Angel fish

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Irishrover

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 9, 2020
Messages
18
Hello. I have a tall 65 gallon tank and I would like to get some angel fish. My question is, do they all have to be the same species of angelfish or can they be different kinds? I mean can I keep Pterophyllum scalare, Pterophyllum altum, and Pterophyllum leopoldi all together or? Thank you in advance for any information you can provide.
 
Sorry I can’t answer your question. But I must share. I got a 65 in March. I put my very first angelfish in there. I love the height and the space for the fish. I will caution you on tank mates. Anything they can possibly eat, they’ll go after and nip. I started with 2 about the size of a quarter but one didn’t make it. This one is in there alone. I worry if I get another one, they’ll fight if it happens to be male.


https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/XjwDFj0WRfWFkSMHs8Ieog.hd90Oh_yPWdCTX4sKKNoGQ
 
Angelfish

Yes, I have heard this about them as well. Although I have never owned any of them. I do have 4 Rosie Barb’s in there right now but they are too big to fit in an angel fish mouth. I have heard a lot of people say they are not aggressive and then I have talk to people that personally own them and they say they are. So I am a bit cautious. I eventually want discus but I figured angels would be a good learning experience. Now I’m not so sure. Thank you for your response.
 
I would say as long as you arent overstocking and they have space to keep out of each others way it should be ok to mix angelfish species. How many are you thinking off?

With regards to tmaiers point, and my own experience. I have 4 angelfish in a community tank and have never seen them get overly aggressive. There is a dominant pair that will square up to each other for a few days before spawning and will then chase away any fish that gets close to the eggs until there are none left (they are terrible parents and eat their own eggs after a couple of days). They never get aggressive enough for me to worry about anyone getting seriously hurt.

With regards to their predatory nature, they where all introduced into the community as juvenilles and dont see the other fish as food. I imagine that would change if they got really hungry, but even my cardinal tetras (an angelfishes natural prey) are never bothered by them.

But, angelfish are angelfish, and the stories from others based on their experience are relevant. It will come down to individual fishes and circumstances.
 
Angelfish

Thank you very much. That information helps a lot. I greatly appreciate the input. As far as how many I will put in this 65 gallon tank I’m not sure yet. I will do some more research before I decide the best number to put in there, but I would like to have four or five.
 
Hello. I have a tall 65 gallon tank and I would like to get some angel fish. My question is, do they all have to be the same species of angelfish or can they be different kinds? I mean can I keep Pterophyllum scalare, Pterophyllum altum, and Pterophyllum leopoldi all together or? Thank you in advance for any information you can provide.

In theory you could mix the species, but I would not. The tank is on the small side for altums which get VERY large from what I have read (12" tall or larger).

You also run the potential for hybridization, which should be avoided IMO. Altums and leopoldis are relatively rare in the hobby, and until they become more established, I think the species should be kept pure.
 
Back
Top Bottom