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Angel Fish

Brief Description

Apart from other information about freshwater Angel fish, The Angel Fish article also contains answers on the following questions; How long do angelfish live, How to mate angelfish, How long does it take for angelfish to grow, How big do angelfish grow, How many angelfish should I keep in my aquarium, How to sex angelfish, How fast do angelfish grow, How often do angelfish spawn, How big fish tank do angelfish need, How do you start an angelfish aquarium, How often do angelfish eat, How often do you clean an angelfishes tank, How to stop angelfish aggression, How to add an angelfish into a tank with already 1 in it, What is an angelfish. Some answers can be found directly in the article and some answers are located within the comments below the article. If you’re an experienced fishkeeper, then consider sharing your own ideas, tips and experiences at the bottom of this article!
Angel Fish (Pterophyllum scalare) is a popular tropical freshwater aquarium fish, and they are considered to be one of the most beautiful kind of tropical freshwater aquarium fishes. They also have a strong personality and it is a pleasure to care for them. They like to attract attention when somebody is nearby, or at feeding time. They are one of the first fish which were brought from America and they are very popular. They were brought to Europe around 1820 and in 1930 Angel Fish were bred in captivity in the United States for the first time. Because of the mentioned advantages and extraordinary look, Angelfish are highly demanded and are for sale in almost every pet shop.

Picture


Angelfish picture

Recommended website if you want to purchase Angelfish


Visit Angelfish USA! They sell Angelfish, Discus, Bristlenose catfish, do offer information and also sell suppies & fish food!

They have a quite round and flat body, but their dorsal and ventral fins are long, each is almost as long as the body is. They can grow up to 15 cm vertically. There are many freshwater variants such as:

1) Golden - a light shade of yellow.
2) Silver - silver bodies and black vertical markings. They can be dark, light, solid, or broken.
3) Koi - red-white with patches of black or gold markings. Young fish can have red markings under the eye.
4) Smoky - a shade of silver on one half, and a dark grey or ebony on the other half.
5) Pearly Gold - a dazzling shade of gold.
6) Black - solid ebony.
7) Black Lace - black, but sporting wide light to dark stripes.
8) Zebra - a black body with white stripes.
9) Marble - marble-like swirls of silver and black on their bodies, black markings on their fins and some have golden patterns on their heads.
10) Blushing - a shade of white, and golden markings on their heads. Young fish can have a red marking under the eye.
11) Blue Blushing - grey in colour, outlines in black. Young fish can have a red marking under the eye. Amazing on this variety is their ability to become darker or lighter according to how they feel.
12) Veiltail - very elongated fins and they can be in many colour variants.

Angel Fish

Angelfish, picture 2


Habitat


In nature Angel Fish live in the Amazon River in South America. They can be found in bulrushes where they can find shelter. They grow and live in big crowds but this fact doesn’t mean, that they can’t swim free. Because of their flat body they have no problems if they are squeezed close to each other. They come out from the bulrushes when they want to play. But when there is any sign of an enemy, they swim back into the rushes. There they are well protected, because it is like they are behind a fence, so the enemy can’t get through to them.

Fish tank and care

Angel Fish need a large tank. This is because they are quite big fish. The aquarium should be high, because they like to swim up and down, and they are tall too, so they need space horizontally, not just vertically. I think that a height of 50 cm is quite good. If you want to breed Angel Fish, the minimum size of the tank for a breeding pair of Angelfish is 70 litres, but if you want to leave the fries in the tank with their parents, it should be 110 litres or larger. Just imagine: 2 fully grown Angel Fish and 200 or 300 newborns. Pretty big crowd isn’t it. The larger the tank the more security for eggs and young and comfort there is.

Like all freshwater aquariums, an Angel Fish aquarium should have plants. They improve the water by keeping it clean, hinder algae growth, add oxygen into the water, and give shelter to the young fish. Angel Fish like broadleaf aquarium plants because they like to lay eggs on them. Amazon Sword Plants - Echinodorus are the perfect plants for an Angel Fish tank. The pH level should be between 6.0 and 9.0, and the temperature should be around 25°C. High temperatures cause rapid growth and early death.

Generally speaking you should keep more than just a few Angel Fish in an aquarium. If there are only a few fish, the strongest will make the others miserable and they will feel lonely. But in bigger groups they will behave better. However, as I have wrote already, they need a lot of space. Especially if you have more fish.

Tankmates


Very good tankmates for Angelfish are various Tetras (such as Black Skirt Tetra for instance) as Tetras don’t fit the Angelfish’ mouth. If possible, the tankmates should originally come from South America. Bristlenose Catfish and Cories are just a tip. In general, don’t combine Guppies and Angelfish as Guppies would nip Angelfish’ fins, and vice-versa Angelfish would eat Guppies. If they’re kept together from juvenile age they may be peaceful. Fish of similar size from Asia may be considered too. Angelfish usually don’t fight for territories with other species, but this rule doesn’t apply to small aquariums.

If you’re adding new angelfish into an aquarium with at least 1 angelfish that’s there already, introduce the new one after feeding time, preferably when lights are turned off.

Food and feeding


Flake food is enough for Angel Fish, but it is better for their health to give them a variety foods. This is especially important when they are breeding. They like live food such as Adult Brine Shrimp, Black Worms, Mosquito larvae, finely chopped earthworms, and Guppy fry. But they can also eat frozen Blood Worms, Brine Shrimp and others. They can be also fed dried foods like dried crabs. Don’t overfeed your fish, it’s completely OK to feed your adult angelfish once a day the amount that’s eaten in 4-5 minutes. Young angelfish should be fed twice a day and the fry should be fed even 5-6 times a day depending on how many newborns swim in your aquarium.

Breeding


When genital papillae appear, the Angel Fish is about to spawn. These little nipples are used for depositing eggs and fertilizing them. Then they choose a spawning plate and clean it two or three days before spawning. After a few days the female lays eggs and the male fertilizes them. After few hours unfertilized eggs turn white and the parents will remove them. After little Angel Fish hatch they should be fed with powdered flakes or dried blood worms for the first 4 weeks 4 times a day. After that time they can be fed with Guppy fry. It is a very nutritious food. But they grow best if they have a varied diet.

Angelfish laying eggs, 1 Angelfish laying eggs, 2


Diseases


Some diseases which attack Angel Fish are:



Feel free to visit the article about the most common diseases in freshwater topical aquarium fish as it describes them very well and it wouldn’t make any sense to repeat the already written content on this page: aquarium fish diseases.

Selling Angelfish


If you’ve succeeded breeding Angelfish, you’ll find out that there are plenty of babies swimming in the tank. If fed properly (very good food is Artemia Salina), they will grow and at least 50% should survive. In some cases only 10%-20% survive, in some cases even 80% of newborns survive. Later you’ll face the problem called "overpopulated aquarium" and you’ll have to sell some specimens. The best time to make your Angelfish available for sale is when they’re 3-4cm long. Always tell the buyer that Angelfish won’t stay 4cm long! If you’re going to earn more by selling adult specimens, you can earn even $20-$30 per one. Sometimes it can be more, however this depends on the variant and colouration.

Angelfish picture no. 1 Angelfish picture no. 2 Angelfish picture no. 3 Angelfish picture no. 4 Angelfish picture no. 5 Angelfish picture no. 6


If you’re selling Angelfish to a person who haven’t seen the parents, make sure that you take and show some pictures to such a person when selling. It will help you to avoid unhappy and angry customers!

Additional information about Angelfish


At this stage we’ll talk about usual questions asked by keepers. Many aquarists ask how long do angelfish live. The answer is simple; As long as possible depending on conditions in your aquarium. Usually at least 4 years. Angelfish that are 8 or 9 years old can be often seen in healthy aquariums. New angelfish keepers are also interest in speed of their growth and ask "how long does it take for angelfish to grow". It heavily depends on feeding, but generally between 12 and 18 months.

People are also interested in knowing how many angelfish is optimal for their aquarium. I keep angelfish myself and they have 75 liters each. However, it’s OK to offer them 45 liters per specimen. This question is closely related to another one, which is "How big fish tank do angelfish need?". Angelfish fish tank must be big enough not only in terms of capacity, but also in terms of dimensions. Height of 50 cm is perhaps the best starting point, however if you choose 70 cm, they won’t mind! As adult specimens don’t swim too much, it is not necessary to give them plenty of swimming space. Planted aquariums will be welcome by this species!

Another question is how often do you clean an angelfishes tank, which has a simple answer; As often as required. For instance, I don’t clean my angelfish aquarium since it’s big enough, the filtration is superb and no dangerous substances are present there. However, if your aquarium is too small and overcrowded, it’s possible that you’ll face ammonia problem (and related ones). In such a case it’s necessary to test the water once a week and perform partial water changes every time when needed.

Pictures of Angelfish


Thanks to Lorna Marie Kemble for the picture (a link to website has been removed on 6 March because the domain changed owner and content).

Angel Fish

Thanks to Tamri Shavi too!
Angelfish - Picture 4 Angelfish - Picture 5


Other useful webpages devoted to Angelfish


This page was created in order to give you a good insight on raising and breeding Angelfish, however the below-shown comments are worth reading too. There are some interesting and useful websites too, you’re welcome to visit them! The Angelfish Forum @ angelfish.net, Angelfish Breeding @ angelfish.info, Angelfish @ fins.actwin.com, Angelfish - Common @ animal-world.com, Angelfish - Pterophyllum scalare @ fishlore.com. If any of these links doesn’t work, let us know, please.

Additional questions and answers


On March 16th 2011 we’ve updated this article once again and moved questions from Aqua-Fish.Net/Answers here; Since this page contains plenty of comments, questions and answers already, it’s possible that the below-shown questions may have been answered already here. However, we’re just humans and we added these questions & answers here because our site’s visitors have asked them (and we’ve answered). Also it’s easier to find the most important answers right below than reading all comments. If you cannot fins answer on your questions on this page, feel free to use the form at the bottom of this page and ask us!

181 comment(s)

