Hatchets + Angelfish?

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Karatepig

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Nov 7, 2013
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194
Location
North Carolina
Hey all, I have a cycled 55g tank with overdone-filtration (I didn't want to have to worry about having issues with water quality). I have 3 angels (counting just body size, my largest angel is 2.5-3" in diameter and the other two are 1" in diameter). I have never heard of someone keeping hatchets and angels together, so I ask here. Will six marble hatchets cooperate with my angels?

Thanks in advance.
 
Unfortunately, this is one of those questions that doesn't really have a clear answer. Some people have had no trouble keeping them together, and some people have had a hatchet or two go missing. Angels prefer to eat from the surface (except one of mine who loves me and prefers to be handfed :p) and hatchets live at the surface, so they may look tasty to an angelfish lol. Some people will say to just try to get adults and they'll be less likely to become lunch. I kept them together without any issues (well at least not with compatibility) but I hadn't researched much at that time. I've heard more about them being housed together since then and I would personally only get the hatchets because I know my angels' personalities. They're very docile, I feed them well, and they seem to spend more time staring at me while I work than prowling for little fishes to munch lol. Even then some people would say that there is still likely to be a problem either tomorrow or 5 years from now, while others say it would work out just fine. In the end, I think it's really up to you - how well you know your angels, whether you want to take any risk, and if you do decide to get them then whether or not you can get ahold of some adults. That last one is almost impossible if ordering online, but you MIGHT be able to find some in the store.
 
My angels and hatchets are completely fine together. The only thing is that hatchets jump out of the tank. I have lost 3 hatchets they all jumpers through the filter cut out.
 
Thanks you for the replies! I'll have to see about getting adults from my lfs because I don't have the money to order online and pay for shipping. If this doesn't work out I'll probably get a large school of harlequin rasboras instead, but, if my guy can get ahold of some adults, I'll make sure to append my knowledge of their coexistence here.
 
Just go to your LFS and ask for the largest hatchets they have in their tank. I got mine from pet smart. Unless your angels are partially aggressive there is no way they will get eaten. They are very thin but they are quite tall.
 
Just go to your LFS and ask for the largest hatchets they have in their tank. I got mine from pet smart. Unless your angels are partially aggressive there is no way they will get eaten. They are very thin but they are quite tall.

Thanks, I'll have to see about getting down there early next week.
 
Agh! Yes! Do they ever jump! I kept a screen top on my tank and set it up so I could roll back half the lid at a time when I need to feed, clean, or move stuff around. I have the same thing for my african butterfly fish. If you want top dwellers and end up not being able to do hatchets then ABFs are awesome too! And no angelfish would mess with them ;) They might snack on a couple small fish that venture to the surface were the abfs generally stay, but they're pretty peaceful and super cool! Mine live under some floating riccia fluitans and eat bloodworms, nightcrawler, red wigglers, feeder guppies, feeder shrimp, and crickets. I enjoy them way more than I did the hatchet fish.
 
No, aBfs. B. :p African Butterfly Fish

I do have a couple African Dwarf Frogs though and they actually do love staying at the surface. They spend a lot of time sitting on the riccia and water sprite I have in their tank. I had put it there just for the betta that's also in there not expecting it to multiply the chances of the frogs jumping out -_- Another screen top tank lol
 
Oh sorry I must of typed that in wrong or autocorrect changed it when I put it into google.
 
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