Angelfish

[sarab59]

Hi there we've had our angels for over two years we've had a pair and last night one passed away now the remaining one is swimming up and down looking for his mate ,do we now leave him on his own or do we add another to make a pair we never added any more as the fish store said we cannot introduce any more now they are established but now we are left with just one I'm wondering if we are able to add another now sorry for rambling he just looks so lost without his friend!!

 

[SeanTrollope]

you can add another one, but its not likely to pair but they must be very similar in size
ow and if they do fight take them both out and do a re-scape.

 

[DrRob]

It's doable, but problematical. Larger tanks do better, and fully grown with fully grown, or at least similar sizes. In nature they tend to be found in large groups, but they're also quite territorial, not a problem with a lot of space to play with, but a problem in an aquarium. I've generally moved both fish into a new tank if I was introducing two adult angelfish, with a very close eye being kept on them. You can move all of the decor about, but you need to shake things up properly for it to work.

 

[SeanTrollope]

sometimes it works and sometimes it does not i know from my own experience with my school of twelve

 

[fluttermoth]

If your tank's big enough, and you can source them, your best bet would probably be to add five or six of the biggest angels you can find, and see what happens. Angels are very picky, and do like to choose their own mates. You might well have to rehome the 'spares' after another pair had formed though (and it might not be with your original fish!).

Angels do okay as specimen fish (if they don't like being on their own, they shouldn't be so darn picky about their companions!).