nor growing. The remaining three juvies have nearly doubled in size since I got them, and they are eating pretty well.

 

[BrianNY]

When introducing fish to a tank there is less stress by adding the least aggressive fish first. In your case QTOFFER, put the juvis in first for a few days, then add the mature pair. Problems tend to arise when mature fish have staked out their tank as their territory, and then less aggressive fish are suddenly introduced.