tianna on March 8, 2009, 8:23 am wrote
I wanted to get a lionfish until I heard that they sting people and so now I want/have an angelfish and she’s very nice and doesn’t sting me!
Lance on March 23, 2009, 5:51 am wrote
I have kept angle fish on and off for the last 30 years. There are so many different color variations, varying from individual fish to individual fish, that they never become boring. A tank with a school of five or more angels is breathtaking to behold. Their carriage is stately and graceful, and they have a certain delicate appearance. My personal favorite has always been the gold veiltale, although I always strive to make my school up of as many of the color variations as I can, basically just for the beauty of it. When adding angels to my tanks I make an effort to find as many similar sized angels as I can at one time. I do this because the leader of the pack (they often do establish a pecking order) will sometimes viciously attack a newcomer. In my experience the leader can often be identified because he/she develops a red eye color. Anglefish make great community tank members because they are primarily interested in their own kind and are generally fairly oblivious to other species. Although not reccomended widely, I have kept Angels with other larger cichlid family members. They have proven themselves able to hold their own. One caution, be wary of putting angels in a tank with known fin nippers such as blowfish or barbs, especially if you choose to keep veiltales. I highly reccoment angel fish to both the novice and experienced hobbyist.
James on March 24, 2009, 6:23 am wrote
Hi all, fairly new to fishkeeping but completely hooked, excuse the dodgy pun! Just wondered if these are likely to make a meal out of my neon tetras, they’re very small at the moment, but I thought they might be alright if the angels physically can’t fit them in their mouth? Thanks all, oh and will they be OK with guppies, heard they can nips fins?
Answer by admin: Angelfish can become as big as your flat hand is. If they’re kept with Guppies and Neon tetras from juvenile age, then they won’t likely eat these species. But you’re always taking the risk.
Bev on March 29, 2009, 8:09 pm wrote
I have 2 angel fish and they ate all 6 of my neon tetras over a couple of weeks. Can anyone tell me why the black stripes on my silver angel fish keep disappearing and then reappearing?
Answer by admin: Naturally, the answer is simple. Stress, lighting and overall feelings of your fish affect the stripes to disappear and reappear. Even the colour of substrate and plants can affect this. In general, when the fish feels safe, the stripes should be nicely visible.
Alison on March 31, 2009, 5:33 am wrote
I have a 260 litre tank (57 gallons); it’s been set up for 3 months now and I have 9 guppies, 2 neons, 1 catfish, 1 silver shark, 1 rainbow shark and 1 plec. Today I got a little baby angelfish. How many more should I get to keep it company? Or is there any other fish you could recommend to go with it?
Answer by admin: Firstly, Angelfish should be kept in groups. I recommend you to buy another 3 specimens. Secondly, Neon Tetras should be kept in groups of 10 at least. Thirdly, when Angelfish reach their maximum sizes, it’s possible that they will eat Neon Tetras and Guppies. Fourthly, Guppies (before they become eaten) can nip Angelfish’ tails. Fifthly, the sharks will likely eat Guppies too (also probably Neon Tetras) once they become adult. I just hope that all of your fish are juveniles at the moment. If they’re kept together as juveniles, it minimises the chance of treating their companion as food. Not only to criticise, I’ve seen aquariums where Guppies, Neon Tetras and Angelfish lived in peace. So there is a chance that your tank becomes a successful community aquarium even when it’s inhabitants reach maturity.
yvette tjaden on April 7, 2009, 8:15 pm wrote
Hi, I have a 300 l community tank with 5 guppies, 2 sword tails, a large pleco, harlequins, 2 scissortails and a large angelfish. The angel has been on his own for about a year now and is very happy, we want to add maybe 2 more angels but was wondering if this would be the right thing to do since this angel has grown on his own and might be territorial towards any young newcomers?
Answer by admin: I wouldn’t worry. It’s a 300L tank, I count on that there are enough plants and hiding places which divide territories naturally. The biggest one may be aggressive, however he won’t kill newcomers for sure. Maybe they’ll end up with shortened fins, but this isn’t anything extraordinary. I just keep these fish (again after a break that lasted a couple of years) too and all I can say is that they grow very fast.
amber-pontzgirl@yahoo on April 21, 2009, 5:06 am wrote
I have a gold & silver angel. Want to know how to determine the sexes. I had eggs yesterday and then 16 this morn and now 2. I have a huge tank 2 angels and 2 gold fish. I put a temperary divider in the tank to keep goldfish at bay. Not trying to breed but would love to be aware of my fish. I also saw a pic that looked like my silver with red in eyes. I assume that is normal.
Beverley Thompson on April 21, 2009, 2:13 pm wrote
I have bought a new & larger tank for my Oscar fish, but now the tank looks bare so I was deciding what to put into the tank with the Oscars knowing that they eat everything. I have had Angel Fish before & love them but wasn’t sure that they would cope in the tank with Oscars. However, I went shopping last week & came across a large Angel fish in the pet store (large as in, approx 5cm in height), but since my Oscars are still small (approx 6-7cm long) I decided to give it a try. As Angel fish are flat & diamond shaped, I figured that the Oscars couldn’t fit the fish into their mouths. So I bought the fish (after being dropped onto the floor by the staff in the shop) I put him in the tank with the Oscars & it has been a success! The Oscars checked him out, but they didn’t seem to mind & The Angel actually follows them around the tank. When I bought the Angel from the store, it was swimming around a huge tank all on it’s own, now I guess it is happy to have some company. I am now looking for some more large Angels to add to the tank as they look stunning in large numbers & their colours compliment the colours of the Oscars.
Domenique on April 25, 2009, 7:26 pm wrote
I have a 430 l aquarium, I have 3 big angelfish, one silver, one marble, one golden, and 4 small angelfish, 2 zebras and 2 leopards, 2 bronze cory’s, 2 peppered cory’s, one big catfish, and 2 green severums. The aquarium is still a bit empty.
Yvonne on June 10, 2009, 8:23 am wrote
I have had angels now for a few years. About a month ago I bought a larger tank and transferred all my fish over. They seem happy and healthy but now a couple of the angels’ fins are falling over a bit. Is this normal? Is there something I can do to help them? They have had a diet of only flakes for some time now. Would it help to vary their diet?
Answer by admin: In my experience fins of Angels fall if they’re kept in low aquariums only. Varying their diet will be beneficial as everyone (not only fish) needs different food... not only one kind all the time. The only logical reason which seems likely is that some Angels became more dominant on your new fish tank and thus they’re harassing others; And thus their fins are suffering.
Damien on June 15, 2009, 5:54 pm wrote
I have recently bought my second tank for breeding Angel Fish. The tank is 75lts and tall which is what I was instructed to get, I have 4 angel fish of small nature in the tank. Do I need to wait till a certain age before they will breed? Also I would like to know if there is anything that can be done to speed the process?
Answer by admin: Angelfish do mature at the age of 6-10 months in general (sometimes it can take more time). So you have to wait, of course. You can speed up the process by feeding them high-protein foods (usually live food). For instance, feed them small Guppies and so on. However, your fish will live shorter than if they were fed normally.
Antoun on June 19, 2009, 8:52 pm wrote
Hi, very nice site and interesting information being shared around. I had a question regarding angels... I put my first angel about a week ago (6 month old) in a 250 litre tank. This week I introduced another 2 (similar size) but they are being continuously chased and nipped by the first angel. Will this stop after time or will I end up with a dead fish? Thanks.
Answer by admin: This will stop in such a big tank. I had the same problem a couple of times and Angels haven’t killed anybody ever. The reason why they fight is that the first specimen in the tank protects it’s territory and wants to be the dominant one.
Jessica G on June 20, 2009, 12:05 pm wrote
Hi, I got a 20 Gallon fish tank for my 14th birthday about 6 weeks ago and wanted to ask about angelfish. My dad is really experienced with fish and told me to add two angelfish to my tank. Today I bought two nickle-sized angelfish from the petstore. I introduced them to my tank and at first they were hiding in the back but now are swimming around with my other fish. I also have 4 platies and 3 balloon mollies in the tank. Are they fin nippers? So far so good with them all. Right now the black angel running around the tank with the other fish while her sister (actually Ii don’t know their sexes) hides in the back behind my log. She rarely come out of hiding. To sum this up, here are my questions: Are they OK in a 20 gallon? Why is one so shy? Are my other fish fin nippers? How long does it take to get full grown? Sorry, if I’m asking a lot of questions.
Answer by admin: 1) Sooner or later your fish will outgrow your tank; for sure. The problem isn’t with Angelfish directly; But you’re keeping a lot of fish in such a small aquarium. For instance, a 40 gallon aquarium would be much more suitable for them. On the other hand, I’m not saying that you’re facing problems right now. Your fish can live happily, but you’ll likely need to do water changes more often. 2) Any fish can be shy; don’t worry. One is the dominant one, the second isn’t. Everything should be OK as long as your fish eat, grow and swim. 3) Your fish shouldn’t be fin nippers. You can’t tell exactly... because fish are personalities too. However, in general your fish should live fine together. Nipping fins can be usually seen in overpopulated aquariums.
Eric S on June 25, 2009, 11:00 am wrote
Very nice site you have here. My pair of Golden Angels have bred. What is the incubation period? Fortunately the tank, 29 gallon, has a few zebras, neons and two cories so I believe the eggs and fry to be relatively safe. I bought a shrimpery to raise brine shrimp for the impending brood. But I can’t find info on incubation. Thanks for your help.
Answer by admin: It should take between 24 and 36 hours.
Danielle H. on July 1, 2009, 2:13 am wrote
I have a ten gallon, rectangular aquarium, which is pretty much just your basic starter aquarium. I got it 3 years ago, when I bought my first angel fish. Since then, we’ve added 1 other angel fish, another female we believe, to the tank. They have both been surviving for quite some time in this tank, but are always chasing/nipping each other’s bodies. Why is this? Also, what size tank would it take to make them comfortably feel that they don’t have to fight all the time, and live happy, healthy lives? The older fish I have is also getting the white film over one eye, and has some sort of bump on her head. We try to clean the tank once a week or so, but how often should you clean a 10 gal. aquarium to keep it clean? It seems like its every week that algae grows in it and we are using the filters and the chemicals to keep it away but it always grows back.
Answer by admin: If I had to buy a comfortable fish tank for 2 Angelfish, I’d definitely choose 90x50x50 cm (approximately 35x20x20 inch) at least. That’s 250 litres, or roughly 60 US gallons. They’re fighting now because the size of your aquarium isn’t sufficient. The film on an eye and bump on the head may be a result of poor water conditions, or stress. Answer on your question regarding cleaning depends on how fast pH, KH and ammonia levels get dangerous/inappropriate for your Angelfish. You should test the water on a regular basis and when you notice that water contains too much of something, or if it contains too little of something (KH for example), do the water change or add chemicals. I personally don’t prefer adding chemicals into the tank. There are articles on this topic on this website already; check the articles, please.
scyn on July 13, 2009, 7:06 am wrote
Hi, I just found this site. So far it’s pretty informative. However, I am new to the angelfish world. I just bought two of them yesterday, today one of them died. =( I don’t have the other one in the big tank freely yet. They were in a smaller container over night in the big tank. As to keep the water temperature the same as the tank. I obviously don’t want my other one to die. Not sure why the other died to be honest, he was fine all day. They even ate some food last night. But just now when I checked on em, he/she was well.... dead.. =/ Anyway... The question is. Would it be better to just put the other angle in the tank instead of the little container? Only reason I have him in the container right now was to introduce them slowly to the water /temp change of the big tank. Since the other one died, wondering if that was such a good idea. I’ve had problems with new fish bringing the Ick into my tank, so I was just being careful to not have that problem again. It doesn’t look like these guys had/have ick, there’s no spots on them at all and considering the petstore... They actually look like healthy fish. Which, doesn’t explain why the one just up and died. /sigh. So yeah... Any suggestions that will help keep the little one alive would be much appreciated. I’ve had betas so the tank was for the most part set up to them happy. But now the tank looks bare and my pleco well. He’s all alone except for a little tiny algae eater. Figured the angles would be something different. The tank is a 55g... big enough, lots of bubbles, low lighting (because the pleco stresses out with bright light) ... the filter is meant for a 75g tank so it’s definitely clean enough. Obviously I want the little guy to live and be happy unlike his partner. I do plan on getting more once I get this one stabled and learn a little more about their likes and dislikes. Thanks.
Answer: Buying new specimens and bringing them home is always risky. Even though they look happy and healthy, not all fish survive the transport, and not all fish acclimatize. Most likely this is the reason why your fish died. You shouldn’t experience any problems with the remaining one as long as he can acclimatize.
laurence on July 22, 2009, 7:08 pm wrote
I got an aquarium. 8ft x 2ft x 3ft. Instead of putting oscars, was wondering of angels instead. How many angels would be ideal for my aquarium? What others fishes will be compatible? Got 3 bala sharks & a rainbow shark, will they be a good tankmates?
Answer: You can easily keep even 20 Angelfish in such an aquarium, eventually more. Almost every bottom dweller will be suitable as a tankmate. Corydoras species, a lot of catfish species too. The mentioned sharks should be a good companion too as your aquarium is really big enough. Practically any species that lives in South American rivers can be a good tankmate as long as it’s not too big/small in comparison to Angelfish.
lam on July 23, 2009, 4:51 pm wrote
My brother gave up his 1300 litre aquarium. I plan to take it & place lovely angels in it. How many angels could I put? What other fishes are compatible to make a colorful community?
Answer: The best choice is between 14 and 20 specimens. It may sound too little, but once all grow and reach adult size, you will understand why this suggestion. Other species that may look nice are various tetras. Don’t buy small species. An adult tetra specimen should be 6cm in length. Use our fish search to find the most suitable ones.
Antoun on July 26, 2009, 9:02 pm wrote
Hi there, I had a question regarding angel fish breeding. I have a definite pair and they are in a community tank (55 gallons) with other angels, red tail shark and couple of bristlenoses. When they lay the eggs, I place a partition and isolate them on one side of the tank. First time around I think they ate the eggs after few days (60 hours) although some were clear. My question is, will it be okay to move this pair just before the female lays its eggs to a different dedicated tank (10 gallons) then after they spawn move them back to the community tank? Will they remain a pair if I do that every time they spawn? This is to avoid using a partition and let them freely roam around. Thanks in advance.
Answer: Most likely they won’t be a pair any longer. This is my personal experience not only with Angelfish, but with other species too. They must mate again. However, mating may occur immediately. It all depends on how fish feel.
Amy on July 30, 2009, 9:26 am wrote
Hello! I have a 70 litre tank with 4 angelfish. I have two dominate ones and two submissive ones. I’m worried that one of the submissive ones (the smaller one) is getting picked on by the dominative one. I got them around 4-5 months ago and they are all varied in size. Obviously the dominate ones are larger, so I’m worried that the small two aren’t getting enough food. Should I get another angel or some other tank mates? Would I be able to fit any more angelfish? Thanks in advance.
Answer: Most likely you will have to give your Angelfish to someone else. They’ll outgrow the tank for sure; a 70 litres aquarium isn’t enough for 4 specimens of Angelfish. It is natural that the dominant one bullies smaller ones, and it’s also OK to see that dominant specimens eat more food than others. In the current situation it would be a mistake to buy another Angelfish. BTW, I keep 6 Angelfish in a 375 litres tank and sometimes I think that 4 would be a much better choice. The smaller tank, the more aggression.
Lynsey on August 2, 2009, 9:58 pm wrote
Hi, I have a 70L tank, and I have kept several fish in the past, Glass Catfish, Neons, angelfish (koi) tiger barbs etc etc. I only had one angelfish left in my 70L tank, he is an average size for an angelfish, but he has been kept alone in the tank for roughly 3 months due to a disease breakout. I decided that he had shown no symptoms of disease so i bought him a friend, Zebra angelfish, his body size is a lot smaller than my current Koi, but his fins make him roughly the same size. The Koi hasn’t taken very well to him and tends to chase him around the tank. The Koi dominates one half of the tank, but the new Zebra seems to be "testing" the Koi by slowly moving in on his space, I’m pretty sure my large Koi is male, but I think it’s too early determine in the smaller Zebra. Is this likely to wear off and they will learn to live with each other? Also, can anyone advise any other fish that could live with them? Thanks!
Answer: Angelfish usually live peacefully after they initial "testing". A 70L aquarium is quite enough for 2 angelfish and I’d recommend bottom dwellers only. Otherwise there would be little space for each specimen.
Debbie on August 15, 2009, 3:19 am wrote
I have had angels for two years now and never had I seen them spawn. Well I saw it last night. I sectioned part of my 55 gallon tank off so the other fish would leave them alone it looks like it might work. And I will add I have never seen anything quite so amazing. They are very sweet fish, I have 4, all the same size and it looks like the other two will spawn soon. I am so happy I have a friend who raises Angels.
Terry on August 17, 2009, 12:27 pm wrote
Debbie, I am right behind you by a couple of days as my fish ate their first fry before I got a divider a couple of days ago. I have a 75 gallon bow front. The day their babies started to swim they kept bringing them back to the nest in their mouths and when I fed the parents they had babies in their mouths and they swallowed them, afterwards they became upset and then just ate the rest of them. When they laid again this time we sectioned them off and I am waiting for the second hatch more prepared. The parents seem happy and content being alone. We will see what happens this time.I will let you know. I will also separate the parents from them if I suspect they will repeat their behavior.
migs on August 17, 2009, 6:53 pm wrote
Hi! This site is very nice and informative. I REALLY LOVE IT! I just want to ask what is the easiest way to tell apart the males from the females. I just want to ask if my 4 angelfishes are okay in a 20 gallon tank (they are just 1 cm in size, I just bought them 1 week ago). How to say that my angelfish is in top shape? Lastly, how can I stop them from nipping each others tail or fin, because sometimes I spotted them nipping each others tail but just after a short period of time, they do not nip each others tail anymore.
