My Angelfish

[kmayhew01]

I have a pair of angelfish... I have no idea what their sexes are and I have had them for about a year now. Yesterday my black and white striped one went into one of my flower pots that I have on its side and hasnt came out since. It hasnt even came out to eat and that fish is my biggest eater. The other angelfish just kind of hangs around the other one thats in the pot, but doesnt stay there all the time. Is it going to lay eggs or is there something wrong with it?

 

[Jchillin]

If your angels are indeed ready to spawn, she would have to come out and allow him to get in to fertilize the eggs.

It's unusual that they would choose the flower pot over a flat, easy to get to surface, which leads me to believe something else may be occurring. Can you see into the pot to see what is going on?

 

[kmayhew01]

I posted two pics of it in my gallery. I think something may be wrong.... any ideas?

 

[Jchillin]

The pics haven't been uploaded as yet. Can you attach them here in the meantime?

 

[kmayhew01]

Okay.. I'm not sure how to do this, so this is attempt number 1.

 

[kmayhew01]

Haha sorry... it worked too good, lol... All those pics are the same, I'm a computer idiot...

 

[kmayhew01]

Here is one more

 

[Jchillin]

Nice pics! It doesn't look out of the ordinary, as a matter of fact, the pot looks big enough and the rocks within make that a terrific place to spawn. You'll have to keep you eye on it. If it is their spawning site, they will protect it from all other tankmates and quite aggressively.

 

[kmayhew01]

Do you think I should go buy a tank divider to give them a little more privacy and less stress? Also, will they lay eggs even if they arent a male and a female because I think its a very rare chance that I bought 2 angelfish and they turned out to be a male and a female. So how will i know if they are fertile?

 

[kmayhew01]

One more thing, is it normal for her not to eat? Because that is what really worries me...

 

[Jchillin]

Trouble with angels is you won't be able to sex them until they are spawning. The female will be easy enough but the male is harder. It is known that if it's another female, they will act just like a male in that they will go through all the "motions" that a male would. The difference here of course is that if it is a male and you are watching closely, you will see the milt being deposited over the eggs. If you miss it, until you have a successful hatch, you just won't know.

In regard to dividing, it all depends on their tankmates. They can defend against most community fish, though I think if you have a pleco or other bottom feeder that is used to the pot, there could be some interesting battles there.

 

[Jchillin]

You posted while I was composing the above. Yes, they will ignore food for awhile.

 

[kmayhew01]

Alrighty, well thank you so much for all of your help. I do have a pleco, but he pretty much stays on the other side of the tank so he probably wont be in any trouble. I'll keep you posted because I'm sure I'll need more help!! Thanks again!!

 

[BrianNY]

Well I'm going to throw my 2 cents in here. I've never heard of angels choosing the inside of a pot for a spawning site. Looking at the pics it doesn't seem like they would have the room to go about there business. You might want to turn the pot upside down and look for the typical spawning activity.

I'd always be suspicious if an angel went on a hunger strike. My thought is that this fish is behaving oddly because it is ill. If the fish doesn't eat for more than a day, I would begin treating for intestinal parasites. JMO

 

[Jchillin]

Can't say that I disagree with you there Brian...as noted in my first post.

It's unusual that they would choose the flower pot over a flat, easy to get to surface, which leads me to believe something else may be occurring.

 

[macman7010]

I dont think Kelly's angels have any internal parasite, at least it doesnt seem like there is much chance that they would. She has had those angelfish for nearly one year and they have always been robust and healthy, and the overall health of her tank since its initial start-up last Feb has been pretty successful.

Although, I like brian and JChillin find it odd for an Angelfish or any fish for that matter to suddenly go on a hunger strike. I also find the fish's position in the pot disturbing because there is so little room inside. Kelly and I just added the Unimax canister filter with the built in 5 watt UV sterilizor to her tank last weekend. I got her this canister as an xmas gift since she wanted a UV, but had no other external system it could be plumbed in with. I cant imagine the UV having a negative impact on fish health though...?

I will be staying with Kelly tonight and will run some water tests on her tank to see if something is off kilter, a value that might result in the behavior exhibited by the Angelfish. If something is off we will take care of it. Just a quick question could this be a simple biological overload caused by lack of water changes??

 

[macman7010]

 

[BrianNY]

There are so many things that can throw a fish off it's hard to say. A water change is always a good place to start. Fish do get digestive problems, food poisoning, and genetic predispositions. Let's hope for the best.

 

[TomK2]

Well, an agel that seems to stay in one spot, and a spot that seems to provide hiding and seclusion, is troublesome. They should be out and about. I sure hope this is a spawning thing, but I worry about it hiding there because it doesn't feel well, which would fit in with not eating. I suspect agression by other fish is less lilely because you have had the pair together for so long, and Angels tend to only be picked on by other Angels.

I sure hope it works out, and Happy new year!

 

[mattrox]

How long has this fish stayed in the pot now? It looks like a comfortable hiding spot and it may be retreating to it because it is being picked on or sick.

The first thing I would look for is to see if it has white string poo. Also look for other signs of disease. Does it appear to have a "hollow" in its belly from not eating?

If you are really worried, gently remove the pot and observe the fish's behaviour. If it finds a new hiding spot there there might be something wrong.