New Venture- Angelfish. Tips?

[ExperimentLain]

Hey guys! I am starting a new adventure!

I have been staring at a near empty tank for a while now and I have decided that instead of more neons or rasboras I wanna try angels I have have angels before but it's been years and before I became a serious hobbyist.

I want to be sure I do this right- I have read so many controversy on this little fish I though I would just ask you all here. I have just planted my tank again (Yay! So pretty!) I have some babytears, watersprite, hairgrass and spirals (That arent really spiraling but doing this adorable curly que thing!)

What do I need to look out for? I wont add any fish until its ready and set up for them. I know I have low pH, too low, I am having a real hard time raising that. its at 6.4- I have don API pH Up but that didn't seem to work- if anything I think it may have killed my julli cory cats?

I have currently 2 harliquins and 2 zebra danios I may need to move? Also a dojo loach that should probably not be in there but a customer was 'throwing it away' where I work :/ and he seems to be thriving so I just left him. Also one snail and a beta. Everyone seems to be getting along.

All of my other levels seem okay- I also have hard water. Do I need to worry about that and how do I fix it?

Thanks! I hope thats all enough info!!

 

[sydneypaige690]

A betta won't really do well with Angels...


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[bud29]

Hi! Just a few questions:

-What size is the tank?

-Is the betta male or female? It's good that he/she has been getting along with the current fish, but it may have territorial disputes with the angel (especially if it's a male.)

-What ph does your tap water test at? Considering you have hard water, my guess would be that your tap ph is fairly high but it gasses off quickly. At any rate, 6.4 isn't awful IMO, so I wouldn't use products such as ph up. Those products can wear off quickly causing wide ph swings, which can be very stressful to your tank inhabitants.

 

[ExperimentLain]

My thank is a 29

The betta is a male- if I see issues I could easily put him in a 10 by himself.

My tap pH is low at 6.0-6.4 Its city water and I use stress coat to take out the new poison they are putting into their systems along with chlorine.

Thank you for the tip on the pH up too! I didnt think it would disipate so quick.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[bud29]

Interesting, not often that you see high hardness and low ph.

In a 29g you could probably do 1 angel and then increase the schools of danios and rasbora to 6-8 each - it'd make for a nice community setup.

 

[ExperimentLain]

Yeah it's strange. I will test again to be 100% when I get home from work! I read somewhere that driftwood will help raise pH? Also crushed coral maybe? I am worried that it's between 6.0 and 6.4?

I bet it would be pretty with one angel! I didn't even think about that All the ones I see are about 1 inch top to bottom so they must be pretty young. I was thinking silver dollars instead of danios but I am not sure? I was more afraid of the danios being too stressful for the angels?

Edit: Oh! Instead of starting a new topic- what do you think of API's Leaf Zone to help feed the plants? I am worried if it is dangerous for certain fish or inverts?

 

[bud29]

Yeah it's strange. I will test again to be 100% when I get home from work! I read somewhere that driftwood will help raise pH? Also crushed coral maybe? I am worried that it's between 6.0 and 6.4?

I bet it would be pretty with one angel! I didn't even think about that All the ones I see are about 1 inch top to bottom so they must be pretty young. I was thinking silver dollars instead of danios but I am not sure? I was more afraid of the danios being too stressful for the angels?

Edit: Oh! Instead of starting a new topic- what do you think of API's Leaf Zone to help feed the plants? I am worried if it is dangerous for certain fish or inverts?

Crushed coral will raise ph, but the tannins from driftwood will lower it. I'd stick with danios, as silver dollars would get too big for a 29g. I've kept fairly boisterous fish with angels before without problems.

In terms of plant fertilization, I'd advise against liquid fertilizers as they are mostly water. I'd go for dry ferts - much better value, as $20-$25 worth of dry ferts will last you forever on one tank. Depending on how strong your lighting is, you may also want to consider some liquid carbon supplementation.

 

[ExperimentLain]

I will check my bulb as well when I get home. I know I have a plant bulb but I am not 100% on the wattage.