Answer: 1) Sexing is described on this page already; It’s hard to sex angelfish. 2) 4 angelfish aren’t OK in a 20 gallon aquarium. Once they reach adult size (if they’ll), they will always fight for territory. 3) How to say if they’re in a good shape? Nice in colour, swimming well, good appetite, begin active. 4) Moving them into a bigger aquarium solves nipping fins.
Mary on August 20, 2009, 7:20 pm wrote
HI! I have just had my angel fish spawn this morning. I have a 90 litre tank and I have separated the eggs from its parents after they were fertilised because they kept getting eaten :S . I wonder how long it will take for the eggs to hatch?
Answer: Roughly 48 hours.
ray from MALTA on September 7, 2009, 3:45 pm wrote
Interesting forum. I have a planted 100 l aquarium with 7 angels and some tetras, could I add 2 elephant nose fish, the ones that look like dolphins please? Thanks
Answer: No, you should get rid of some specimens instead. 100 litres isn’t enough and they will nip each other’s fins as they become adult.
miguel on September 12, 2009, 8:59 am wrote
Hi, I have a 120 litre tank and would like to get some angelfish. I was thinking of getting 3x bristlenose’s, couple of harlequin’s and how much angelfish should I get? Nice site!
Answer: A pair will be the best choice. In my experience it’s best to keep a pair or at least 5 specimens in one tank. As 5 Angelfish would feel uncomfortable in a 120 litre aquarium, it’s definitely better to put 2 there.
Erica on September 24, 2009, 4:50 pm wrote
Hi, I have a community of 6 Barbs, 2 Bala Sharks, and 2 Angels. Today I bought 4 more small Angels and the two big ones are nipping at the small ones fins, and just driving them crazy. Before I introduced the four small angels everyone in the tank were friendly to each other. Now like I said the two big Angels are going after the smaller ones and also picking with one of my Balla sharks. What should I do?
Answer: It’s normal behaviour, there’s nothing to do. Smaller ones simply must go through this. Eventually you could divide the tank or buy a temporary aquarium that can be used occasionally for sick fish, fry or growing plants. Then simply put the newcomers into that tank and wait until they get bigger.
Kate Yoak on September 28, 2009, 3:09 am wrote
I love angel fish, but I also like to have a varied aquarium. I used to have 3 angel fish in a 50 gallon tank that also housed 3 gold fish. I found that one of the angel fish became aggressive and started nipping the gold fish, who developed sores on their sides and started dying. It’s been a few years and I am looking to replenish the fish tank. I have a few mollies and a couple of cherry barbs. I am considering koi instead of gold fish as they don’t have the huge fins that attract attention and are probably better able to take care of themselves. I just love angel fish and would love any advice that would enable me to keep them! Kate
Lee on September 28, 2009, 4:54 pm wrote
Hi, I have recently purchased a 90 liters tank and am interested in getting some angelfish along with a small shoal of tetras. How many Angelfish and tetras would you recommend?
Answer: Maximally 2 angelfish and about 15-20 tetras; this is what I’d choose.
Nicola on September 30, 2009, 12:38 pm wrote
I have four platies in my 70 liters tank and today I just got two juvenile angelfish. They seem very content drifting around the tank and aren’t getting bothered at all by the platies, but I was just wondering if this is going to be big enough? It doesn’t look over crowded yet but I know they grow quite large, so do I need to look into buying a bigger tank for them?
Answer: Yes, for sure! 120 liters or 150 would be much better!
RENE FROM MALTA on October 8, 2009, 3:49 am wrote
Hi, I just bought a 378 liters tank and would like to put in some angel fish. Would you please tell me what type of surroundings they like and how many would you put in there? Also would a 10 inch cat fish attack them? Thanks for your help. I’m just new to all this!
Answer: 6 specimens is the best option. I know it because I own a 375 aquarium with 4 Angelfish (previously 6, but 2 died). They’re quite big after reaching maturity, that’s why I recommend only 6. They like plants and driftwood. Driftwood helps them to divide territories. A 10 inch catfish as a tankmate? Depends on what species of catfish it is. Usually catfish are peaceful, also Angelfish can protect themselves.
emma on October 11, 2009, 11:50 am wrote
Hello. I have a 12 gallon tank and 2 anglefish, and another fish I’m not quite sure what it is. It is gray with blueish-gray spots and a little bit smaller than the angles. The angles are quite big. The one angle is 3 years old and the other is 1 or 2. The older one is actually not the dominate one. I think the mystery fish is trying to spawn with the dominate angelfish. Could they do that? I breed beta fish so I know what spawning looks like.
Answer: It’s practically impossible.
Tammy on October 11, 2009, 4:22 pm wrote
I just got a 36 gallon which came w/2 angelfish & 3 green cory catfish. I added mine from my 10 gallon - 2 neon tetras, 2 zebra danios, 2 gold skirt tetras, 1 powder blue gourami & 1 pleco. Went today & got 2 silver hatchetfish, 2 lamp eye tetras, & 2 long finned red minor tetras. Have I got too many? I noticed one of the angels chasing some of the other fish around & it has me worried? I tried to follow the "inch per gallon" rule, but I have read this doesn’t apply to angels. Also, I have been told that you don’t have to count bottom feeders into the inch rule. Is this correct?
Answer: Yes, you overstocked the aquarium. Angelfish need more space than usual because they’re tall. It’s necessary to have an aquarium that’s at least 40-50cm tall. Bottom feeders don’t count as they usually don’t swim in top or middle levels of the aquarium.
lucy on October 18, 2009, 8:09 pm wrote
Why do angle fishes eat their eggs some time?
Answer: Because they’re full of proteins and because when there are too many fish in the tank, the parents don’t feel comfortable and they rather eat the eggs.
speedy on October 18, 2009, 11:21 pm wrote
I have a black angelfish with a kind of a silver stripes and he is in a tank with four tetras. They tend to get along fine.Tthe only problem is that the teras like to nip at the angelfish and he tends to not be too much of an angel to them when they mess with him.
Linh Dang on October 27, 2009, 7:21 am wrote
Hi, your page is very helpful, and I’d love to know which type of angle fish is rarest, cheers.
Answer: There are basically three main species of Angelfish. The most common species sold in the aquatic stores are the Scalare where there are now many colour variations due to selective breeding. The next most common are the Altum Angelfish which have a stunning silver body colouration and well defined black vertical stripes. To answer your question, the rarest true species of Angelfish are the Leopoldi and these are very difficult to find for sale anywhere. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Lynne on November 11, 2009, 4:55 pm wrote
Hi, I have a 96 liter tank, it had one large angel fish, I added one small angel fish, a siamese fighter male and female. The angel fish killed both of the siamese within two days and is now chasing and nipping the smaller angel fish all of the time - should I take him to the pet shop? He is really very beautiful, black lace with lovely stripes and he must be about 5cm but I really want a variety of fish but I don’t want them bullied or killed. Any advice gratefully received, thank you! Lynne
Answer: Of course, if one fish is too dominant to keep other small fish in the same aquarium, returning it back or finding a new home for all small specimens is the best solution of this situation. I’m not sure if your fish tank is planted enough, because having a planted aquarium helps to get rid of aggression in many cases.
Alyssa Spinks on November 15, 2009, 10:27 am wrote
Hi, I just bought a starter kit 20 gallon aquarium. I let it run with bubbles and put the temp to about 75 degrees. I just bought 3 tiny angel fish (silver dollar size), and they are swimming doing good. I have read about putting conditioner in the water each time you clean and before the fish go in (which i did), I have stuff called Prome or something close to that name; Do I add that each time I clean the tank and add new water? Also the brand Tetra says I should add stuff called API STRESS COAT, API STRESS ZYME for the water condition. And to add AMMO LOCK to protect them from the amonia. Should I do this? Because I have been told I don’t need to but I want them as healthy as possible. Also Tetra says to add API MELAFIX for the first three days to prevent infections. Should I do so? I am confused because I have been told it’s OK not to but I want to be sure they live long and are healthy as possible. Also I bought the Prome which I was told was the best out there, not sure what to use please, help. Also, is this 20 gallon tank large enough for the 3 very small angels for now? I planned on getting a larger one in a year or less when they grow. How long does it take to get fully grown? Do I take my decorations out every time I vacuum the rocks? I have pink jewels I bought from the pet aqua store on the bottom with the rocks, should I take them out too? Sorry for so many questions. TOTALLY new to this and want my fish very happy and healthy and I don’t want to see one die I am afraid of that! If possible please take the time to answer my questions: 1. Should I use the bottled chemicals recommended by Tetra, or just use the Prome bottle and nothing else when I clean it? 2. Do I take decorations and jewels out when I clean poop out (vacuum/or whatever it is called)? 3. Is a 20 gallon take good for these 3 small angels for now, and for how long will this size be OK, if at all? (I plan to add upgrade when they start to get bigger.)
Answer: 1) You don’t need to use all chemicals. Companies will tell you to use them, but if water in your aquarium is really stable and of good quality, you won’t need anything. It’s necessary to know pH, dGH, KH and temperature, of course. If pH is about 7, if dGH is say 4 or 10, if KH is at least 4, if temperature is say 24°C, then it’s all OK! 2) Never change all water. Do regular water changes if possible (but it’s not necessary if water in your aquarium shows stability in terms of the above-mentioned parameters), always change 10%-20% of water. You won’t need to take the decorations out. 3) A 20 gallon aquarium isn’t big enough for 3 Angelfish once they reach adult size. They’ll be almost fully grown in the 8 months of age. It’s also important to offer them at least 50 cm of height. Otherwise their fins will degenerate. Fish won’t die, but their fins will be formed unnaturally.
Tanya on November 23, 2009, 12:49 am wrote
Hello, I have a 45 gallon hexagon shaped aquarium. I recently had an angel die after being in the tank for over 1 year. I went and bought 2 more angels with only 1 of them surviving. I have had my water tested and the nitrate level was elevated so I changed approximately 10 gallons of water and then again changed 6 gallons the next day. Previous to the water changes I noticed my 2 years old angel was acting funny and his head started looking like his scales were falling off. So I treated it for ich and added a nitrate/nitrite/slime coat product then changed another 6 gallons. (I use RO water only w/ an additive for nutrients). Today I noticed that it looks like his fins are disappearing. Please help!! I will be devastated if he dies.
Answer: I believe that this is a water quality issue, even if you are using RO water you need to get the mineral content to the required level. What is the pH reading of your water? I have used RO water for many years now and found the best way is to use a percentage of this water mixed with mains water to keep it well buffered and prevent any pH swings, it also saves a lot of money on purchasing re-mineralising powder. [Answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
joe on December 15, 2009, 4:38 pm wrote
I have recently setup a 100 liter tank, approx 26 gallon. I have a pair of angelfish, was wondering what to add to the aquarium next; a pair of swordtails or 3-4 corydoras or 3-4 hachetfish?
Answer: Definitely corydoras. But instead of 3-4 specimens, try 10! The more, the better! Corydoras should be kept in groups and they feel very good then.
divejulea. on December 15, 2009, 8:14 pm wrote
Yesterday I’ve bought 2 golden angelfish; Today, the one laid between 250 - 300 eggs. And the second fish slides on top of the eggs - what’s going on? When will the eggs hatch? And what food should I feed the babies - if finally they hatch? Please, help.
Answer: Looks like you bought a pair; The female first lays eggs, then they’re fertilised by a male. This is what has happened in your aquarium. The fry should be fed Artemia Salina.
Jtini87 on December 29, 2009, 4:41 am wrote
Hello I’m new to the aquarium world. I’m planning on getting one or two angel fish depending what is best, the thing is I want to make sure that I can make a habitat for my angel fish that will guarantee survival, but all I want is one fish, what is best for a starter aquarium?
Answer: Perhaps you need a fish to start the nitrogen cycle? If yes, then try snails. They produce excrements and are usually hardier than any fish.
James Evans on December 30, 2009, 5:13 am wrote
I have eco-complete substrate (crushed coral), I would like to put live plants in my tank then get some angel fish and other tank mates. Do I have to change my substrate for the plants?
Answer: As long as you’re using fertilizers, you don’t need to change the substrate. Just make sure that the plants can attach themselves to the substrate naturally (by roots or rhizomes for instance).
gg4 on December 31, 2009, 6:40 am wrote
Can someone tell if being overly aggressive is normal for parent guarding eggs, it has almost killed a tankmate!
Answer: It is not normal, however in small aquariums or in aquariums where territories are too small, an Angelfish may become aggressive. Once again, it’s not normal, but it may occur.
mohit on January 2, 2010, 2:58 pm wrote
I’ve a 70l tank with 5 angel fish; around 4 cm. I also have 4 3 cm goldfish. I want to know if I can add any other fish or by how much should I upgrade the size of the tank.
Answer: Definitely a 70 liters tank isn’t enough for even 5 angelfish or 4 goldfish. 300 liters is the smallest aquarium you should consider for your fish’ needs.
Angela Harris on January 7, 2010, 2:32 am wrote
I own two black and silver vieltail angels, they are very nice. I was watching them and found out that when I go to bed at night they are deep silver and with black stripes, but when I wake up and turn on the light they are white like pearlescent. Within 10 minutes they get their colors back. It is like watching a polaroid developing. I was wondering if anyone knows why they do this. Please let me know if you have any ideas. Your ideas would be helpful!
Answer: It’s normal, you don’t need to worry. It’s a reaction to the light. If you want to get rid of these colours changes, use two lighting systems; turn on on light and after a couple of minutes turn on the second one. There are also systems that slowly increase the lighting intensity - but they’re usually more expensive than simple lights.
Sophie Smith on January 10, 2010, 8:25 pm wrote
Hi all, I have 175l which has been set up for about 6 weeks now. The tank is now fully cycled and my ammonia and nitrite is around 0, with the nitrate a little above 0 between water changes. Currently building up stock and have 9 penguin tetra, 8 black neon tetra, 5 corys. Want to get another set of tetra - probably congo - and a pair each of dwarf gourami and red honey gourami. Then the plan is to get a pair of angels. Will the angels get on with the rest of the planned community? The tetras and corys are fine, but what about the gouramis? I have heard that the red honeys (being smaller than other gouramis) are timid and wonder if the angels are going to be aggressive towards them? Plan to get very small angels so they have time to grow. Any suggestions much appreciated.
Answer: It should be fine. In my experience Angelfish and Dwarf Gouramis get along well.
lee on January 14, 2010, 4:45 am wrote
I have a 50 gallon fish tank that is 75 cm tall. In there I have 5 angels, 1 of them is probably half grown, the others about a inch body size. Would I have problems if I put in a nearly full grown angel or will my tank get overstocked? In the tank I have 2 internal filters 8oo LPH, I have had no problems with the ones I have in there now. Also in the tank I have : 2 gold rams 4 blue rams 3 albino corys 1 clown pleco 8 zebra danios 5 neon tetras 6 glowlite tetras 1 common plec (getting rehomed soon) 1 red tailed shark (also getting rehomed) Thanks for any comments guys!
Answer: A fully grown specimen might be harassing smaller angelfish, and also may be aggressive toward neon tetras. However if that fish has been living with these species, it wouldn’t be any problem at all. Anyway, my personal opinion is that 6 angelfish is too much for a 50 G aquarium.
Tiffany on January 15, 2010, 8:09 am wrote
I have a 20 gallon tank with a dalmatian molly, 3 danios, a guppy which I know I should get a few more, but we also got an angelfish 2 days ago, which I am now thinking was a mistake. He sits in the corner of the tank most of the time until the lights are off and that we can see is not eating. Is this normal? And I’m also curious as to what to do with the angelfish? All of our fish are delinquents. I know there is a risk, but if we got one more angelfish and a few more guppies would that create problems? Because they are the 2 singled out fish in the tank. What should I do? Thank you :)
Answer: You should return the angelfish to where you bought it. Buying another one will be a mistake because a 20 gallon aquarium isn’t big enough for two adult angelfish, that’s for sure.
leo on January 17, 2010, 2:48 pm wrote
I was wondering if I could get 1 angelfish. I have a 63L with 2 blue Gouramis, 8 neon tetras, 4 cherry barbs and 5 Black widow tetras. Is it possible? Awesome site!
Answer: It’s possible, but I don’t recommend it. 2 gouramis is quite enough. Moreover, aquariums that are smaller than 80-90 liters aren’t usually high enough. Bear in mind that Angelfish require high aquariums! I personally recommend 50 cm at least. About 5 cm is substrate, about 3 cm are not filled at the top, so then it’s something about 40 cm of water column.
Mel on January 25, 2010, 7:11 am wrote
Since you seem to be helpful and willing to answer questions, here it goes: I have a 48 gallon (181 L) with 4 angles, 2 small cories, and a pleco. This group has been there for about 8 months. Two of my angles have tried spawning twice; after spawning, the other fish make a meal out of the eggs. This doesn’t bother me too much since I’m not to interested in raising fry. My angles tend to be somewhat hostile towards each other. I’m assuming that it’s just because the mating pair are protective of their space. My question is: 1) In your opinion, did I over-populate this tank? 2) I’ve raised African Cichlids before, and have been told that it’s a good idea to over-populate the tank so that aggression is spread out amongst the group. Does this apply to angels? Thanks.
Answer: 1) You haven’t overpopulated the aquarium. 2) It is not a good idea to overpopulate any aquarium. The more fish, the more aggression.
Stephanie on January 31, 2010, 3:23 pm wrote
Hello, I just got a 85 gallon aquarium and I know that I want the tank to be filled with neon tetras and sword tails, neon rainbows and Zebra Danios. My mom once had a 35 gall and had 2 angels, 2 swordtails and 6 neons, so I know that they can get along. My fear is that the neons will either get eaten by the angels or sucked up to the filter. I don’t really want to put a divider in because I want the angels to grow big. So hear are my questions: 1. Will I need to get a divider to keep the angels and neons separated as well as keeping the neons from the filter? 2. How many of each would be suitable; I know 6 neons is normal but what about the others? 3. Which ones would be best to buy and introduce together in sets?
Answer: The divider is not necessary as long as fish get along; Thus, buy all as juveniles at once. Bigger fish won’t consider smaller ones as food. It is not required to keep Tetras away from filter as they are good swimmers. Only sick or dead fish may be sucked into the filter; along with fry, but it’s not your case at the moment. Such a big aquarium is OK for say 30 Neon Tetras, 4-5 Angelfish, 10 Zebra Danios, 4 Swordtails.
Jen on February 5, 2010, 11:14 am wrote
Hello I purchased 5 angelfish 3 months ago and they have since doubled in size. I have a 46 gallon tank and now I’m worried about overcrowding because I would like to add a few more fish. My water has recently became very cloudy and I’ve checked the pH which seems to be at 8 maybe a little high? I would also like to know how to tell the difference between male and female. I appreciate any help. Thanks.
