Angelfish breeding but don't want more angelfish

[newgirl]

My angelfish have started laying eggs but I don't really want the eggs or more angelfish as I have limited space.

I have left the eggs in the tank with the parents and some community fish is there anything that will naturally eat the eggs?

Not sure if I should separate them I love the fish - they were given to me but I don't want to breed lots of fish that I cannot find good homes for.

 

[Andy Sager]

My angelfish have started laying eggs but I don't really want the eggs or more angelfish as I have limited space.

I have left the eggs in the tank with the parents and some community fish is there anything that will naturally eat the eggs?

Not sure if I should separate them I love the fish - they were given to me but I don't want to breed lots of fish that I cannot find good homes for.

Usually, once a pair of Angels start to spawn, the only real way of getting them to stop is to move them or separate the pair. In many cases, the first spawns of Angels are not successful and either the parents themselves or other fish in the tank will eat the eggs. (most fish, to my knowledge, like fish eggs in their diet.) To avoid future spawns and aggression by the pair, I'd separate the pair now and just keep the male as females can and do lay eggs on their own. While this will not end in viable fry, the downside to having this happen is that the female will still guard the eggs and get aggressive towards her tankmates which is why I suggest everyone keep a male only tank of Angels if there is no intention on breeding.

Hope this helps.

 

[newgirl]

Thank you - I love the fish but don't want to keep having them breed if I don't have a responsible plan for the babies. For those of you that breed them (especially in Canada) - what do you do with the babies. Also am not really fit to be a breeder as am not on board with culling ones with bent fins, etc.

 

[Andy Sager]

Thank you - I love the fish but don't want to keep having them breed if I don't have a responsible plan for the babies. For those of you that breed them (especially in Canada) - what do you do with the babies. Also am not really fit to be a breeder as am not on board with culling ones with bent fins, etc.

Culling is all part of breeding fish unfortunately. In nature, other fish take care of the deformed and sickly by eating them but in a tank, it's up to us, the breeders, to handle the deed. Lack of culling is why many species now are just weak ( not just weaker) versions of their wild selves. Angelfish, especially, have gone from a strong fish to a weak one due to all the new color varieties where many layers of inbreeding was necessary to achieve the new colors. Fin integrity, body shape and general health have become the victims of lack of culling and specialty breeding.

With Angelfish, the fry go through a couple phases before they become "fish" and as I stated previously, the chances you are going to have to deal with these phases is remote in the first spawn. Unlike livebearers, Angelfish fry first hatch then go through a period where they absorb their yolk sac. It's not until after this period is over that the fry will even be swimming so there is nothing you need to do for them until they swim. If you are not looking to raise these fry or willing to cull any bad ones, you would be doing them, the other fish in the tank and yourself a disservice by letting the parents continue tending the eggs. You can either pull the item the eggs are on and wash them away or remove the parents and just let the other fish have at the eggs. It is a very good food source for your other fish. The fry won't be of a salable size for at least 10-12 weeks so you would just be torturing yourself with all the extra work involved.
I hate to be so brunt but this is the reality of Breeding fish ( or having fish breed when you don't want it.) One remedy would be to trade the pair to a local pet store as breeding pairs of Angels do bring in some decent money. Then, you can either get different fish or other small Angels that will take months before you need to deal with this situation again if at all.

Hope this helps.