Angelfish

[Topher2283]

Hello!

I have a new 29 gallon currently cycling and am looking at ideas as what to stock it with.

My thoughts right now are 2 angelfish just to keep it simple and pretty. I'm finding a lot of different advice online and on YouTube however.

Would just 2 angelfish in a 29 be ok? Some say it's ok, some are saying you need at least 55g for angels, I've seen one video that said you can have 6 in a 29g.

I am also confused about their pairing and aggression. I am no looking to breed them but I've heard they can be aggressive when they aren't paired up and I've seen they are very hard to identify their sex.

If 2 are ok, what happens if I get 2 males or 2 females? Will they not get along? Any advice would be great, I would really like to keep these fish if I am able.

Any other just general angelfish advice would be very appreciated. Thank you!!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Hey, Topher. The trouble with angelfish is that they are so common, so domesticated, and there are so many different lines, that three different people might have three wildly different experiences with them. You run into the same problem with bettas, I suspect for much the same reason. I also get the feeling angels are more intelligent than your average aquarium fish, with the accompanying variety of personalities. Generally they are a fairly aggressive species, but you just never know until you get one in your tank, and even then, personalities can change over time.

So, here's my experience with angels in a 29g. I started with a group, hoping to get a breeding pair. I ended up with two males. They got along great for a few months before one started terrorizing the other. Despite fairly dense planting and a lot of woodwork, the tank was so small it was hard for the subordinate one to escape. I finally had to rehome the aggressive one. The other seemed much happier, and was most certainly much healthier alone. I suspect they're like a lot of aggressive fish: If you have a bunch of them to spread out aggression, they get along great.

So...if I were to do angels in a 29 again, I would choose one I really liked and raise it alone. Angels are naturally schooling fish, and some people say they are unhappy without conspecifics. I've never really had one open up to me about its feelings, so I don't know about that. The one I kept never acted nervous or anxious by himself like a solo tetra or rasbora would, but I'm sure they would behave more naturally with some buddies. But a 29 is just too small for more than one.

That's my experience, for what it's worth.

Thomas

 

[Topher2283]

Thank you, I appreciate the info

 

[ObelMac]

Hello!

I have a new 29 gallon currently cycling and am looking at ideas as what to stock it with.

My thoughts right now are 2 angelfish just to keep it simple and pretty. I'm finding a lot of different advice online and on YouTube however.

Would just 2 angelfish in a 29 be ok? Some say it's ok, some are saying you need at least 55g for angels, I've seen one video that said you can have 6 in a 29g.

I am also confused about their pairing and aggression. I am no looking to breed them but I've heard they can be aggressive when they aren't paired up and I've seen they are very hard to identify their sex.

If 2 are ok, what happens if I get 2 males or 2 females? Will they not get along? Any advice would be great, I would really like to keep these fish if I am able.

Any other just general angelfish advice would be very appreciated. Thank you!!

thanks

 

[Brodie33]

I got a pair of angles and they were happy with eachother at the pet store considering I was watching for about an hour and they seemed paired already but a week later they had to be separated from eachother, one was constantly attacking the other. Luckily I have a few aquariums. It really just depends on the pair I guess.. you won't know until you get them together and watch the behavior. Just be prepared to have to move or get rid of one!

 

[itiwhetu]

Two angels would be fine, expect them to fight and sort themselves out. I had a breeding pair of Blacks, Had been together for two years. I was moving house and couldn't take them with me and I sold them, In their new tank within 24 hours the male had killed the female. There lies the problem with Angels and all Cichlids for that matter. You just never know.

 

[DAnCSF]

It seems to me that all cichlids are unique and be behaviot generalizations are just that generalizations,...sometimes you just have to put them together and keep a very careful watch...along with a fallback tank if separation is needed. That being said my Angels seem to get along with other fish just not with each other...I've got numerous observations concerning my angels over the past year feel free to sent me msg and I'll share my obs. Currently have 6, each about 5 - 6" in height,spread among 3 tanks: 3-40 gal, 1 - 30 gal tall, and 2 in a 29g.

 

[Utar]

IMHO, angels in a 29 gallon is a no go, they need more room and if you do this then your going to have problems. I love my angels and apperently I ended up with two males in my 55 gallon. I am getting a 29 gallon ready to re-home my Red Eyed Tetras because the angels are terrorize them, but the 55 is heavily planted and the tetras can hide. Still the angels keep them pinned down to only one side of the tank, when a tetra or two tries to venture out from the plants, it gets attacked by the angels. Like I said I love my angel fish and the two get along with each other, and they are very intelligent and personable with me.

May I suggest Pearl Gourami. They are easy to sex and you could get one male and two females.