Answer: pH of 8 shouldn’t be a problem as long as carbonate hardness is at least 4. Cloudy water is usually caused by algae or by impurities that decompose (excrements, uneaten food, dead fish, snail, plant). Sexing Angelfish is hard and the best way to tell sex is watching how the fish pair with each other. Males usually fight and so do females (although less). Once they’re ready to breed, you will see which are males and which are females. I don’t recommend you to put more fish into your fish tank. I would even give one or two Angelfishes to someone else.
gayle on February 10, 2010, 11:24 am wrote
I have a 30 gallon tank with 2 discus, 3 molly, 1 paradise, 1 biker, 2 rosey barbs, 3 black skirt tetras, 1 algea eater and 1 african butterfly. I had 2 angels in the tank and they died. This is a fairly new tank - 1 month. I really want to replace the angels but I feel after reading the comments above that I may have over crowded. Everyone seems to be doing fine though. Please advise.
Answer: Yes, your aquarium is overcrowded already. Also, you keep only a few black skirt tetras which is not good for their comfort.
latisha on February 11, 2010, 8:38 pm wrote
What food should I give my baby anglefish?
Answer: Artemia Salina.
Bill Ecob on February 16, 2010, 2:40 am wrote
I’ve had 2 Angelfish alone with a Cory for several years in a 20 gallon high tank. They breed regularly (every month or so) and seem to tend the eggs after laying them; until I turn out the lights! That somehow signals them to eat them. I’ve only managed to have two clutches survive by leaving the light on only to have the fry promptly devoured. They lay the eggs on the same leaf every time so I’m loath to remove it. How do I encourage better parenting?
Answer: Try using a divider. Size of the aquarium could be a problem too, but creating or buying a divider is surely a cheaper solution.
Jenn on February 19, 2010, 4:22 pm wrote
I purchased a 10 gallon tank. I first bought 3 guppies and one angelfish. Now I just added 3 more guppies and 2 tiny neon tetras and added plants. The angelfish isn’t that big, but I’ve noticed thats the guppies fins are getting nipped at. And I read up on that neon tetras are a schooling species and should be in groups of ten. So that means in a 10 G tank 6 guppies 10 neon tetras and 1 angelfish. I think that’s bad. I plan on getting another tank a bigger one! My question is what size should I get? And should I put the angel fish and a couple more angelfish in the new one. Or get a couple more angelfish and put them in the 10 G tanks and move the 6 guppies and 10 neon tetras into a bigger tank? Who goes in what tank? Is the 10 G tank too small for 6 guppies and 10 neon tetras? Plus I think one of the guppies is pregnant but I’m not sure, what does it mean when it hides in the plants on the bottom of the rocks? Another thing is the temperature is at 80 F is that OK for all of them?
Answer: a 10 gallon fish tank isn’t big enough for even 1 specimen (Angelfish). If I were you, I’d surely buy at least a 40 gallon aquarium. Then all fish could be kept together as long as plants are present in the tank. You should keep more Neon tetras as you’ve already mentioned. 10 or 20. I recommend even 30. If you want to use that 10 gallon aquarium, then it’s suitable for Guppies only. If you’re asking about Guppies, please visit the article about Guppies. This website contains plenty of pages not only about Angelfish or Guppies (use the search box or simply click on non-underlined blue text links within the article; not meant as AdSense ads or Infolinks ads). Anyway, if a Guppy is hiding, it doesn’t feel OK. This might be closely related to size of your aquarium. The temperature of 80 Fahrenheit is OK even though it could be a little lower.
Amy on February 22, 2010, 3:45 am wrote
Hello, I’m hoping to get a tropical fish tank soon but I think it will be between 10 - 29 gallons depending on what my mum says, but I’d love to have one angelfish, guppies and maybe a few harlequin rasboras. Do you know any good tank mates for an angelfish? Those are just suggestions. I’d also like either algae eaters or some kind of pleco, but I don’t know what size they can grow up to and how many gallons some need. So the questions I’m asking are 1) What are good tankmates for angelfish (if I have a 10 - 29 gallon aquarium). I cant’ give a precise size because I’m only 13 and my mum needs to tell me what size roughly. 2) Do you know the kind of freshwater fish that is like gold if a male and a bronze/ opal colour if female? Because I would really want some of such fish with my angels but I don’t know if they’d get along and I can’t remember the name. I really hope you can help me as soon as possible. Thank you - I think this is a genuinely good site and I will keep on coming here !
Answer: Buy Angelfish only if your aquarium is 29 gallons big! For Angelfish the bigger is better. If a tank is tall enough, then say a 20 gallon aquarium could be sufficient, but surely not big enough. So if you’re about to get a 20 gallon one, then Guppies aren’t the most suitable tankmates as Angelfish may tend to eat them. Especially the fry will be eaten in a blink of an eye. In fact, in a 29 gallon aquarium, only algae eaters should be considered as potential tankmates. Bristlenose catfish is what I recommend you (we have pages about this species, use search box at the top of this page). Eventually Coryodoras species. Corydoras Panda looks very pretty. If you decide to keep other species than Angelfish, I strongly recommend you Dwarf Gourami. They’re not that big, are peaceful and if kept in a pair, they’ll most likely breed often. Regarding your second question: There are so many species that I can’t tell you which it would be. Sorry. Maybe you’re referring to some Gourami species, maybe some livebearers, am not sure. Bear in mind that there are colour variants of one species in many cases and thus it’s hard to tell.
tara on February 24, 2010, 8:43 am wrote
What fish goes with angel fish in 1 of my tanks, I have mollys, swordfish?
Answer: Both mollies and swordtails can be kept along with angelfish if the aquarium is big enough and if water conditions are suitable for these species.
diego on February 24, 2010, 12:11 pm wrote
My sister gave my daughter a 10 gallon tank. My daughter is only 8 yrs-old and wondering what are good, easy to take care of fishes for her to keep in the 10g tank. We are fairly new to this. When she gets good at this we are looking to upgrade, but for now we are satisfied with the 10g.
Answer: Guppies :) .
Terrence on March 3, 2010, 2:28 am wrote
All of a sudden my angel fish has become extremely aggressive. For about 8 months it has lived peaceably. I have a 50 gallon tank & the angelfish has recently killed one shark, 2 tetras, 2 gourami’s, 2 platys. Now there are only 2 sharks surviving. What do I do? Please help!
Answer: Even though these fish are usually peaceful, filling a 50 gallon aquarium with that much fish (which aren’t small!) is not wise. Perhaps your angelfish is now adult and decided that his tank is too small for all these fish. You haven’t mentioned if there is enough plants in the aquarium. I’m sure that in a heavily planted aquarium, which is not overcrowded, the angelfish would live peacefully.
jay on March 8, 2010, 7:21 am wrote
How much does it cost to buy one Angelfish specimen?
Answer: Angelfish aren’t expensive. The price usually starts at $0.50, but can be raised to over $10 per specimen depending on it’s age or colour. Juveniles are usually cheap.
Chris Collins on March 8, 2010, 6:19 pm wrote
Is a 29 us gallon aquarium with 5 blackskirt tetras sufficient for 2 angels?
Answer: If it’s high enough (at least 50 cm preferably), then surely YES.
bryan on March 10, 2010, 6:01 am wrote
Hello, I have a well established, heavily planted 60 Gallon tank. I have 10 Pristella tetras, a dozen gallaxy rasboras, half dozen Endler’s, some ottos, 7 cories and a variety of shrimp. I also have 2 Flying Fox’s. I have focused on making this a very friendly tank for small fish and shrimp but would like to have something larger. I would love to put 2 or 3 angels in the tank but am not sure if they would get picked on by the flying fox’s (although they’ve shown no aggressiveness towards anyone so far) or if they would eat the smaller fish like endlers or galaxy rasboras once they grow. Would 2 or 3 angels make this tank overstocked? I know you’ve already answered versions of these questions already on this thread, I’d just like to hear your opinion about my specific situation.
Answer: As your aquarium is planted enough, and as you keep all mentioned fish, I think it won’t be a problem to add 2 or 3 angelfish. The aquarium won’t be overstocked. Angelfish shouldn’t eat smaller neighbors once they’re fully grown. I keep small tetras along with angelfish and they let them be :) .
cathryn on March 11, 2010, 12:33 pm wrote
My husband bought be a 40 gallon tall aquarium and I would like to keep some angelfish, how many would be happy in the tank? I would like to add a small group of tetras or danios. What do you recommend?
Answer: 2 specimens would be my choice. Danios or tetras only if angelfish are juveniles.
Concerned on March 15, 2010, 5:52 am wrote
I have a community tank with 3 angels, they are very content and good. Recently I added 2 new angels to the tank. 1 of the three angles are being a little aggressive and nipping at the two new ones. Will the 1 old fish stop picking on the new ones and realize they are staying?
Answer: Yes, it has been mentioned here a couple of times already. They fight because of dominance. As long as your aquarium is big enough for 5 angelfish, they’ll be OK.
todd mck on March 15, 2010, 2:32 pm wrote
I have a 70 gallon tank with all real plants, drift wood, rocks etc. Also have 5 angelfish, 2 corie catfish. 2 angelfish have laid eggs and - now have baby fry. So far the other fish have been run away, but what are the odds of the fry making it to adulthood? The parents are chewing up the flakes I feed them and giving it to the fry, I have done no special feeding or care also.
Answer: Natural mortality always exists. Sometimes it’s up to 80%, sometimes only 20%. However, if 80% of newborns die, you can be really assured that the remaining 20% are strong fish. No-one can 100% tell you how many are going to reach adulthood. Sometimes even a single specimen doesn’t make it to the first two months.
mas on March 20, 2010, 1:11 am wrote
Hi, fabulous site... 2 questions: 1. I have a 190l tank Juwel Trigon 190 with bogwood and live plants. I have 2 albino pleco’s only (tank was started 10 days ago and just added the pleco’s). How many angelfish do you recommend I keep and when to add them. I want to maximise the tank for keeping Angel fish. 2. What background is best to help them feel secure? Many thanks in advance, Mas - London
Answer: 3-4 specimens would be good. You can add them anytime you want as Angelfish don’t produce too much excrements. So the aquarium doesn’t need to be 100% cycled. Regarding background: Anything that isn’t too dark. My own aquarium is without any background and fish feel quite good in my opinion.
Ahmad on March 24, 2010, 9:49 am wrote
i have a 10 gallon aquarium, one pleco, one betta, two black mollies, two platies, and two semi-juvenile angelfish. I’m worried that my angelfish will eventually get too big to live in my tank, can this really harm them?
Answer: Angefish’ fins will be deformed and they will fight for territory unless you put really many plants into the aquarium. They (angelfish) should stay peaceful toward other species, but I’m not 100% sure.
rickjamez on March 29, 2010, 2:55 pm wrote
I have a 50 gallon tank with 2 quarter sized angels and 2 half dollar sized angels, 2 freshwater clams, 2 plecos, and a snail. I have 1 real plant and 4 fake plants, nice sized piece of slate, and a bubble wand that is 18" long. I feed the tank a mix of flakes and frozen mysis shrimp. I have noticed one of the plecos is very whitish in color while the other is very dark, when I bought them they were both very dark, is that normal? And also one of the larger angels seems to not eat as much as she did about a week ago? I have a lot of air going into tank to the point where it almost looks like soap suds, is this normal &/or OK? And it seems like the fish feces are abnormally long? Any help is appreciated.
Answer: Reading through all of your question there are a few things I would change. Add a regulator valve to the airline to reduce the flow, these only cost a few pennies and are excellent at what they do. As long as the water surface is rippling then that is plenty of movement to introduce oxygen. There is not enough vegetable matter going into the tank so it sounds like some of your fish are getting constipated. Try adding some blanched peas or zucchini every now and again to clean out the digestive system. [answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Peter on March 31, 2010, 6:12 am wrote
Could an Angelfish survive in a Biorb and for how long before it outgrows it? I understand from above that they do get quite big and it probably isn’t optimal, but could it live quite happily?
Answer: In my experience Biorb isn’t only 1 aquarium, there are more different sizes. So... If your aquarium is up to 20 liters, then your Angelfish must be moved immediately unless it’s a newborn or a 2-3 cm long specimen. If your Biorb aquarium is up to 40 liters, then you can keep your fish in there until it reaches 6-7 cm in length. If you have a big bowl, then perhaps your Angelfish can be happy. However, height of the aquarium must be at least 40 cm.
will cooper on April 5, 2010, 1:18 pm wrote
I have a 125 gallon tank which has 18" of height after substrate and room on top. I am interested in angel fish and bala sharks, and using hair grass and some taller (big leafed) plants with some cave or log formation. How many angels and balas would be appropriate for this set up? Also what would be a good bottom cleaner? I plan on this tank being heavily planted. What are your suggestions on the quantity of the two fish and a good bottom fish? Thanks!
Answer: As you can see in the Bala Shark Care article, a 125 gallon aquarium won’t be suitable for a group of Bala Sharks. Regarding Angelfish: Up to 10 specimens can be kept in such an aquarium, however 6-8 would be better in my experience. Bottom cleaners: I’d choose some corydoras. My favourite are Panda Cories, but one can choose from many of them. Even big plecos such Glyptoperichthys Gibbiceps should be taken into consideration.
Jesse on April 6, 2010, 5:34 am wrote
I recently got a brother and sister from a breeding pair. These fish seem healthy but I don’t ever notice them eating. Temp is between 80-82 deg, many places to hide. But they are very skiddish. I don’t want these fish to die!!! Please help.
Answer: "Recently" can be a day, two, three or just a couple of hours. Acclimatisation is a process that takes a couple of days, usually in a week fish are fully acclimatised if everything goes just fine. You can try feeding them bloodworms, various larvae or some live food. The fish should go for it.
jamie on April 7, 2010, 2:59 am wrote
I have a 10 gallon tank with 5 neon tetra, 3 lemon tetra, 2 ghost tetra, 1 common pleco and 1 small angelfish. Forgot to say it’s a 10 gallon tall, not wide. Will all these fish be OK in there or not? I only ask because I will be buying a 400L tank in the near future anyway, but do you think I need to buy this sooner or will they be OK for 4-6 months?
Answer: It’s questionable, all depends on how fast the angelfish grows. I think that 4 months could do it, but surely not more than 4 months in such a small tank.
Ayshi. I on April 7, 2010, 11:09 am wrote
Yeah hi, I have a 300l tank. I have 14 angels fishes and 1 beta fish and 1 shark. What will happen to my angel fish? Will the beta fish and shark kill them? Is my tank overcrowded?
Answer: As long as the angelfish are big enough, the beta fish and shark should leave them alone. However, 14 angels in a 300 liters fish tank is too much. They will fight for territories as they grow.
dennis on April 7, 2010, 2:48 pm wrote
I only have one angel fish, what should I do with the eggs?
Answer: Nothing. Maybe the fish will eat them. If not the fish, then snails for sure. If not snails, they will turn to fungus in a couple of days and will disappear later.
Rob on April 12, 2010, 9:30 pm wrote
I have a 55 gallon fish tank I set up 2 weeks ago and added two dime size black marble angels one week ago. Everything was fine, then suddenly both fish died on the same day. I tested the water with an ammonia test kit and a 5-1 test kit. Both tests showed the water as being safe in all areas. What should I do next before adding angels again. I currently have no fish in the tank.
Answer: Perhaps you could try adding some apple snails to produce some excrements first, then the nitrification bacteria will take the place, things will become stable. Wait 2 weeks and then add some hardy catfish for example. And if they do well for about a week or two, add other species.
cori seybert on April 13, 2010, 8:19 am wrote
Hi, can you please tell me if red fin silver dollar fish and angle fish get along? We have a 90 gallon tank. 2 silver dollars fully grown and 4 baby angle fish and a catfish and a sucky fish and 3 other fish. Thanks!
Answer: I think you have answered your own question there, you say that you already have 4 baby Angelfish in the tank so the must be getting along with the Silver Dollars. Both species of fish like the same water parameters and your tank is large enough to house both species. What are the other 3 fish that you mention? [answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
sarah on April 14, 2010, 8:01 pm wrote
Hi, I have a question about the markings on my angelfish. I’ve had them for 5 months and growing nicely. I have noticed in the past week that there seems to be a black round mark appear behind their eyes. All specs are fine. They look happy. Do their markings change with maturity? Thanks you!
Answer: Markings come and go, especially during maturing.
ANNE-MARIE on April 19, 2010, 8:34 am wrote
I have one angel fish, a couple of red fin sharks, and one big blue gourami, and a whole bunch of eggs, the angel fish has taken responsibility for them. What do I do? If I separate them, do I put the angel fish with them, what am I going to end up with? Can someone help me?
Answer: Looks like your Angelfish laid eggs. However, it is necessary to keep a male in the same aquarium in order to let him fertilize the eggs. No male = no chance of having the fry. You can let them be, the eggs will be most likely eaten.
Nicole on April 28, 2010, 12:35 pm wrote
My Angel fish just laid their eggs 2 hours ago and the male fertilized them, so now what do I do?
Answer: Keep monitoring the aquarium; If parents or any other fish in the tank try to eat the eggs, immediately move the eggs (most likely laid on some plant) into another aquarium or use a divider in order to prevent them from being eaten.
abinadab on May 4, 2010, 4:53 am wrote
I love angel fish very much. I have 6 black molly, 2 angel fish, 4 gold fish, 2 white molly, 2 yellow molly, 50 guppies, 2 sharks, 2 tiger barb, 2 platies.
robert maxwell on May 4, 2010, 8:25 pm wrote
Hi, I have 2 angle fish. 1 is as large as my hand, this fish is my problem. I have a discus in the tank which has about 30 fish. My problem is that the angle is attacking the discus which never did before. They have been in the tank together for some time getting on OK, but now the angle is always going for the discus. Could you please put some light on this problem?
Answer: The reason of such behaviour can be simple; Territories. You haven’t mentioned age of your angelfish. If it’s just becoming adult, then the angelfish may feel endangered by Discus. Also the size of your aquarium is very important. Isn’t it too small? In my experience fish are less aggressive in large aquariums.
shane on May 12, 2010, 6:11 pm wrote
When can I separate eggs from parents? My other fish steal them at night.
Answer: Once they’re laid. In my experience the eggs are usually laid in the evening, or after noon. When you notice that the eggs have been laid, act immediately.
tanya on May 21, 2010, 7:11 pm wrote
I have an angel fish that got stuck in the filter of the tank. And after I pulled it out I discovered that one of its fins was ripped and it couldn’t swim. It kept trying to move the side that works but just ended floating to the top, while still attempting to move the other fin. Now it’s floating on the surface trying to swim but it can’t. Is there anything that I can do to help it? Please answer me soon, my fish could die! Thank you.
Answer: It must be a more serious injury than just a problem with fin. I kept Angelfish who were missing fins due to fights, and they could swim just fine. I think that euthanasia would be the best thing for your fish.
Danna Mabie on May 22, 2010, 2:42 am wrote