What are some other fish you would recoomend with angels? I like danios but I am not a huge huge fan of them, or a lot of them, what sort of bottom feeders or should I just stick to my cory cats? I feel like I will be just totally restocking my tank and kind of want a change from the ones I had before. I did forget how bit Silver dollars could get my brother has on in a 29 with nothing else haha its pretty huge but he got it when it was the size of a US Quarter. I tease him cause its the only fish living through 3 moves- it's going to outlast cockroaches!

 

[bud29]

Kuhli loaches and a bristlenose pleco are all bottom-dweller options for a 29g as well (although personally, I like corys the best )

You could do most types of tetra or rasbora with angels, and also some types of smaller rainbows such as spotted blue eye, threadfin, or furcata.

 

[ExperimentLain]

I always loved kulli's but they hide too much to be worth putting money into to put into the tank IMO. I love bristle plecos but cory's are probably my favorite by far as well. I think Cory's are one of my top 5 favorite fish (the biggest reason I keep a freshwater over brackish or marine).

I will look into the fish you mentioned and see what I can find. I think those Spotted Blue Eyes are super pretty but I bet will be also very hard to find around here in local stores. I think most rainbowfish will be tough. I have a hard time trusting the chain stores, especially with fish

Edit: What about bloodfins or blackskirts?

 

[bud29]

I always loved kulli's but they hide too much to be worth putting money into to put into the tank IMO. I love bristle plecos but cory's are probably my favorite by far as well. I think Cory's are one of my top 5 favorite fish (the biggest reason I keep a freshwater over brackish or marine).

I will look into the fish you mentioned and see what I can find. I think those Spotted Blue Eyes are super pretty but I bet will be also very hard to find around here in local stores. I think most rainbowfish will be tough. I have a hard time trusting the chain stores, especially with fish

Edit: What about bloodfins or blackskirts?

Blackskirts are fairly nippy fish, so they're probably not the best tankmates for an angel. I've kept bloodfins before without many aggression issues. Some of my favorite tetras are rummynose, lemon, and emperor.

 

[ExperimentLain]

I really love rummy noses- they are so cute. Neons and Cardinals are pretty nippy too? I always had issues with my neons.

Would any rasbora be okay with an angel?

My one harlequin is really dull one day and bright and vibrant the next- it's strange I was sure it was dying or something but it just keeps on swimming?

I will post my other water perimeters tonight when I get home to see if anything is off, I am pretty sure it's all pretty in the clear.

is there a way to soften my water? Or should I not really worry with angels or the other fish I am looking at?

 

[bud29]

I haven't had any problems with neons or cardinals, they're not known to be particularly aggressive tetras. Most rasbora would be OK, except some can be on the small-ish side - could end up being angel food. Harlequin would be fine.

 

[ExperimentLain]

My neons where with guppies so that could have been the problem? I never intended to put them together- they where a rescue (like my loach)

 

[ExperimentLain]

Welp! I tested my water and I feel kind of sick :/

My peramiters took one heck of a jump since yesterday- I added the plants Saturday night and changed my filters yesterday morning.

I am now at a scary high-

NitrAte- 100
Ammonia- 1.0
NitrIte- 0
pH- One test says 6.0 (MTK) one says 6.4

Good thing I didn't add new fish they'd be floating! :/

I think I need to do about 40% change... but is it too soon after a filter change?

 

[Coursair]

Don't throw out your filter pads, all you do is rinse them in used tank water. You don't need to replace them until they're actually falling apart. And then only replace one at a time. Otherwise you're throwing out your good beneficial bacteria.

Harlequin Rasboras are really nice.
Lemon Tetras
Cardinals instead of Neons as Neons fit in Angels mouth.
Bleeding Heart Tetra.

I would worry that small Rainbows would be eaten by adult Angel. And big ones are too zippy.

Corydoras sterbai are a favorite of mine ?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Coursair]

You can do a BIG water change.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[ExperimentLain]

These ones where falling apart :/ either way its too late now- they went out in the trash this morning. I should have known better than to toss them both, I was having a bad blonde moment apparently

I think I had better get started on a 40-50% change.

Wish my babies luck!

 

[Hholly]

Good luck.

 

[bud29]

Well, I definitely wouldn't add anything more until you have the tank re-cycled. Keep a close eye on your water parameters, make sure ammonia and nitrates don't exceed .5. If they do, perform a 50% water change. Good luck!