Angelfish

[guppymonkey]

I wanted to get angelfish when I got my 55 gallon tank for Christmas but I keep a lot of guppies. I have heard of angelfish eating neons and didn't want that to happen to my guppies. Do they really eat guppies? Can you only get one angelfish or would you need a few of them? I really know nothing about the species.

 

[CFC]

I have found that angelfish do best in either pairs or a small group, they are quite social and i dont feel it is right to keep a single one. They are predatory by nature and in the wild neons and other small tetras make up a large part of their diet, guppies would be enjoyed by them just the same.

 

[AaronPenfound]

I have had my angels and my neons and tetra's in the same tank for over a year now, and they seem to get on ok, they seem to prefer to pester my gourami's more than the small fish! Dont know whether its just my luck or if anyone else's angels do this?

 

[ryan]

Yes they will eat small fish like Neons and Guppies as CFC siad it is a main part of their diet in the wild. My pair of Angels have eaten several Neons and even a couple of smallish Rummys, they will eat fish. Ofcourse there is the odd exception were they will leave them alone. Infact my Angels have left three Neons in their tank and don't try to eat them, I have no reson why they haven't eaten them like the others, they just haven't.

If you buy the Angels be prepared to lose a few Guppies or other similar sized fish.

Good Luck and think carefully.

 

[Sanj]

I think it may also depend on when you add what fish and the size.

If you introduce small angelfish (2") to an aquarium already established with tetra etc they may well leave them alone as they grow up being used to them and not seeing them as food because the tetras were too big for them when they were small.

 

[Butterfly Betta]

Right now


My friend raises Angels, when the fry are old enough not to be eaten he lets them loose in a 350 gallon tank.

There are quite a few tetras about.

The fry grow to be about nickel - dollar sized and then are sold.

He hasn't gotten any complaints from people with community tanks filled with small fish about loosing their fish.

As Sanj put it, you have to introduce them when they are SMALL.

 

[ryan]

I think it may also depend on when you add what fish and the size.

If you introduce small angelfish (2") to an aquarium already established with tetra etc they may well leave them alone as they grow up being used to them and not seeing them as food because the tetras were too big for them when they were small.

I would have to agree, in my experience this is the case. I used to think only wild Angels would eat smallish fish because none of my captive breed Angels did until I brought two fully grown captive breed Angels.