I have a ten gal. tank with 2 molies and 2 red wags. Each time I try to add an angelfish, the poor thing dies. First one within 5 hours. got another one that lasted 48 hours. He swam upside down floated to the bottom and died. Why? What am I doing wrong? Thanks for any info.
Answer: A 10 gallon tank is nowhere near large enough to house an Angelfish. The additions should not have died in such a short period so I am assuming it must be a water quality issue. You need to test your water to make sure that there is no ammonia or nitrites present. Mollies and Angelfish are totally incompatible as they both require different water parameters. [answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
cindi on May 27, 2010, 12:43 am wrote
Those are the most wonderful fishes I have ever seen.
Paula on May 30, 2010, 9:17 am wrote
I have a tank with 3 clown loaches, 1 male betta, 3 guppies, 1 red claw crab, 1 5"pleco, 6 platys, 4 corys, 4 large angel fish and tonight have just added 4 beautiful 3 month old blue angels (stunning) and one silver large angel. They are still establishing boundaries but nothing too bad yet, infact my shy angel who used to hide away has been out and about, swimming around enjoying herself, mixed the tank about a bit after adding new angels, this helped them out I think, not so territorial. I’ll let you know how things go over next couple of weeks, (fingers crossed).
Miranda on June 2, 2010, 1:19 am wrote
Would a 20 Gallon aquarium suffice for 2 angel fish? I had originally a betta and a school of golden tetra in my 20 gallon but my betta got a little aggressive towards the tetra which was a little unusual he had never done this after months and months of being in the same tank together so now the betta was put in a 5.5 gallon tank and is doing fine. I have 2 gold tetra (survivors From my betta) in the tank with 4 small algea eating fish (won’t be keeping all four in there forever). So back to my original question if I had the tetra in another tank or when they died would it be okay for me to put two angel fish in the 20 gallon tank or would they need more space. the dimensions: there is about 1 feet of water *Not including gravel (going upwards obviously) and 2 feet length wide.
Answer: The aquarium is not big enough. Depth is very important, 1 feet is too small. I know it because a long time ago I kept small Angelfish in a 90x90x30 cm fish tank (30 cm is approximately 1 feet) and had to donate them as the fish had no space for swimming vertically and also their fins became deformed a little.
dylan on June 2, 2010, 6:53 am wrote
Hi, I’m from south Africa and am a fairly new fish enthusiast. I have 2 x 250 lite 1.2m x 450 cm x 450 cm liter tanks and a small breeding tank for my guppy’s. My first tank has angles; 3 big ones and 4 baby’s. The older black angel keeps attacking the two new big ones. I am also adding blue and golden rams because they are so beautiful with the angles. Will the rams be OK or am I over doing the amount of fish? I have rock caves in the background and live greenery plants around the rocks and sides. It is absolutely beautiful. My question is, have I over done the tank? My filtration system consists of a hang on filter, two power heads through the gravel mats. My other big tank is my Malawi tank with two convicts trying to breed which is beautiful and a few mbunas. I want to get some peacocks, the malawis have such a character. I’m changing my tank to put more rocks and a nice mapani root on the back glass with some plants. My filtration set up is a canister filter and a big power head through the gravel mats. My questions are 1 Are there too many angles? 2 Will the rams be OK with the angles? 3 What is the best pH to keep them in and how hard or soft must the water be? 4 Is my filtration set up in both tanks sufficient? Thank you for your lovely web site! Thank you and best wishes! Dylan
Answer: 3 Angelfish are OK in a 250 liter aquarium. Angelfish and Ram cichlids are both peaceful species, you can keep them together. pH for Angelfish should be somewhere around 7. It’s good for Ram cichlids too. In my opinion the filtration systems are good enough for your fish tanks. However, you haven’t mentioned the flow rate. On the other hand, a 250 liters aquarium isn’t that big and the above-mentioned filters types can be sufficient.
Renee on June 6, 2010, 2:30 pm wrote
Hello, I have a 55 gallon planted tank. I have 4 otos, 3 peppered cory, 6 rainbow (2 males/4 females) and 4 (quarter size) angelfish. Is the tank big enough for them when full grown? Thanks, Renee Very informative site....
Answer: Perhaps yes, although I’d use a bigger aquarium for such a companion.
Casey on June 10, 2010, 12:44 am wrote
Hi :) I wonder if you can solve my problem with my 2 angels. They lived with a silver shark, clown loach, a molly and 2 neons in a 4 foot tank, I’ve had the 2 angels from the start for about a year now and one of my angels did lay eggs but never got fertilized so I think she ate them. I don’t know. About 4 months after she laid eggs she has been very aggressive towards my other angel, like pecking and nibbling at her fins until she stressed her out that bad I had to remove the other angel that was being attacked into another small tank by herself, she is now slowly healing. But my question is, could I put her back with the others or would she be better off on her own cause they all grew up together? I just don’t understand why my angel fish just suddenly goes crazy on the other one just like that out of no where.
Answer: How big exactly is your aquarium? Angelfish may be aggressive toward each other, but usually this happens during breeding only. I suppose your fish are two females; thus adding a male could help. If you let your fish heal itself in another tank, it can become stronger and further fights could end up differently. It’s also possible that the weaker fish could become the dominant one. Adding plants can help too. Anyway, if your fish can’t live peacefully in one aquarium, let them live separately.
daniel on June 17, 2010, 1:28 pm wrote
I have 30 a gallon tank. 1 bala shark, 1catfish, 1angel and unfortunately 1guppie. Can I add another angel if I remove guppie and can I put the guppie in my 10 gallon with 2 blue gouarmis, different species 1 male and 1 female? What would be the best arrangement here? Can I add 1 more angel? Will gouarmis kill 1 guppie. He looks uncomfortable, always hiding, but he has plenty places to hide. Thanks for any help!
Answer: I think that a 30 gallon fish tank is too small for such a combination of fish anyway. Secondly, a 10 gallon aquarium is most likely too small for 2 gouramis, except for if they’re dwarf gouramis. The bala shark will require a bigger aquarium, check the bala shark article on our website. If your gouramies are blue or gold, then your guppy will be eaten almost 100%. I can say this because I introduced guppies into an aquarium where gouramis lived... it was a mistake.
akmom21 on June 28, 2010, 8:58 pm wrote
I just though that I would throw this out there because a lot of the suggestions were for bottom fish and tetras but my 2 angel fish and my green severum are all best buddies. They make a really neat mix of shapes and colors. I also have 2 cory cats, 6 skirt tetras, 2 rams, and 2 lemon tetras in a 100 gallon tank. It makes a very interesting set up and every one gets along. They get fish flakes in the morning and blood worms and brine shrimp in the evening. Every one seems happy. You have an excellent site here. It has answered all my questions. Thanks :)
Allison on June 30, 2010, 11:12 pm wrote
Hey, when I decided to start keeping fish I became very interested in the ’’oddball’’ fish, and so when I found my two Albino African Clawed Frogs I was excited to say the least. Upon more research and talking to people who have owned these wonderful aquatic pets I’ve been told that they can be kept with other fish, as long as the their fish are too big to fit in their mouth. And so I only keep fish that reach 6 inches or more. So I have a community with 2 silver dollar tetras, 2 African clawed frogs, 2 striped peacock eels, and 1 Blood Parrot cichlid, they are all still pretty small, and so before they grow too much I am wanting to add some angelfish. Now at first I wanted to add 1 angelfish, but now I am thinking I should add 2, which would be better also would they get along with my fish? My fish all seem pretty easy going, even the BP cichlid. Thank you for the wonderful site.
Answer: How large is your tank as each Angelfish will require at least 10 gallons of swimming space per fish, they also prefer taller tanks due to their swimming habits and the tall growth of their fins, the tank must be at least 18 inches deep, preferably 24 inches. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
pat carroll on July 1, 2010, 7:12 am wrote
I have 16 adult angel fish in a 50 gal. tank now for over 10 years, they have been healthy. I change the water completely once a year, filters are changed once per month. I don’t have babies because they have nowhere to hide and become food for all, I have only seen one once and it disappeared before I could locate a net. When I change the whole tank out I am careful to move them in as close to the same temperature. I am wondering if I should now start to accept them to die of old age soon, what is the life expectancy?
Answer: Yes, they’re old. Angelfish usually live about 7 years.
Andrew Lawson on July 26, 2010, 9:20 pm wrote
I just got a new ten gallon aquarium. I have right now two Diamond Tetras, two Platties, and one Angel Fish. If I put another Angel Fish in on Friday, then another Platy on Saturday, would that be OK? Oh, and I also add that they all are getting along and are actually staying together like a school.
Answer: A 10 gallon aquarium isn’t big enough for one Angelfish (adult specimen), nor for two. Platies should do better in there.
corrina on August 2, 2010, 7:25 pm wrote
I have a breeding pair of angels resulting in babies but had rocky start as they were in lg tank with many other fish so all babies got eaten, so transfered them to their own tank where they proceeded to produce, but after first eggs which were a few got eaten or lost, they had another batch and all looked well until female got really aggressive toward the male and again eggs were not looked after and got fungus on them. Not sure if that is why she reacted that way. I have removed male to give them a break, is this OK and for how long before I can put them back together?
If these are a new pair of breeding Angelfish then the first few batches of eggs are often eaten or ignored, they will learn to be good parents in time. If the female is aggressive to the male once the eggs are laid then you are doing right by separating them, in your case it may be best to separate the eggs from both parents and raise them artificially by feeding the fry with newly hatched brine shrimp once they are free swimmers. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Arun DK on August 5, 2010, 4:18 pm wrote
Hi, this website is awesome. Too informative. I got a 120 Liters (32 inch long, 16 inch wide and high), molded glass aquarium recently and to set it up, I have two Widow tetra fishes currently. I am planning to get some angels and neon tetras. I also do not want to get rid of the Widow tetras. Want to start with small angels. 1) Could you suggest me a combination of angels + neon tetras + widow tetras in my 120 L tank, so that the aquarium is not over crowded? 2) I want to have plants but without much overhead of laying soil. Could I immerse plants inside the pebbles. Would it create any problems?
Answer: 2 Angelfish, 15 Neon tetras, 10 Widow tetras. Attaching plants to pebbles is OK. As their root systems develop. they will grow there nicely without uprooting. The reason why I recommend 2 angels only is that they become quite big after reaching maturity and having say 3-4 males in a 120 liters aquarium would end up with fights for territories. Better have only 2 males. If you can (SOMEHOW) get a female and a male, do it. They will be more peaceful toward each other.
Ryan on August 5, 2010, 6:53 pm wrote
I have had my 2 Angelfish for about a year now since they were juveniles. They grew beautifully & what not & I gave them tank buddies in the process... A redtail shark, albino dwarf catfish & an algae eater. Well couple months back I bought a orange freshwater parrot fish & he thinks he runs the tank and chases all my fish around & I want to get rid of my parrot fish now. But don’t want to kill him. He was too expensive. What should I do?
Answer: Advertise in local newspapers; In my experience this is one of the most effective ways how to get rid of something.
Nicole on August 6, 2010, 1:55 pm wrote
I currently have one marble angel fish, it is in a 10 gallon tank because that was the only tank I had ready for it at the time. I actually had planned on getting a smaller fish for this tank and waiting until my 65 gallon tank was cycled and ready for fish. I saw this angel and fell in love though and was worried it would be gone if I waited as I have never seen one with markings this beautiful. Anyway my question is how many angels can I safely and happily put in a 65 gallon tank? (we bought it used and were told that it is 65 gallons) It is a bowed front tank and measures 36 inches wide and 21 inches tall and 16.5 inches from the front to back of the aquarium. I don’t think they were lying to us about the size, I just don’t know for sure since we did not buy it new in a box. Beside how many angels I can put in there with it, I would like to know if I should put other fish in with them and if so what types. I also have two gouramis (not sure of the spelling on that) one silver, one gold and they seem to do fine with the one angel I have, but was not sure if putting them in the larger tank when it is done cycling is a good idea or not. I would love to have as many angels as possible but I do not want the aquarium crowded or over polluted either. The other angels I will be getting will be smaller than the marble at first but I know they will grow and I just want them all to be happy. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Answer: Firstly, it’s a 54 gallon aquarium (US gallons), or 44.96 UK gallons in my opinion. You can use our calculator too. You could keep 4 Angels in there, however at least 2 should be females. If all were males, they’d fight only. Of course, it is very unlikely to see one Angelfish to kill another Angelfish, but it’s not a good sight anyway. Gouramis do well with Angelfish. In fact when I kept these species together, they didn’t bother each other. 4 or 6 gouramis will be OK in your aquarium. On the other hand I’d rather choose keeping a pair instead of a group. A pair of Angels, a pair of gouramis.
Janet on August 7, 2010, 11:27 am wrote
I have 2 of the silver/black type of angel fish. They are full grown adults. I had them in a community tank (10 gal.) but finally had to banish them to a 5 gal. tank, as my other tropicals would live in terror & hide constantly except for my gourami. I was just reading about the fact that angel fish require a large tank with more than 2 or 3 fish. This is not possible for me due to the fact that I live in a small studio apt. What should I do?? Also, how can you tell the sexes apart? Thank-you!
Answer: Firstly to sexing; It’s already mentioned on this page. However, as you have only 2 fish, it will be easy for you to sex them. Just keep watching is some lays eggs or not. If both lay eggs, then both are females. If only one does so, then it’s a female, the second one is a male. If they don’t lay eggs, both are males. Very dominant males get a hump on their head. Even though it’s not like in Flowerhorns, it is visible. Secondly, sell or donate your fish. Most likely your fish are just juveniles as keeping fully grown specimens in a 5 gallon aquarium is comparable to animal abuse. Advertise in local newspapers, visit local pet stores and put stickers there. If you donate your fish to someone else, it’s the best option out of all. Ensure that the new owner knows that Angelfish grow quite big.
Harvey on August 10, 2010, 7:01 am wrote
I have a 4 ft long x 20 inches high x 1.5 ft wide tank which is 270l, would 8 be OK? And also, in my 135l tank I had 2 angelfish, but the bigger one started attacking the smaller one, so I moved the smaller to one of my 90l tank and it’s doing fine, could I put the smaller one in the 135l with the other one or would it be better off putting the both in the 270l with 6 more similar sized angles?
Answer: In my experience 8 Angelfish is a way too much for a 270l aquarium. Just think about your 2 Angels in a 135 liters aquarium. Regarding putting the bullied one back: It’s always better to keep similarly sized Angelfish together. And thus, if your fish is of similar size now (compared to the bullier), then it’s OK to introduce it back to the original aquarium. I keep 4 Angelfish in a 375l aquarium and the males are always trying to take over the entire aquarium by being a little aggressive toward each other. Females are more peaceful though.
Kali on August 15, 2010, 7:47 pm wrote
I recently bought a 14 gallon tank and have 2 painted platys and 3 clear fish, I forgot what they are called and can’t seem to find them on google or bing or on any of the fish store websites. I love angel fish but my tank is not big enough, is it? Also, I assume I got a lion tail fish, she was all black and had some green speckles on her head and she then got a white line on each side of the beginning of her tail and then got a shade lighter in color, did she have the ich? If so, is the ich contagious? And is there a cure for it? Would it affect an upcoming fish in my tank and how do I get rid of it, do I rinse everything out? My clear fish are supposed to be happy in packs, so I got three of them, the suggested amount, but 2 of them are always together and the other one just sits alone behind a plant and isolates himself from the rest of the fish, is this normal? He seems completely healthy. Do you have any idea what they are? Should I have gotten 4 so they can pair off? Or should I not bring any more fish into the tank because I want a pair of angel fish? And I had a white cloud fish that was in a heated filtered tank for about a year, but then was put in a vase for 2 years, and then I put him back into a filtered heated tank, and then about a week and a half later he was near top of the water where the water from the filter pours back in, where he usually is and he just died, do you think he was old or just sick? And if I do have enough room for a pair of angel fish (after reading some past questions on this sight, I hear a pair is better) is there any way I have room for just one or does there always have to be 2 and also how big of a tank would I need to be able to have at least 2 angel fish? Also since I do not have any room for babies from the angel fish, if I do have enough room, would it be OK if I got 2 females or does it have to be a male and a female? Sorry my message is so long, I am brand new to the world of fish and have so many questions. :) . Thank you for your time! ~Kali S.
Answer: Quite a few questions to go at there :) A 14 gallon tank is not large enough for 2 Angelfish, they require at least 10 gallons of water volume each and they need a tank that is at least 18” deep. Two males may squabble with each other but as they are very difficult to sex it is luck of the draw as to which sex you finish up purchasing. The sick fish did not have Ich, the first signs of this is small white flecks all over the body and if this is present in the tank it is very contagious but can be treated successfully. The white cloud minnow probably died from old age as he must have been at least 3 years old when he died. I cannot comment on the clear fish until we get an identification on them, it is bet to post some pictures of them so that we can work out which species you have. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
lauren donovan on August 18, 2010, 12:05 pm wrote
How old are angels when start to lay eggs. I got mine about 2 weeks ago and not quite sure how old they are. Does it matter that they are not the same breed? One is a koi angel and one is a yellow. Will they breed if they are male and female but not the same breed?
Answer: Yes, they should breed as long as one is a male, and another is a female. Angelfish are able to start laying eggs at about 8-10 months of age. This can differ depending on diet for instance.
lauren donovan on August 22, 2010, 10:43 am wrote
Me again! Sorry I’m new at this... My angels don’t eat when I put food in the tank and it just sits there. I have tried flakes and frozen bloodworms and shrimp. I do see them eat some off the bottom hours later. Obviously they are eating cause they are alive but is this common? Or should I buy something else to feed them?
Answer: It is normal. Fish need some time until they get fully acclimatised. If fish were fed differently in the shop, it’s not easy to make them eat the new way. Give it time. Flakes and bloodworms are foods that are good, you don’t need to change anything.
