Angelfish And Rams?

LordOfTheFish

Mostly New Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2015
Messages
16
Reaction score
1
Location
US
Hi! So, I just had a quick question...In general, can angelfish and rams live together, or are they too aggressive? Also, how many of each would you recommend in a 60 gallon long tank? I already have 1 angel, 3 adult platies and 2 babies, 5 runnynose tetras and 4 clown loaches. Thanks in advance to all that reply!
 
Hi, yes they can live together provided there is enough space to establish their own territory - especially if breeding is likely. I can only work in litres and Google tells me your tank is about 270 litres? That should be more than big enough for them to live together peacefully. Keeping it well planted and with plenty of hiding/chill out space will help.
 
I had a 180 litre tank and I had a breeding pair of Bolivian Rams, a breeding pair of Laetacara Curvicep cichlids and two angels!! It turned into a war when they were all trying to breed at once though. Eventually I got rid of the angels but after my rams died I replaced them and now have a breeding pair of angels and I still have my curvicep male. The angels are bossy with him but there's no aggression 
 
Hope that helps :)
 
I concur with Akasha.  Either species of ram will usually be fine with angelfish, though it sometimes depends upon the temperament of the angelfish.  All of these after all are cichlids.
 
There are some issues with numbers though, so I will be detailed to ensure everything is understood.  First on the angelfish, as you have one it could be difficult adding more.  This somewhat depends upon the age and how long it has been in this tank.  Angelfish are shoaling fish that live together in small groups.  They will establish an hierarchy within that group, and each male can form a territory.  If you have a female, adding other angels should be less problematic than if it is a male; a male will quickly form his territory which will be the entire tank space, and any intruders (other angelfish) may not be welcomed.  Sometimes re-aquascaping the tank and adding the entire group together can work, if the existing fish is still very young.  A 60g long may not have the height for angelfish, so I cannot offer much more now.
 
As for the rams, in this tank you could try a male and one, two or three females.  Rams must select their mates (this applies to most cichlids), and they bond.  The safest method is to find a bonded pair from the store tank.  It is usually easy to spot a bonded pair.  The other method is to buy a small group and allow the fish to form their bonded pairs.  With a well planted tank with lots of chunks of wood to break up the area this can work.  But even so, sometimes there are fish that will be ostracized and these can be seriously stressed and harassed to the point of death.  But the rams and angelfish usually manage together, it is the fish within each species that have the issues.
 
On your other fish, I would increase the rummynose tetra shoal.  This is one species of tetra that is always much better in larger groups, and here I would suggest 10-12 total.  This makes a big difference to this fish.
 
The clown loach poses some problems, as this fish gets large--usually it grows fairly quickly (if it is healthy and in suitable surroundings) to around five inches, and then more slowly up to somewhere between eight and twelve inches, with fish attaining 16 inches possible.  This means at least a six-foot tank fairly soon.  When this species is in cramped surroundings it may not develop properly, and health issues and a premature death may result.  I don't know how large yours are now, but they will need a larger tank soon.
 
Hope this helps.
 
Byron.
 
Also to note, we should emphasize that the rams should have adequate hiding spots should the angels get tempermental. The rams will stay low. It's their nature. The angels will generally stay high. When the two mix territories is when things get "fun".
 

Most reactions

Back
Top