angelfish update

[LVstealth]

i originally came here for help with eggs i found my angelfish laying.



after a bunch of trial and error, i finally got 11 to live to be about 3 months old, so yay there!


i also have a batch of fry about 3 weeks old that are doing great.


heres the tricky part, i bought 6 angelfish to see if i could get another breeding pair... well... i now have 3 breeding pair from those 6!



i watch them a lot, and noticed the one i thought was male with another one (who seemed to be showing her breeding tube) claiming one end of the tank. i took them out and put them in an aquarium just for them to breed. within 3 days, she had laid eggs and now they are wigglers.


while that was happening, i guess i wasnt looking at the other 4... turns out, they have eggs now too. one laid them on the glass, one on a fake plant with big leaves.



so... now the 4 together (2 and 2) are guarding eggs and taking jabs at each other. the eggs are on the 3rd day (ones on glass) and right at 24 hours for the other ones.


i figure i will lose the fry, i dont have anywhere to move them to. but i dont want to let the adults kill each other. i have other tanks, but i dont want the pairs to kill whats in the community tanks.


i could give them away, but dont know anyone with the habit. i have an appt to talk to a fish store owner about taking a pair. but it doesnt sound promising for the fish, she is not set up to give them their own space.



i can house 3 pair, in separate tanks (a 55 gal, and two 39 gal bow front)


i have the eleven 3 month olds in a 55 gal, and a community 45 tank with a very large angelfish and several swordfish and a few neons, oh yeah, there are a couple platys and a molly too. basically, it is orange fish, lol!



i also have a 5 gal and a 10 gal. the babies are in the 10 gal for now. the 5 gallon is my isolation tank, or whatever i need at the time. empty right now.


any suggestions of who to give angelfish to, or how to house them so they dont kill each other would be appreciated!


im teetering on buying a 20 gal high for one of the two pair that are together, but i see this as being a problem that comes up often as i go.


i dont think i want to be a breeder, i just love the process and the fish!


i ordered a tank divider and will see if i can separate them, maybe make the 55 gal split for two pair.


well, that is an update on things


i have read most of the forum and want to thank all before me who asked the good questions! and more for those who answer them!

 

[Andy Sager]

Using dividers is about your best bet in larger tanks. It's best if you can get opaque ones or if you are handy, make a split acrylic one so that most of it is opaque with a section that is clear. Angels get jealous when there is competition and it makes males more protective of their mates. It's a trick I use to keep pairs " liking" each other.

 

[ghyti]

Two dividers in a 55 gallon will work. That gives each pair a little over 18 gallons, almost the same as a 20H. Orange crate lighting diffusors from Home Depot work great for dividers for adults. Fish stores are probably more likely to take the young ones than a pair. If there are any other fish stores in your area, check them all out. You might only get store credit but I am sure they will take the fish off your hands.

 

[LVstealth]

thanks! i did call the other fish store and she sounded excited to get any i have. even stressed that she has a tank for just the pair and can house as many dime size and up that i can get her.


totally different reaction! lol, now i wish i had used them this whole time! lol. it was parking that made me decide on the other place, now i see that wasnt a great thing to base things on



on my way today to take a pair to her, if all goes well i will deal with her for all my stuff. i enjoyed her enthusiasm and positive response.