nick meyers on September 9, 2010, 1:46 pm wrote
I have a 7o gal. tank with 2 silver angels. My question is when I got home today from work I noticed 1 of my angels was swimming upside down with a blotted belly. The fish are 3 years old and I have never seen this before. Is the fish sick and if it is, is there anything I can do for it? Thanks for any help.
Answer: Well, that is a bad sign. It has blockage and if it’s already swimming upside down, it’s probably too late to save it. But, a 7 gallon tank is too small for 1 angel let alone 2 of them. Each adult angelfish needs a minimum of 10 gallons of water. If you have another tank to put the sick fish into you can try to help it by adding 1 tablespoon Epsom salt for each 5 gallons of water. This can work if it is caught in time, but if it’s too far gone, it probably will not. Do not feed the fish during this treatment. I would say in 2 days do a 50% water change and add another ½ dose of the salts. [answer by David; Angelfish USA]
karim on September 15, 2010, 9:08 am wrote
I have an angel fish an it’s pushing its mouth in the corner at very bottom of my tank. My tank is about 16 gallons and thanks! I bought the fish today.
Answer: Not enough information to go on here. What is your water parameters? Is the fish swimming around or only staying in the corner? Are there any other signs that something is wrong? How long have you had this fish? Are you keeping up with your water changes? [answer by David; Angelfish USA]
Answer (by admin): Like David said, make sure that all water parameters are good for your Angelfish. Then make sure that there is not much light in the tank, plenty of light may stress a new fish.
karim on September 15, 2010, 10:43 pm wrote
Length 38.5 cm, width 19.5cm, height 22.5cm. Water level 20cm. I have another angel fish, I bought them at the same time. One is so regular and other is staying in a corner with its face forced to that corner. I bought it yesterday night. The water is so clean, I have a strong filter called elite stingraty 5.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Well, I would say the fish is still in shock. Hopefully you acclimated it correctly and your water was close to the same as where you bought it. We always recommend that you quarantine a new addition before introducing it into your community tank. You would have no idea if this fish was sick when you bought it and if it was, you can infect all of your fish. Probably too late already, but you need to move that fish to a hospital tank, where it can gain it’s strength and you can watch for anything that doesn’t look right. Make sure your temperature isn’t too low, and make sure it is eating. After a minimum of 2 weeks if all looks good you can introduce your new pet into your community tank and it should do just fine. Clean water does not mean that it is okay for the fish. We need to know your pH, Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrite readings. Also if the filter is too strong, this is another point that may be bothering the new fish.
karim on September 16, 2010, 2:05 am wrote
I exchanged the angel fish and finally got rid of it.
Comment, suggestion: Your aquarium is too small! Return both Angelfish, otherwise their fins will be deformed once they get bigger.
makayla on September 16, 2010, 3:36 am wrote
I really like this article, it was really helpful for my AP science class project. Thanks for posting it! :)
Cheyenne Newton on September 19, 2010, 1:42 pm wrote
Hey, I’m 14 and I bought 1 angel about 3 days ago and another yesterday, I think they are male and female. I’ve been doing MUCH research on Angels and I wanted to breed them, I have them in a 10-11 gallon tank at the moment. I’m planning on getting a 35-55 gal. later on, but I was wondering, these guys are still small. My question is: How long do you think it will take for them to spawn? I have read that the best time for them to spawn is right in the fall or after winter. I’m looking forward to your answer, thanks!
Answer: The answer is already on this page. You have to wait until they’re at least 6-10 months old. Then it’s possible for Angelfish to reproduce every month which also heavily depends on given food, temperature, water parameters, if they feel comfortable and so on. If you want to ask more, make sure that you already read all comments and content, please.
Mark Brown on October 5, 2010, 5:03 am wrote
Hello, We began a few months ago with a 60litre tank. A pair of angel fish went in WAY too early. Only one survived the cycling (I was clueless then... I would not be so careless now I promise). Our new 200 litre tank was cycled with 16 dannios (8 zebra, 8 gold). The surviving Angelfish from the small tank went in once Ammonia and Nitrite were zero. He seems very happy and healthy, always wagging his body about when you go close to the tank. Yesterday we added a new angel about 70% the size of the older one. For the first day they seemed to stick together and enjoy the company. Today, the older fish is chasing the other one, hardly ever contacting... but seeming to establish his territory. I was worried that the new fish was hiding behind the filter a lot, but later on it was swimming out, and was eager to feed so hopefully not too upset. I would like to know if we can get away with two more angels in this 200l tank. Current population is: 2 Angels 16 Dannios 3 Algae eaters (I think Plecos, but I made sure we were advised they will not grow very big). I would love to have another two angels, because they are such enjoyable fish, but also because I have read in various places that they are happier together. Please advise. :) There is every possibility of getting a larger tank in the future. Thanks
Answer: Hi, In a 200 l tank (about 50 gallons) you can easily house 4-6 angelfish. But just be aware as the reach maturity, they will become territorial. And each time 2 pair off, you might need to remove them and place them in their own tank. This is not always the case, but it is the usual. The pair will take control of over 70% of your tank during mating. [answer by David; Angelfish USA]
mayur on October 5, 2010, 10:06 pm wrote
Hi. My angel fish are dead. I don’t know any reason behind that. But before this, their stomachs got bigger like a pregnant. Can you please tell me what went wrong?
Answer: Sounds like your angelfish had blockage. The only way I know of to try to help a fish that gets bloated like that, is, if you catch it in time, add Epsom salts to the water (1 tablespoon to 5 gallons) and stop feeding. This will sometimes clear up the blockage. We find this is usually caused by the diet and poor water conditions. More so of their diet. In the future, be sure to feed them some foods with vegetable or algae products in it to help them digest. Even under ideal conditions I’ve seen this happen before. [answer by David; Angelfish USA]
Rose B. on October 10, 2010, 2:37 pm wrote
I just bought two panda cory catfish for my angelfish. They’re in a 45 liter tank (about 10 gallons) and the angelfish is still quite small, just the size of a silver dollar fin-to-fin (and he’s a veiltail, so most of his size is fins). I just introduced the corys today, they seem to be getting along fine. But, usually when I sit by the glass or shake the food container by the glass, my angelfish swims right over and starts swimming around, trying to attract attention (just like the information said!) but today, he hasn’t been doing that, and I know they get stressed out easily, but I’m a little worried. He’s my favorite fish and I take very good care of him. I hope he’s okay. He has a good filtration system and three water plants, with plenty of air and a diet of flake food and the occasional bloodworm. I got the cory cats from a very reputable fish store, I am sure the cory cats weren’t carrying any parasites or diseases, they quarantine all fish very well and aren’t afraid to spend money on extra supplements to aid their fish’s health. He’s probably just stressed, but he’s the best fish ever. I highly recommend the angelfish to anyone who wants fish, they’re gorgeous and full of personality! Thanks for any help at all!
Answer: The angelfish should not get stressed out by introducing 2 cory’s. But that is a small tank for an angelfish. Although it is recommended that you have 10 gallons of water for each adult angelfish, you still need more height than a 10 gallon tank. Those cory’s can still be carrying some type of disease and pass it on to the angelfish. There are some many different types of virus that another fish can carry and not even show any signs themselves. We quarantine any outside fish for a minimum of 2 months before introducing them to our hatchery, and only introduce them after we are sure there is nothing they might be carrying. We do that by putting a few fish with the quarantine fish from our hatchery before allowing them into the hatchery. If he doesn’t start acting normal within a day or two, I would suggest raising the temperature up to around 90°F for a few days, with a big water change. That should get him back to normal. [answer by David; Angelfish USA]
Mackenna C. on October 12, 2010, 7:21 am wrote
This website always has an answer to any question I have and full of information. I was going through the Angel responses and after reading some of the things asked, decided to ask a question myself. I’ve had my Angelfish pair for a year now come Nov. 15th, which will make them a little over a year. I got them at the same time, raised them, and they turned into a pair this past Feb. Right now they live in a 29 gallon with 2 Peppered Corydoras, a Kuhli Loach, and some baby snails. They get along perfectly with these tankmates but I would like to have other Angels. I would like to set them up in a 55 with another Angelfish pair, or some other Angels, but I am not sure if this will work. My Angelfish are more aggressive than the Oscar pair I used to have, and have killed many fish I have tried to introduce into the tank, including fish that are supposed to be compatible with them. Do you think it would be a good idea to mix them with another pair or are there fish big enough that can be with them they will not be able to kill? I had a 5 inch Blue Gourami with them for a couple months, but the Gourami kept getting severely beat up. By the way, my Angelfish are about 7 inches (or a little bigger) inches tall, and 6 inches long, if that helps any. Thank you for your time!
Answer: Absolutely NOT! Even though a 55 gallon tank will house 5 to 6 adult angelfish, your pair are bonded and will be very territorial! They will harass and stress any other angelfish you put in that tank. I am 199% sure! Leave them in their present home, and maybe you’ll get lucky and they will raise a batch of fry for you. [answer by David; Angelfish USA]
james m on October 12, 2010, 8:18 am wrote
Hi there, I am fairly new to having a fish tank and currently I have 2 angle fish; one is a black veil type and the other is a smaller white and gold looking one, the two angle fish are great together, they follow each other around all the time (not sure if that’s a good thing or not). I tried to introduce some more angle fish to the tank but the big black fish would corner them and keep them in the corner so I returned them, I replaced them with 3 2 spotted something or other and they are a lot smaller than the angle fish, but a lot faster and they are doing great. So as of right now I have 2 angles, 1 galaxus pleco and the 2 spotted guys. I want to get some more fish, but not sure what kind will work well in my tank, oh and my tank is a little over 30g’s. So if anyone has any advice please feel free to comment, negative or positive. Thanks all.
Answer: In a 30 gallon tank you already have all the fish you can have. You can still add a couple of catfish (corydora’s will work) to help keep the tank clean. [answer by David; Angelfish USA]
Answer by admin: More corys; they need to be kept in groups. At least 6 of them, you’ll see that they’re more happy together.
james m on October 14, 2010, 7:34 am wrote
So no more regular fish, right? The amount that I have in there now are good for the size of tank? And by corys you mean the sucker type fish? Should they be all the same type because mine was about $30 or can I put all kinda of them?
Answer: You could put a small school of tetra’s in with that tank, but no more angelfish. And corydora’s are not the sucker type catfish. Just do a search (even on this site) for Corydora’s and you’ll see what they are….. You must be careful with sucker fish (plecostomus) as they can suck the slime coat off of an angelfish, but bristlenose plecostomus (they are smaller, and rarely get larger than 3 or 3 ½”) are fine. David; Angelfish USA
Violet Soares on October 14, 2010, 11:23 pm wrote
Hi, this site is very informative. Did not have time to read everyone. Am desperate right now. I found my angel floating sideways so I check his/her tank. I added what was necessary but he is still sideways. Right now there is just one angel and no other fish. He is a year old. I switched him from a ten gallon to a five gallon 2 weeks ago and he was doing fine. The pet store I deal with has no idea why he is floating sideways and what I can do to help him. Can you help me. I don’t want him to die since his partner died a little over 2 weeks ago. Every angel I bought has died (6)since then. I have had angels before and this is the first time I have had a dying problem/or this sideways floating problem. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Are you testing your water on a regular basis? This could be a case of the nitrates poisoning the fish. Angelfish are high waste producers as are most of the larger cichlids and the tank you are keeping him in is not large enough and I doubt deep enough for the fish. I would suspect that this has to be a water quality issue so I would suggest doing a large water change for now with treated water and consider investing in a larger tank.
david on October 15, 2010, 6:59 am wrote
Hi! I have a 10 gallon tank with 2 angelfish in it, one male one female. They had bred 2 times before in a 55 gallon tank and recently I put the 2 angelfish in the 10 gallon tank and I was wondering will the angel fish lay some eggs again? In the 10 gallon tank there’s a heater, air bubbles, a filter and a 5 inch pot.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Yes, they should breed again, but a 10 gallon tank is much too small for a pair of angelfish. Minimum size for a pair would be a 20 gallon High tank. They need more room to be comfortable.
david on October 15, 2010, 9:16 am wrote
This website has tons of answers but I have a question myself. My question is that will a angelfish pair lay eggs in a ten gallon tank with a 6 inches tall pot upside down (so they can lay eggs on) a heater, filter, and tons of air bubbles? They had laid eggs before in a 55 gal. tank but when the fry hatched they all got stuck in the rocks and died :( so I moved them into the 10 gal. tank. The female angelfish stomach is getting big and I can see the tip of the genital papillae and they’re not cleaning anything there, kind of just staying in one place, they are not that active as they used to be.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: That tank is too small for a pair of angelfish. The water quality will be too hard to keep optimum for them. That female might be egg bloated now, or even have blockage. I would add 2 table spoons of Epsom salts and not feed them for a couple of days to see if that helps relieve the blockage on the female. After 2 days do a 50% water change on that tank (even more would be better).
john on October 16, 2010, 9:16 am wrote
Hi, I was wondering what is a egg bloated? And what is epsom salt?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Egg Bloated would mean that the female is full of eggs, but something is blocking them from coming out. Epsoms salt is available in most grocery stores, or drug stores.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Epsom salts is magnesium sulphate that is hydrated into a powder form and is commonly taken orally by us for heartburn or upset stomachs, it is reputedly a good cure for hangovers but this is yet to be proven. Accidentally it was discovered that it can also be beneficial to certain fish that are feeling under the weather but should be used in moderation to help them build up their immune system. Egg bloated or bloated with eggs means that the female fish is full of eggs and her belly looks ready to burst.
david on October 17, 2010, 4:48 am wrote
Can a pair of angelfish lay eggs if they have a blockage or egg bloated?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: By being egg bloated it is stopping the female from being able to lay the eggs. That is how it gets egg bloated.
mariah on October 18, 2010, 12:48 pm wrote
I have a 28l tank and I had 3 guppys in it and I went and bought 2 baby angelfish and they are happy, but when the angel reach their full size, will the tank be big enough for them? And will they attack the angel fish?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: I think you meant to say “will the Angelfish attack the guppies”. If you have a 28L tank that would be about 7 gallons…. An adult angelfish needs about 10 gallons of water. So, your tank is much too small for Angelfish. And yes, it is very possible, for the angelfish to attack the guppies. They will become very territorial when they get a little bigger, and there will be no where for the guppies to hide. That tank is much too small.
joe on October 20, 2010, 9:00 am wrote
Hello, I had always wanted to breed angelfish and I’m wondering how do I get to that? They are about 1 year old and I want to know how do I breed them quickly? I have 1 male and 1 female.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Just because you have a male and a female doesn’t mean they will breed. But you do have a good chance. First you must condition the fish by feeding them high quality foods. We use frozen type foods like Brine Shrimp and Bloodworms. 2 times a day. Also, you can try big water changes daily for 1 week and then no water change for about a week. Just remember, you they will need very good water quality to start breeding. Before you do this you should be sure you see some signs that they are ready to breed. A little fighting and keeping other fish away (if there are other fish in the tank). Once you see that they should be in their own tank (minimum 20 gallon, high type). With good food, good water, you should get them to spawn. Just hope you really have a male and a female. And you cannot rush them to breed either. They will breed when they are ready.
RaeJeanne on October 22, 2010, 3:43 pm wrote
I have a 40 or 45 gallon tank. We have one rainbow shark, a small algae eater, one accidental snail, one rasbro, 3 black neons, two tetras(blue stripes), two unnamed tetras(with orange stripes) and one now very lonely and sickly female angel fish. We started with three angel fish a year ago. One, a silver, became very possessive to a black male and aggressive towards another female that was kinda labradorite in color. The male wanted to be with the labradorite female but the silver wouldn’t allow it and eventually became downright hostile towards her, ramming her and such. I eventually sent her back to a fish store. The black and labradorite immediately got together and mated several times but the fry were always eaten, I think by the black neons who dive bombed but not completely sure. I had just gotten a system to segregate the angels when they spawned again when the male got sick and exhibited popeye. I researched and studied and when he stopped eating, first I tried some ich medication, then a week later used something called tank buddies that treated a range of problems. Besides popeye he had white spots. The female did have white spots but she was still voraciously eating. After the tank buddy treatment, which I did twice, he got worse, seemed like his mouth was indented and I could see something white inside but couldn’t get a close enough look, and he died. Just before he died the female stopped eating. Now she has popeye, her natural eye color is gone(they both showed the wild angel fish red eye) and like I said, she is not eating. She is at the surface a lot. Her mouth also looks bigger. Nitrite is 0, ph is being switched from about 6.4 to 7.2 per my husband, and then I will figure out how to check the ammonia as soon as I get the pH right. Is there something else to treat for or check for? At first I thought she was grieving but then her symptoms got worse. I know I am, as they were so happy together.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: First of all, bag buddies are a pill for shipping fish, not treating fish. That is what we add to a bag of fish when we ship….. Ich can be treated with heat. But most important is to make sure your water is clean. Big and many water changes. Sounds more like a parasite type problem. It’s kind of late now, but I would have given the angelfish a salt dip, and then put them in a hospital tank and try to keep the temperature 90 to 92F with 50% water changes each day until they recovered. I do not believe changing the pH will matter. The fish can adapt to any pH. David
