Tank mates for large angelfish

[Oli]

Looking for tank mates to add to 55 gallon, housing a single, full size Angel fish (and in the near future, some Electric Blue Acaras.) I really want a large school of Cardinal Tetras, but am reading very conflicting things. Opinions? Any other colourful, schooling fish I could add in large numbers? Thanks

 

[itiwhetu]

Cardinals and Angels are not a good mix because of the temperature requirements of each. If you want a school of fish, try Giant Danios or Congo Tetras. Both should handle the Angel fish fine. The bigger the school the better.

 

[Oli]

Oh I thought they were from the exact same place?? I will look into Congo tetras as I want something as small as possible yet still compatible so I can have a big school

 

[Slaphppy7]

I wouldn't put congos in anything smaller than a 75G

Cardinals and congos have the exact same temp requirements, according to SeriouslyFish...23-28C

 

[Uberhoust]

I have ornate and black neon tetras in with my angels. The angels have never bothered the tetras and they haven't bothered the angels. The ornates like to swim around the bases of the amazon swords, and the black neons tend to hang out higher in more open water, the angels tend to prefer the semi open areas around the leaves of the swords. The tetras were already citizens of the tank when the young angels were introduced so that might be a factor.

 

[Byron]

In very general terms, angelfish should not be housed with linear fish as it is easy for these to be seen as food. This somewhat depends upon the temperament of the individual angelfish of course, and the size of the fish (both the angelfish and the linear fish). Most stores sell shoaling tetras as fry, and they are very small and almost inevitably going to entice the angelfish to see them as food. Fully grown tetras might fare better, but again it depends upon the angelfish.

Disk-shaped tetras fare better, and angelfish are not so likely to see them as food, though territory can play a part. Disk-shaped tetras like those in the "Rosy" clade, the Rosy Tetra, Ornate Tetra, phantoms, etc.

I should also mention that keeping the single angelfish contrary to its inherent expectations of being in a shoal can have a detrimental effect on the angelfish, and this can play out as increased aggression, or the opposite, or...whatever. I would also caution that the addition of any other cichlid species here is a risk for the same reason.

 

[anewbie]

I like serpae with my angels; some folks complain they are nippers but i've never had any problem - quite frankly they are scared of my angels....