Another quick angelfish question.....

[Andos99]

Is it acceptable to keep a single angelfish? I just finished reading a few articles and they suggest keeping a single fish or at least six. Keeping 2 or 3 will result in dominance by 1. Is this true? If so, I'm thinking about just picking up 1 fish because I don't have space for 4+ angels.

I have a variety of adult rainbowfish and gold barbs in a 50 gal. I'm assuming they will be compatible. Thanks guys!

 

[Jchillin]

No problem Andos...prior to my angels pairing, the three of them lived together in perfect harmony. Once they paired up, the odd one was removed to the 30 gal. It has been 4 months and though he is alone, he is doing well.

One thing to consider is that a lone angel can possibly dominate a tank if he was placed as a juvenile, hence the suggestions to keep a few. So, it's fine to start with three and see what happens.

 

[tropicfishman]

I wouldn't reccomend putting the angel fish in the 55 gallon tank with the barbs, barbs are known for notorious fin nipping which will stress your fish out do some extensive fin damage over time, as for keeping just one by itself, i had angels in the past, 2 of them actually, one died of old age and the other died shortly after, i'm pretty sure it was from stress of not being in a group of its own species, it alwasy satyed down in the back right corner behind a rock by itself and would rarely swim freely, around two weeks later i was sending him down the porclin grave, so i wouldn't buy just one, if you can get two, i think it would do alot better, but be weary of putting them in a tank with barbs

 

[TCTFish]

Angels aren't too picky with being alone, but introducing angels to barbs can be a disappointment to the angel. It's a lot easier to introduce the barbs to the angels...not the angels to the barbs. Barbs are notorious fin nippers and would most likely pester the new angel...and possibly to death. A gourami would be a better choice if you want a single large "centerpiece" fish.

A note for Tropicfishman...

It is not uncommon for the second of a pair of angels to die shortly after the first. Angels don't live in groups...they pair and they are well attached to each other. One dies...most likely the other dies too. It happened to me and I've heard of it happening with many other people too. It's an angel thing.

 

[jhd]

rainbows being so quick will starve angels. I had to remove mine to different tank. It was a toss between overfeeding the tank so that angels would eat or have a healthy tank with species of equal swimming habit (rainbows are ok with clown loaches).
I also have emerald catfish in the same tank, now I noticed botia outrun catfish to the food and being also nocturnal eats great portion of the night pellets I throw in there for catfish. I have the same problem now with catfish not getting enough since my loaches got bigger.

 

[Andos99]

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I wouldn't reccomend putting the angel fish in the 55 gallon tank with the barbs, barbs are known for notorious fin nipping which will stress your fish out do some extensive fin damage over time

I know this is true of tiger barbs, but it is not so much the case with gold barbs, or at least in my experience. They have NEVER been fin nippers.

A good point though is the aggressive feeding behavior of my rainbows. When it's time to eat, they know how to get down to business. I always assumed angels were fairy aggressive feeders myself. I still don't know what to do! Seems like the general consensus is no. Hmmmm.

 

[tropicfishman]

I figured all barbs were this way actually, I did have some intresting barbs a couple years ago, I was told they were a green strain ( sorry if thats the wrong term, i forgot what its called ), anyways I was told it wasa green version of the tiger barb, the body was the same, same attitude, orange beaks and tails, but a green body. I've never found anymore of these guys since then, but i'd love to, they were pretty, Sometimes in certain lighting they looked like oil, really pretty

 

[dskidmore]

I have a lone angel in my tank. I don't know his whole history, but he's king of the tank today. Stakes out a small piece of territory, and defends it against all the smaller inhabitants. He's the first to come up for food, he can see the can in my hand and gets all ready before I open the lid. I feed in his corner so that the others get what drifts past him.

You might consider a temporary partition, to give the angel a chance to claim some territory before the other tankmates are re-introduced.

 

[Gawd_oOo]

Even introducing barbs to an angel, they will likely still fin nip. 12-15 years ago, wow, I am getting old. I had 3 large angels, must have been the same sex, because they never paired up. Anyway, I decided to add a school of the green tiger barbs, yer not the only one tropicfishman, to the tank, my angels soon started looking beat up, the green barbs quickly found there way into the oscar tank, the angels recovered. The barbs well, they lasted a little while with the oscars, but none more then 2 weeks.

 

[dskidmore]

Ah. I never tried that particular combo. My angel can defend itself against the dannio, another known fin nipper. Likes to chase other fish his size, but leaves the angel alone.