jamie on October 26, 2010, 11:49 am wrote
What are some good signs that angelfish is gonna breed soon?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: There are a few signs. First, if they are with other fish in the tank, they will keep all the others away from their territory. Then, they will pick a place to start cleaning where they will deposit the eggs. They will show they strength by lip locking, and “dancing” .
bobby on November 1, 2010, 7:27 am wrote
Hi, my angel fish eggs are all white and I saw the male and female fertilize it. What happened?
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: There are two reasons for the eggs being white, they are either unfertilised or they have contracted fungus, if your male did fertilise the eggs then it has to be fungus, I always used to add a couple of drops of methylene blue to the breeding tank to prevent this. There is also the possibility that the eggs were not fertilised, if there is water current in the tank it reduces the chances of success. It is also possible that you have two females who both laid simultaneously.
robbie on November 5, 2010, 10:07 am wrote
Hi, my angelfish fry is free swimming today and they have black markings on them, what does this mean?
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Angel fish do show their markings at a very early age, with fry the markings can look too big for their bodies but as they develop into juvenile fish they will look like miniatures of their parents. I take it that the parent fish have the same markings as the fry?
aero on November 7, 2010, 3:00 am wrote
Hello, how do I make my angel fish want to breed more quickly?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Keep the temperature between 82 and 85, and feed a lot of high quality foods. Plus water changes are a must.
ally on November 7, 2010, 3:05 am wrote
Hi, I always wanted angel fish fry so I decided to buy a proven bred angel. I was wondering what websites are good to buy proven bred angels?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: There are many breeders that sell proven breeding pairs of angelfish. You can visit mine at www.angelfishusa.net as we usually have a few pairs for sale.
anjel on November 7, 2010, 6:43 pm wrote
I have a 37 l tank, could I get 1 angelfish and if I do, will it be lonely? And what other fish can I put with it?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: If you are saying 37 liter, that would be really too small for an angelfish. David
Candy on November 8, 2010, 7:15 am wrote
I have 29 gallon-tall with 2 dwarf gorami, 1 neon tetra, 1 serpae tetra, 1 bloodfin tetra, 1 danio and a large apple snail. These fish use to be shoals at different times. I introduced 2 medium-large angelfish but 1 already had finrot, popeye, and open mouth so it was not eating. Euthanasia was the best to prevent it’s suffering. My question is will the other one be alright on it’s own or does it need to be in a pair? It seems not to have any of the other symptoms that the other did. Do you think it will peacefully co-exist in the tank? Don’t seem to be a problem yet. They were introduced last Thursday. Thanks in advance!
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: One angelfish should be just fine. They do not need to be introduced in pairs. But they do enjoy being in groups of 5 or more. Your tank would be too small for that. Watch all of your fish very carefully, as it sounds like you had a very easy to spread disease…. Not only the other angelfish, but all of your fish.
sally on November 8, 2010, 4:01 pm wrote
Will a 70l tank be OK for 2 angelfish? Thanks
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: It should be okay, (a little on the small size). Just be sure to do weekly water changes.
chelsey on November 10, 2010, 11:33 am wrote
I have a 2 foot tank 50 cm tall. I don’t know how many liters though, will it be OK for 2 angelfish with guppys and neons, I have read above that you can keep guppys and neons tetras only if they have been with the angelfish since young. So my questions are: Will the tank be an OK size? Can you keep guppys and neon tetras with angels? Thanks!
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Sounds like about 80 liter tank. You should be okay with 2 angelfish. I do keep angelfish with neons without too much trouble, but in larger tanks. As long as the angelfish are small when put with the neons and guppies you have a good chance they will be okay together.
george on November 11, 2010, 4:33 pm wrote
I have a angelfish (the size of a 1 dollar coin), will it be OK in a 28l tank until June?
Answer: By June your fish will be fully grown and thus it’s not OK to keep it in a 28 liter aquarium!
sophie on November 13, 2010, 1:08 pm wrote
I have a 25l tank with guppys and neons. I went out and got 2 very young angels, will they be OK in that tank until I get a bigger one in 6 months because that is when my dad is giving me his 80l tank. My questions is will the angels be OK in the tank?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: That tank is much to small for angelfish. They might be okay for 3-4 months, but 6 months would be really too long to keep them in such a small tank. They will become stunted, and probably have bent fins.
Tim on November 14, 2010, 12:24 am wrote
I have a 70 gal community tank with 4 mixed varieties of angels similar in size. (Have had for about 3 years now.) My question is recently one of the angels eyes appear to be bulging? What should I do if anything.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: I would suggest placing that angelfish in a hospital tank. Add Epsom salts (1 table spoon per 5 gallons). Do not feed for 2-3 days. Sounds like a blockage and this will give you a good chance to clear it out.
olivia on November 16, 2010, 8:04 am wrote
Hi, I have a 184 litre heavy planted tank and I was wondering how many angel fish I could put in there with 10 guppys, 15 neon tetras and 2 bristlenose catfish and 1 male betta.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Angelfish need 10 gallons (40 litre) per fish when adults. So in your tank you would only be able to put 4 to 5 Angelfish.
jack on November 17, 2010, 8:24 am wrote
Hello, my fish were free swimming and they had black marks on them and recently today my fish stomach turned white, what happened?
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Black marks on the fish are usually a sign of a parasitic infection, this is sometimes called blackspot. It is not all that common if this is the case but the best way to treat this is to medicate the whole tank with a parasitical medication and add the full dosage as instructed on the label.
eliana on November 19, 2010, 8:26 am wrote
How many angels will fit in a 185 liter tank with: 10 guppies 15 neons 6 black skirt tetras 2 dwarf gourmai 1 male betta Thanks, T totally LOVE angelfish and this website!
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: You could put 2 or 3 angelfish in that tank without any problems. Rule of thumb is 1 adult angelfish per 10 gallons (40 liters). You have a lot of other fish, but they are all small.
AJ on November 20, 2010, 6:50 pm wrote
Hey, I am 15 years old, and I have been keeping discus among other tropicals for around 4 years now (started young) :) I have just bought a 120 l (hexagonal, tall, aquarium) and have put in a pair of angel fish. This should be fine right? The angel fish are doing great, though I am just thinking ahead in regards to if they will cope well in the tank they are in (120 l). I have put in some tall reedy plants to make them feel secure in their environment, as well as having a BB tank (a habit picked up from my previous Discus fish keeping), in order to make cleaning the tank a little easier as well as maintaining good water quality. The filter for the new tank is an Eheim ECO external filter, which is so far doing very well when speaking water quality. I hope I am doing well with the angel fishes tank set up... they really are beautiful fish. One is a golden angel (male), and the other is a black/silver angel (female). I am planning to just keep the pair in the tank, as due to the tank being tall to meet the angels requirements, it has a smaller surface area compared to a horizontal aquarium, so oxygen levels will not really be very optimal to housing a great number of fish... is this correct? That is what I have heard, though please correct me if I am misinformed. One more question. With the angels food, are bloodworms or cultivated white worms good alround occasional food to meet the angels nutritional needs, or do you reckon it would be best for me to stick with the general dry granuels? I appreciate and thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you. Cheers, AJ
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Everything you are doing is just fine. A pair of angelfish should do just fine. I would also recommend adding a couple of cory’s or bristlenose cat’s to keep the bottom clean. I would also get them use to some dry foods. Don’t only feed frozen or live food to them.
Norm on November 20, 2010, 11:03 pm wrote
We have a standard 55 long tank that is running fine. We have 2 angels, 1 being about 1 1/2" in length the other about 2". 2 male fiddlers 1 female, 2 plecos, 2 neon tetras, 3 glow fish, 2 albino catfish, 2 spotted catfish, 4 fancy tails guppys, 2 ghost shrimp. I have natural wood and a large castle as well as some fake plants and a little sewer pipe type thing for them to hide in. I have a couple of questions, 1st - Is this too many fish and have we chosen the right variety? 2nd - Last night one of the angels laid eggs on the thermostat and the other was going up and down on the eggs looking like it was fertilizing them, this morning they are gone. Did the thermostat ruin or is it normal for this? And last was there something we could of done last night as we were totally unprepared for this event? We originally had three angels but one died after I did a 10 gal water change. Thanks
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: As long as you keep up with water changes, your stock load is just fine. Do not add anything else though. IF the angelfish laid eggs on the “heater” that would definitely “cook” the eggs. Also, in a community tank it is very rare for the eggs to last more than a day or 2. It’s a great meal for all. And once the pair feels threatened they will eat the eggs first.
katie on November 21, 2010, 5:20 am wrote
We have two bala sharks, a sail fin molly and a pleco. My boyfriend bought a second angel (I think a blue blushing one) in addition to our black veiled one which is a little smaller than the new one... We moved them to a bigger tank after a couple of days and they started fighting a lot, then my black veiled one got fin rot so I had to quarantine the little guy and gave him a treatment. So we just put the black one back after a 5 days treatment and the new one (which was in the bigger tank while the other was in our quarantine tank) is bullying the black one, do they fight if they are male and female? Can two males live together? Our tank is 40 gallons.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Some angelfish can be very aggressive. They are all territorial. They can fight if they are male and female, two males, or two females. And in most cases they can live together just fine as well. It sounds you just have a very aggressive new angelfish. It does happen, and not much that can be done about it. We constantly try to breed any aggressive traits out of our lines.
mariah on November 24, 2010, 8:28 am wrote
I have a 28l tank (yes I know too small, getting a 184 liter in a month) with 8 guppies, 5 neon tetra, 1 dwarf gourami and 1 angel. I had 2 but 1 died and ever since the other one won’t eat, I have had about 9 angels and they all died within 2 weeks. I have tried so many different foods, 5 different flakes, blood worms and brine shrimp. I don’t think it is the water as all the other fish are OK and I have 3 1 week old guppies and they are all alright. I also have lots of plants and drift wood, the pH is 7, I don’t know what the problem is, also its top fin has got all holes in it and looks rotten. It sits at the back of the tank and won’t come out at all, it has been like this ever since the other one died. Should I get another angelfish to keep it company again? I am getting a bigger tank in a month, please help, I don’t want it to die!
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: I would not add another angelfish in your tank. It has nothing to be with being lonely. Sounds like you have some type of disease, and that tank is way too small. Wait until you have the larger tank and try again. Make sure your angelfish are eating before you purchase them.
bella on November 28, 2010, 8:44 am wrote
Hello, I have a 240 liter tank and want to put: 5 angel fish 2 dwarf gourami 12 guppys 15-20 neon tetras 6 widow tetra 1 male betta 4 platies 4 bristlenose or cory cats If I get all these fish, will it make my tank overcrowded? If so can you tell me how many of each fish I should put in? Thanks, bella
Answer: Remove from your list following: Dwarf gouramis, Guppies, Betta. Add another 4-8 Widow tetras. If you want to keep Neon tetras, then make sure that all specimens (including Angels!) are introduced to the tank as juveniles. Bettas and Guppies don’t belong to one tank, so do Dwarf gouramis and fast swimming tetras, quite territorial Angelfish. Speaking generally, Guppies are too interested in everything and thus may be too active for such a setup. But I’ve seen people keeping Guppies and Angelfish together without any problems.
kidaa on November 29, 2010, 6:44 am wrote
I’ve got a new tank, it’s 860 litres (200cm x 50cm x 86cm), how many angelfish would you recommend? It will have quite a bit of tall vallisernia and filteration is not an issue.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: In a tank that large (over 200 gallons) you could easily keep 20 to 24 angels.
david on November 30, 2010, 12:27 pm wrote
Hello, I have about 40 angelfish fry for about 1 month now and so far only 8 died. Is this a good thing? They are all in a 10 gallon tank with a heater and air bubbles. When will they become big enough to be removed to a 55 gal. tank?
Answer: In my opinion it’s better to have a higher mortality rate because then you’ll know that only strongest survived. But it’s just my personal point of view. Fish are usually big enough to be mixed with adult specimens when they’re 3 months old.
harper on December 3, 2010, 11:16 am wrote
Hello, about a month ago my angelfish laid eggs and now there are about 30 angels left. They are getting big. They look like a very small angel. I can see all the fins, they are the size of a bead, and are in a 10 gall. tank. I was wondering when can I move it to a 20 gallon tank?
Answer: It depends on what fish are kept in your 20 gallon tank. If there are some that may attack juveniles, then it’s better to wait. If there are no other fish in the 20 gallon tank, then it’s OK to move juveniles at any time. Make sure that water conditions are same in both tanks.
JARDAN on December 6, 2010, 5:08 pm wrote
I have an 80 liter tank with 10 guppys, 15 neons, 2 dwarf gourami, could I add 1 angelfish and if you only have 1, will it feel lonely?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: I think your tank is stocked fine now. I would not add an angelfish to that tank. Although you have small fish you do have a lot in a small 80 liter tank.
Nicole on December 7, 2010, 11:39 pm wrote
Hi! I have a 110L fish tank that is at least 50 cm tall. I got it about 18 months ago and populated it with 2 angelfish (one golden and one marble), 2 corys, 3 long-fin tetras, 1 zebra tetra (don’t ask--my 9 year-old son and his friend were involved), and 1 rainbow shark. About a month ago, we remodeled the house and moved the entire fish tank from one room to another and back. Because of the weight of the tank, this involved complete disassembly. Once reassembled, cleaned, all the filters replaced, water mixed (1 part of old water to about two parts of new water) treated and tested, I returned all the fish back and added a water snail and a threadfin rainbow (my 9-year-old son [again] bought them--I could not say no, but the threadfin proved to be completely wrong for the tank, and died within a few days--apparently scared and not eating.) All of the fish seemed to have been doing fine for a while, the angelfish actually bread a couple of times--before I could figure out of what to do with all the eggs, they served somebody as a snack (I suspect the shark!) But I noticed a sudden change in behavior of the rainbow shark--first it nipped at and bullied the threadfin, then just 2 days ago, it started nipping at the marble angelfish. Yesterday afternoon, I found the angelfish on the gravel belly up, then it moved into the vegetation and died while being nipped at by the shark all along. I did notice red spots on the angelfish’ eyes and a large red spot on its back. Was this coloration there before or was it hemorrhage? Nitrogen poisoning (but that would affect other fish too, right)? Sorry for the long post, but I am trying to figure out what happened. What should I do next? Is the tank overpopulated or should I get a new companion for the remaining angelfish? And what should I do about the bully? Thank you.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Rainbow sharks will get more aggressive as they mature and are extremely territorial. When you stripped the tank down did you clean the filter with old tank water and keep the media moist all of the time? It sounds like there was a clash between the Angel fish and the Rainbow shark; the red marks were probably due to the pair of them fighting, the Angelfish seems to have lost the battle. I would suggest returning the Rainbow shark and adding a few more Corydoras for the bottom dwellers.
Justin on December 10, 2010, 10:55 am wrote
Hi, I just love fish; I was wondering what is the funnest fish to raise that they sell in stores? I have a 55 gallon tank.
Answer: It’s up to each aquarist. Some fishkeepers consider Guppies funny, some love Pufferfish. Tons of fishkeepers, tons of opinions.
Java on December 19, 2010, 5:07 am wrote
Hi, yesterday I bought 2 koi angelfish. Yesterday I fed them and they ate. Today I fed them again and now only 1 eats and the other 1 just does nothing. They both hide behind a rock everytime I come close to it. What’s wrong with it? Are they still scared or what? They are in a 10 gallon but awhile after Christmas they are gonna go in a 55 gal. tank.
Answer: Yes, your fish are scared. New environment, most likely not enough hiding places, ... these factors don’t affect any fish positively. Do you use aquarium background? Do you have plants in that tank? Is lighting appropriate? Isn’t filter stressing your fish too much (fast flow of water for instance, loudness, ...)? My experience with Angelfish is simple; Give them plants and space for swimming and they’ll be happy. Water of high quality is necessary too and basically everything else is already mentioned on this page/site.
icy on December 21, 2010, 10:44 am wrote
Hello, I bought 2 koi angel fish and now a 7 month angel is following the new koi angelfish about the size of a quarter around and not the other. Is it possible they could mate later on when they get older?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Sure, it’s possible. And just because it is only quarter size, doesn’t mean that it isn’t old enough to spawn. It could be stunted in growth or just a runt. I’ve seen many angelfish just over quarter size successfully breed.
tunia on December 27, 2010, 4:42 pm wrote
I bought a small (20 gallon) aquarium about two years ago. I’ve had all of the fish that are in it since it was established. The fish in there are 3 hatchet fish, 5 neon tetras, 1 pleco (dwarf) and one rainbow shark. About six months later, my father not knowing much about aquariums and fish bought me a baby angel fish. I kept the fish to make him happy (he had just come out of the hospital). Now the fish is fully grown, looks beautiful, swims freely, has great fins, and looks really happy. I know it should have a tank mate, but I know there is no room for one. My question is if I should give the fish away due to the size of the aquarium, or should I let it be if it looks happy. Let me add the tank is tall (it is square not rectangular) and he/she has room to spread its fins out. Need advice, don’t want unhappy fish :)
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: I’m sure your angelfish is happy with the other fish in your aquarium. There is no problem at all keeping an angelfish alone.
