55g EBAs and Angels

[rookiefishguy]

Hey all,

I have a 55g tank that currently houses 2 male EBAs (still about 3in and 2in) and 9 black skirt tetras. I just picked up 1 Koi Angelfish (about the size of a quarter) to add to the tank but was wondering if I could get away with adding 1-2 more Angelfish? I currently have a 60g HOB and a sponge filter for a 40g so filtration is there. Looking to upgrade to a 75-125g tank in a couple years so this wouldn't be their final home. Picture of current set up set below:

Could I get 1-2 more in my current set up?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I don't know a lot about EBA's but I would double check that they are going to be ok with Angels.

In my experience even peaceful Cichlids that get on with other fish don't do well with other "peaceful" Cichlids, especially if they start breeding. Even if they are ok I would try and get a lot more cover set up in the tank (more plants ideally).

Angel fish in my experience can be a bit tricky because of in species aggression. In my opinion it is best to get a small mixed sex group of juveniles and wait for 2 to form a pair. Then you need to rehome the rest. This isn't always very practical though and should only be done if you know you can rehome the "left overs".

Another common recommendation is you get a group of 5 or more. Make sure you get them all at the same time. This way the aggression is spread out among them. This can work but not sure if a 55G is big enough for 5 fully grown Angel Fish (I would say not but its borderline for some people).

Don't ever get a small group of 3 or 2 (that are not paired up). This will in my opinion end up with the weakest fish being killed.

 

[rookiefishguy]

Appreciate the insight! Would you say that I should just stick to the one Angel or would it be a better idea to get the 3-4 more and have them pair up? I have my neighbor who's also a fish enthusiast and very willing to take any off my hands for the ones that don't pair up

 

[OliveFish05]

I have an EBA in my 55. He is over 4 inches now, and personally I would think that a pair of EBAs and a pair of angels would be a lot, as both get rather territorial when breeding. It looks like you’ve got some nice plants and hiding places in there though, so since the acaras and angels are small you could try it and if things start going badly as they mature you could rehome one pair or the other.

 

[rookiefishguy]

my EBAs are both male so I luckily don't have to worry about them breeding. The Angels would be new to me but I am prepared to rehome one of them should things start to turn ugly. I'd likely rearrange the driftwood in the tank so territories can be reestablished once I take the Angels out of quarantine

 

[kribensis12]

What are your water parameters?

EBAs are relatively peaceful, but I am highly concerned that you have two males together. "Relatively peaceful" does not mean peaceful, it means "unlikely to brutally kill all of your fish". I have never seen two male cichlids of the same species ever get along. The reality is that while it may not be today, the weaker fish will be bullied which is a miserable existence and will one day die. I would consider rehoming one of them.

When it comes to Angels, they are a very social fish but they can also be very aggressive. Keeping just one would be a sad existence for that fish, but 2-3 would spell disaster.

As @xxBarneyxx mentioned, the minimum tank size for a group of angels (that is, 5-6) would be 55g. Yours may be small now, but angels get BIG. They can and will kill each other if there are not enough to build a proper social structure. If they do breed, you would then be able to offload the others and allow the pair to own the tank (which they will).

I would recommend choosing - do you want Angels or EBAs and then build a tank around that. If you want EBAs then you'll need to switch out a male for a female.