How to keep single angelfish happy

[Oli]

So I have an angelfish tank of various sizes and pairs. All is well but I had an aggressive male that was bullying basically the whole tank. I have moved him to my community tank (cardinals, rummy nose etc) and to my surprise, he has been very well behaved to the smaller fish. I think it’s because they are fully grown tetras and it is not his territory. The only thing is, I prefer having angelfish in groups/pair, but he was far too aggressive to other angelfish. Although he seems happy in the community tank, I feel bad he is alone. Is there anything I can do to make him
Happier. E.g. Playing games when I feed him, trying to make him chase my hand,
Putting a mirror up? I don’t want to stress him but I also don’t want him to just float around by his self and be depressed?

He doesn’t seem depressed but just wandering!

 

[GaryE]

He wants his own territory. A mirror says he is being challenged, if he even reacts. You can talk to a Cichlid with your hands - I've stopped fights for example with hand motions outside the tank. But I was telling the fish, by imitating their display, that something bigger than them was very annoyed and ready to fight. It made them quiet down, but it was a challenge. So that won't calm him.
BTW- hand motions are a behavioural study trick. I am crazy, I suppose, but that action isn't a symptom....

If he is hyper-aggressive with his own species, he has to be a loner. Any other fish that he sees as competition will upset him.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

How big is his tank now? Angelfish are difficult because they are naturally very social, but they can also be aggressive. The only way I've found to keep them in a semi-natural state is to keep at least five of them in a large tank (mine are in a planted/aquascaped 150g). That way they can interact, but they have room to get away from each other when they want to. They aren't all that different from people, that way.

I kept a solo angelfish in a 30g tank by himself, and he was healthy and active. Was he "happy"? I don't know. He wasn't telling. But seeing how much the angels in my 150g interact with each other, I think they're better off.