Taylor on December 30, 2010, 4:17 am wrote
I love your site. I only have one question. With my 8 neons, 3 female betas, 2 female guppies, three female platies, and 2 otos, are three angelfish okay in a 30g? It’s tall and planted with tons of live plants and plenty of extra room. All the listed fish already have lived together for a long long time and have never bothered a soul.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: That’s a little overstocked. Angelfish require 10 gallons per fish once they are adults, so if you had no other fish you would already be at the max. Overcrowding can be done, but you must make sure that you stay up on your water changes and watch for aggression.
Bob on January 3, 2011, 6:50 am wrote
Why would my angle fish change colors? It turns pale, black, and then the normal color.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA; Angelfish express their color depending on the mood they are in, and the lighting, and surroundings. There is nothing unusual about what your angelfish is doing.
tara on January 4, 2011, 11:12 am wrote
Great website! I have a 90G tall tank, 3 bosemani rainbow, 10 bleeding hearts, and some glowlight danios. I very much want angelfish. I do weekly water changes and have excellent filtration. My question is should I stick with just one angel (and do you have a variety recommendation) or 4 (likely too many???) Thanks for any advice you can give me.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: I don’t see a problem with 4 angelfish in your tank. As far as variety, whatever you like. They are basically all the same fish, with just different color variations.
david on January 7, 2011, 9:24 am wrote
Hello, I have 1 male and 1 female angelfish (koi) and I put a 7 month angelfish in there and the male is getting along with the 7 month angel, so I think they’re gonna breed. I don’t want them to breed, I want the koi instead, so how do I not let the koi and the 7 month one not breed?
Answer: It’s easy... Even though they breed, there’s no guarantee that the newborns survive. Most likely they’ll be eaten. If you want only the Koi Angelfish to breed, you should give away the new Angelfish; donate it, sell it or return to the store (whoever whom you got it from).
Patti on January 14, 2011, 4:10 am wrote
Is my angel fish pregnant or does it have a tumor. 1 of my marbled angel fish has a bulge on both sides. It gets picked on by my other angels. Back of fish is raised like a dog that is angry. Still eating but not as good of an appetite as usual. Have had this angel fish for over a year now. Does any one know what this could be?
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Could be blockage. Have you seen it “poop”? This happens occasionally and not much works to help them. I have had some success by putting them in a hospital tank, and adding espom salts to the water. About 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of water. And not feeding for 3-4 days. Sometimes this can get rid of the blockage.
sana on January 18, 2011, 3:27 am wrote
My provided measurements in inches: Width: 12" (30.48cm) Height: 24" (60.96cm) Depth: 24" (60.96cm) My tank’s volume is approximately 6,912.0 cubic inches or 29.9 U.S. gallons, which is approximately 116.4! I wanna know how much fishes I can keep in my fish tank? And how should I feed them. Thanks!
Answer: Use our calculator, please. What fish species do you want to keep? Angelfish only? Or what exactly? Speaking generally, feeding should be performed once or twice a day, juveniles need to be fed more often, up to 6 times a day in case they’re newborns. Please, post all your further questions on correct pages. If you want to ask about Angelfish only, then use this page. For example, questions about Neon tetras should be asked here - Neon Tetra Article... and so on.
Rozyl on January 19, 2011, 11:16 pm wrote
Good Day! I’m planning on starting to have an aquarium with just having angelfish in it. What is the ideal water to put on it? Faucet water or the filtered one? Thanks in advance! :)
Answer: The water must be chlorine-free, and thus tap water is not good. You should leave the water in a bucket or in the aquarium if there are no fish in it for 24 hours. This will make water chlorine-free. There are also chlorine removers that can be bought in shops, many people use them.
aaron on January 20, 2011, 10:22 am wrote
Hey all, I have had a 115L fish tank since the beginning of December ’10, I have had mollys, gouramis and guppys in there, and it’s not until yesterday that my molly started to attack my angelfish (angelfish was there before the molly). I have moved the molly into a breeding tank to try and calm him down, is there anything else I can try as I like all the fish I have got in my tank and would hate to have to get rid of a molly because of this. Hope to hear from you soon, and thanks for reading.
Answer: In my experience you should wait a little, keep the fish separated until the Angelfish becomes stronger. Meanwhile feel free to feed your Angelfish more than usual. Adding more plants should help too; fish won’t see each other that often and thus will be less aggressive.
dustin on January 22, 2011, 1:40 am wrote
Can angelfish handle currents well? I Have a 110 gal community tank. I have had it my whole life and I consider myself to be pretty good with fish. My tank has live plants and healthy fish over all. I had one angelfish for a few months and one for just a couple days, they have both died. the new very young one with no signs the older one with bulged eyes bloated stomach and was not really even holding himself right up at end (1 afternoon). With no other fish looking sick. I would think the problem is the young one could have been from shock or problems at store. The older one could have been just sick. and that I can live with. I could be my wife, every time she says a fish is her favorite it dies right away. Butterfly jumped out and now the angels. My concern is that it my be my water pump. Which I switched about 7-10 days earlier My filter broke and I am trying a new approach. With no filter, just a pump letting the plants and fish tank balance clean its self up. This is working great algae is all but gone, fish are more active and plants look better. However there is a much stronger current. The pump I am using is a "Hydor Koralia Evolution 1050 Aquarium Circulation Pump". The current is not extreme, plants are not wiping around, fish are not getting slammed into objects and no one is getting sucked in and angels were swimming fine against it. Also there are dead spots away from current. Just want to be sure there is no problems here for the angelfish, they are one of my favorites.
Answer: A long time ago I kept Angelfish in a tank with very strong water flow in half of the tank. To my surprise, fish liked it and I was watching how they swim toward the filter, once approached the filter they let the flow move themselves back to the original position and they kept repeating this fun a couple of minutes until they got tired and then I could see the fish having a break in another part of the tank. It was fun... but I must say that they were juveniles. As my Angels grew and reached maturity, they didn’t play too much and rather used to swim where water flow wasn’t that strong.
AleyLovesAnimals on January 25, 2011, 4:41 am wrote
I have a tank with a guppy, a molly, 2 red eye tetras, and one angel (10 gallon). Really want a bigger tank but can’t afford one! Any advice would help . (No rude comments)
Answer: Ask in your local pet store, perhaps they know someone who has some older and unused fish tank. If you know the store staff, your chances are higher. In my experience many aquarists have some unused fish tank and they don’t know how to get rid of them (I was the case for about a year too).
Rony on February 6, 2011, 2:16 am wrote
I have 2 angels in a 20 Gallon aquarium. Is it fine to introduce a small sea turtle with them? If not please let me know what kind of large/beautiful fish can go along with them.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but 2 angelfish in a 20 gallon tank is it. Each angel needs 10 gallons of water. You can add a couple of corydora cat’s or bristlenose plecos to keep the tank clean. But I wouldn’t be adding any more fish into that tank.
Answer by admin: Sea turtle = sea environment. You cannot add it to a freshwater tank (this page is about frehshwater Angelfish - visit our marine fish database if you want to learn about saltwater aquariums, please).
swamprat on February 6, 2011, 12:10 pm wrote
What would be a good number of angels to keep in a 150 gallon tank? Also have a 55 gallon drum that is used to increase the amount of water in the system and make water changes much easier.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: The rule of thumb is one adult angel for each 10 gallons of water. I wouldn’t go much over that because as they start getting ready to pair off they can get very aggressive.
james from mississauga on February 7, 2011, 12:05 pm wrote
Hi there, First off I would like to thank everyone for all the info that is posted, this site has been a great help for me and probably a lot of others! My question is that I have 2 angel fish that keep on having babies... Well just the eggs. The next time will be the fourth time, hopefully this time with some results. Every time they lay eggs they seem to get all fuzzy and die or the fish eat them before I have a chance to get them away. I do not know what I am looking for to see if the eggs are fertilized or not... Some are like a golden clear kinda color and and random few are white, the golden ones seem to turn white later on and then they all grow fuzz. What do I do to make sure they hatch? Thanks James
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: To be sure that you have a male and female (and not two females), you will need the pull the eggs, and put them in a hatching jar (or small tank). Add 1 capful of hydrogen peroxide (for each gallon of water) twice a day until the eggs hatch in 48 hours. Keep an airstone near the eggs with a moderate flow of bubbles. The clear or golden eggs should hatch. If they turn white either they were not fertilized. The fuzz is fungus and the hydrogen peroxide will keep that from happening.
Arun DK on February 7, 2011, 8:42 pm wrote
Hi, My angel fish has been sick for the past one week. He just lies down in the bottom(literally like humans), doesn’t eat and keeps opening his mouth always. I shifted him to a separate bucket and have keep cleaning water on a daily basis (60% water change). Any other fish would have died by this time, but this guy somehow does not give up. I desperately want to save the fish and I find none of the aquarium stores having epsom salts. Please suggest me any remedies ASAP, that would be very helpful. Can I add cooking rock salt, I am afraid it may contain chemicals.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: I’m sorry to say that there is little you can do. You can try raising the temperature to 90 degrees and if that gets the fish to start eating. DO NOT ADD COOKING SALTS as it might contain Iodine in it which would be very bad. Epsom salts can be found at your local grocery or drug store.
mariah on February 9, 2011, 7:17 am wrote
Hi, Is an 240l aquarium big enough for 5 angels? Thanks, Mariah
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: YES, you could have up to 6 angelfish in that tank.
John on February 10, 2011, 5:05 am wrote
Hi, I have a 450 litre juwel bow fronted tank with 1 blue acara, 1 female green severum, 4 gouramis, 3 clown loaches, 10 corys, 10 neon tetras. I would like to add some angels, how many do you think I could add? Thank you.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: I think you could add 3 to 4 angelfish in that tank.
mel on February 18, 2011, 3:37 am wrote
Why are two of my angel fish having red markings on their fins? Good web by the way :]
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: When you mention red markings are we talking about a reddish colouration to the fins or are the red markings streaks on the fins? If it is a reddish colouration, these could be the result of some selective breeding from a couple of generations ago, if there are red streaks then this could be a sign of a health problem and the first thing that comes to mind has to be septacemia. A pic of the fish would help to diagnose correctly.
Sue on February 23, 2011, 1:24 pm wrote
Please don’t lull your novice readers that Angels are easy to maintain. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve spent well over a thousand and some trying to fix dead Angel fish. I’ve learned that it is critical to keep the pH @ 7, which also means that you have to have $$ of a filtering system. Otherwise, go back to doing a 10% water change to get rid of the waste that accumulates. Some novices don’t get the connection of water change and cleaning the rubbish out. I had to get rid of all my live plants and only use plastic. Whenever I introduced live plants to the tank, I had a fish kill. Then I learned that the charcoal (in some filters) can alter the pH. More fish kills. Water temp should not be allowed to vary. Be mindful of what your hand brushes against during your aquarium care. If it hits the temperature gauge, ........yup! You got another fish kill.
Emily10 on February 27, 2011, 1:36 am wrote
I recently started a 20 gallon freshwater tank, with 5 neon tetras and 2 angels. The larger angel is constantly nipping and chasing the other angel, and when I added another one in, it killed it. I love my fish and I’m getting stressed about it! I have a total of 11 fish now, is it possible that my tank is over crowded? The smaller of the two angel’s fins are very short and ragged now, and I’m afraid he won’t be able to swim efficiently if the nipping keeps happening... Any advice?
Answer: A 20 gallon tank isn’t big enough for 2 Angelfish in my experience especially if you keep other fish in there. Dimensions are very important too. A display tank might be a problem, a "cube" tank could me more suitable since height is the most important for proper growth of Angels. That’s why you can find some answers claiming it’s OK to keep 2 Angelfish in a 20 gallon tank, and vice-versa. If you can find someone who’s willing to get Angels from you and if such a person owns a bigger tank, then go ahead. Another darkness for me is "11 fish" - But what species exactly? 5 are Neon tetras, that’s OK, plus 2 Angelfish it’s still only 7. How about remaining 4? Are they bottom dwellers? Or some active livebearer? Since you haven’t provided us with sufficient information such as sex of your fish and their size it’s difficult to give you another answer/advice. Lastly, you could divide a tank by using a tank divider and wait until the smaller Angel grows.
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: Yes, your tank is overcrowded. A 20 gallon tank is the minimum size for 2 adult angelfish. And if they don’t get along there is no way for the other to get away. I would suggest taking the bully out for a while, then move your decorations around in the tank. In 2 or 3 days try introducing the bully again. Sometimes that can work.
Emily10 on February 27, 2011, 12:03 pm wrote
I’m so new to fish keeping, I’m sorry... I don’t know the sex of the angels :( but I have one bottom feeder, a gourami, a goldfish, a beta, and another fish (tot sure of species). My smaller angel is now floating at the top of the tank, barely even swimming and just going with the current, I think he may possibly have swim bladder? His belly is all swollen and he occasionally swims toward the bottom but he pops right back up to the surface. I don’t want to euthanize him but I don’t want him to suffer, seeing as he is still getting severely nipped by the other angel. Any suggestions as to what I should do to help him? And where can I get a divider? My angles are the biggest in the tank, the larger being just bigger than a 50 cent piece. The rest are two inches or less in size. :)
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: There is not much you can do. He is suffering so really best to euthanize him. Most fish stores will sell dividers, but it’s best just to get it over with and stop the suffering.
lorraine on March 2, 2011, 10:29 pm wrote
I’m new to fish tank, but I bought the biorb 45 life running for 2 months now, my question is I’ve been reading about angel fish on here and I got 2 so far they look happy, but I’m wondering will they be OK in the tank? I have 2 platy and 2 rosy barbs with them. Size of tank is 56 cms height, width 37.5 cms and depth 25cms. I just read that they like tall aquariums?
Answer: You’ll need 40 cm for an Angelfish, otherwise fins of your fish will deform. This doesn’t mean that the fish will suffer, but it’s definitely a thing to avoid. You should find them a new home. Rosy barbs should be kept in groups of 5 at least...
Emily10 on March 4, 2011, 4:21 am wrote
I have a 20 gallon tank with one striped angel, 5 tetras, a turquoise rainbow fish and a neon blue gourami. I’m looking to add more fish to my family, but am unsure of what species would fit in, and what would look good. Any ideas? I am afraid to crowd my tank but I really would like an oscar maybe? I just don’t know what would work so I figured I’d ask you all for some suggestions. Thanks!
Answer by David; Angelfish USA: An Oscar would definitely not work. Your tank is much too small for that, and it will have a lot of good food with your tetra’s. Also I would not add any other fish to your tank. It already has more than it should have.
Cory on March 8, 2011, 12:45 pm wrote
I have a 55 gallon tank which has a list of fish: 1 angelfish, 3 guppies, 2 female bettas, 2 plecos, 1 bamboo shrimp, 3 bala sharks, 1 eclipse catfish, 2 ghost catfish, 1 striped Raphael catfish, 15 ghost shrimp, 2 black loaches, 1 rope fish, 1 pictus catfish, and I just had to remove my black moor. My question is a little harder to figure out, at least for me. I removed the black moor due to it’s eye being damaged and scales missing. 2 of my 3 bala sharks have scale damage, and my male guppy is missing his back fin. All of these fish were housed with the betta fish before so I know it’s not them. What could be causing this damage to my fish? I turned the light off one night and woke up to all of this and a dead bamboo shrimp, leaving me with one who isn’t doing so well. Can you help me?
Answer: How big is your Ropefish? These may be aggressive toward smaller fish. Ropefish will outgrow a 55 gallon tank. Angelfish will hardly do such a damage, at least they don’t bother bigger fish. I’d put money on this option. Pictus catfish, if feels endangered or uncomfortable, may nip fins and kill other fish too. Our Pictus catfish profile contains many comments; some aquarists report they’re peaceful while other say that they’re aggressive and killed smaller fish.
Sara on March 15, 2011, 7:30 pm wrote
Hey, got a 55 gallon tank with 4 angelfish, and a small group of gold barbs and tetras, shrimp, one small cory. Anyways got two pairs and one is on their second spawn! I’ve decided to go all natural and let them fend for themselves, they are doing an amazing job at that! Such a neat thing to watch and trust me I could watch them for hours! Anyways since I am new to this and letting them do what they do is it best to leave the tank light on 24/7 or can I turn off at night? If I left lights on the other fish won’t be harmed at all would they? If it is best for the others to turn light off at night but would stress the spawning pair into eating their young how would I go about this so everyone’s happy? Ha, beside the others being segregated to about 1/4 the tank distance away from eggs! Thanks any input would be great!
Answer: Lights must be turned off at night. That’s all you can do besides separating the fry, or separating the eggs is even better. My personal experiences with breeding Angelfish in a community tank aren’t good, the eggs got eaten, or if they hatched, the fry got eaten. Using a tank divider is another option; By separating other fish from the breeding pair you’ll greatly increase chances of survival for the fry. By the way, Cory’s should be kept in groups, they are very social fish. Get another 10 of them (the same species that you already keep) at least, please.
frederick on April 4, 2011, 2:18 am wrote
I have a 100cm * 35cm * 30 cm aquarium. I have 4 zebra danios with 2 angel fish in it. Will it be OK to put another angel fish like koi angel? And a normal pleco? Will the aquarium be overstocked? Is 28 degrees good for them?
Answer: The pleco should be OK, however mentioning common or scientific name would be better as if your "normal pleco" is a fish that grows 50 cm in length, then it isn’t suitable for your tank. Regarding Angelfish: The tank isn’t deep enough, you should give them away. I’d lower the temperature; Zebra danios prefer temperatures between 18 - 26 °C.

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