Angelfish advice- bad tankmates

For what it is worth, I knew a fish keeper many years back who imported and kept wild angels and discus. I was at his home once and got a tour of his fish room. Most of the tanks needed very acid water and he had the most elaborate system I have seen for producing it. He provided me with my first Altums. Oddly enough he and I both had the same first name. I was untroduced to him at the house of Rachel O. whose husband also had the same name. So there were 3 of us all with the same first name in one room containing we 3 and Rachel.

He told me that the discus in the wild live in decent sized groups. The largest fish acted as guards for the group and as gurds they stayed at the perimeters of the groop. They tended to be the most colorful and largest of the group, but they also had ragged fins etc. from the fighting that was part of their job as defenders. So if one wanted the nicest and biggest wilds from an imported group, one had to expect they would be a bit ragged when they arrived.

The other thing he told me was that smaller groups of angels would shelter within a discus group to take advantage of the protection this offered. Again, I cannot say of this was true or not. I have never seen either discus or angels where they live in the wild.
 
I've had angels eat cardinals; it really depends on the size of the angels. My largest male right now is a rather big beast - at least 7 inches top to bottom. Quite a lovely marble. He is one of the more gentle angels i've had in a long time but if he can snatch a cardinal he will. The smaller male and females aren't big enough to eat an adult cardinal though I suppose if they got hungry enough they might rip one to shred for the food. I don't keep them with cardinals any longer so it isn't a huge concern. My largest female isn't a small fish and is also a lovely marble.

As for mixing sa fishes with asian fishes (gourami); never again.
 

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