Angelfish Pairs?

[Twoapennything]

Do angelfish do well in pairs? I have one angelfish who is fairly good sized and semi-aggressive. He's (She's?) mostly pretty mellow, but occasionally charges around the tank. He/She doesn't nip fins or anything like that. I was thinking about getting a second angel, but I don't know if that's a good idea or not.

Does anyone have the link to a fish compatibility chart by chance? If so, I would love it if you shared the URL. I can Google if no one has a link.

 

[kaiofcanada]

Hi Twopenny

There is a alot that can be said to answer your question. I am sure others will chime in as well.

Angels can do well in pairs/multiples in the right enviroment/setup, but they are/can be aggressive fish under the right circumstances even if they appear to have a genial temprament.

Angelfish breed in pairs and the process of selecting a mate can usually be a terrifying one to watch. Angels have been known to pick off other tankmates when the "pair up", in order to secure a safe place to spawn. Angels establish hierarchy amongst themselves. So a few things are important to consider before you put a new fish in...first, do you know the sex of your current angel? Do you want to possible have angel spawn or to breed them? How big is your current tank and what other inhabitants are there?
Any fish you add will likely result in a display of dominance. If two males without a female, two females, or a male and female...all will lead to some display of what you will likely view as aggression...chasing, nipping, crowding the top of the tank, lip locking...but for different reasons. Their behaviour can be complex, but all very interesting as you get to know them. If you don't know the sex of your fish, then just be prepared for these behaviours and depending on their age, an eventual display of their sexual attributes.

If your tank is large enough to add another angel, I would recommend 40g+, you certainly can add another. First, select a fish that is the same size as the one you already have. I suggest, after a period of quarantine, adding the newest angel at night after lights out. This way the new guy can explore in a less active/potentially aggressive environment. Then watch the dynamics closely to be sure one isn't getting beat up too badly and is getting enough food.



Freshwater Fish Compatibility Chart - Rate My Fish Tank

 

[mgamer20o0]

if you are going to add another angel make sure to get one the same size as the one you already have.

 

[Twoapennything]

Angelfish breed in pairs and the process of selecting a mate can usually be a terrifying one to watch. Angels have been known to pick off other tankmates when the "pair up", in order to secure a safe place to spawn.

I had heard this before, which is a lot of the reason I posed my question about getting a second angel.

do you know the sex of your current angel?

I was told my angel is male, but I know it's near impossible to tell the two sexes apart.

Do you want to possible have angel
spawn or to breed them?

Noooooooo, definitely not.

How big is your current tank and what other inhabitants are there?

My current tank is 40 gals. I have two moonlight gouramis, a betta fish, 4 neon tetras, one Mickey Mouse platy (I just discovered he is a Mickey Mouse platy today when I was cruising the fishlore.com species descriptions), and 4 corydoras.

Freshwater Fish Compatibility Chart - Rate My Fish Tank

Thank you so much for this link!

 

[kaiofcanada]

haha...regarding breeding in pairs. I was only stating that because some, like guppies are promiscuous. Nothing condescending intended. Reading it now, it sounds funny for sure.

As far as knowing the sex....WhiteDevil is excellent at being able to determine the sex of angels. I never developed much of an eye for it, but once the differences are made clear I can see it. There are some morphological differences that can be used to distinguish them. If you trust your source that it is a male, but don't want to deal with spawn or "pairing" process and possible risk of your other fish, you might consider just leaving the male as your solo angel, or trading him for a couple females.

There is no guarantee that if you got a female tankmate that the two would pair up, but if they did, you might need to provide a divider while they spawn or move them to a different tank. Once pairs they will try to spawn on a regular basis even if they are unsuccessful.

Also, you are lucky that your betta and angel get along. I always wished I was lucky enough to get a good community betta. Is it male or female? I have considered getting a female betta for my community tank.

 

[Twoapennything]

haha...regarding breeding in pairs. I was only stating that because some, like guppies are promiscuous. Nothing condescending intended. Reading it now, it sounds funny for sure.

LOL! Yeah, I am backing away slowly from the whole breeding/spawn thing! I've learned my lesson from letting my snail's eggs hatch - I have like 50 snails in a tank now. That's 50 snails too many

As far as knowing the sex....WhiteDevil is excellent at being able to determine the sex of angels. I never developed much of an eye for it, but once the differences are made clear I can see it.

I have a picture of Angelo in my pictures link, if anyone wants to take a stab at it. I don't particularly trust my source re: sexing angelfish one way or the other. It was just the guy at the LFS.

Also, you are lucky that your betta and angel get along. I always wished I was lucky enough to get a good community betta. Is it male or female? I have considered getting a female betta for my community tank.

My betta is a pretty red/iridescent purple male. he's a crown fin, if that makes a difference. But he's very mellow and does well in the community tank. I've not had a betta yet that wasn't okay in the community tank, but that may just be dumb luck!