What kind of fish can I keep with my angelfish?

[Essjay]

The problem with keeping Buenos Aires tetras with angelfish is that the tetras are fin nippers and would nip angels' big fins.
Some species of tetras can be kept with angels provided they are not fin nippers, swim sedately and don't dash everywhere at high speed, and are not small straight bodied (neon tetra shaped) or when the angels are fully grown they'll eat them.

 

[Metalhead88]

Just out of curiosity, why are gouramis not good tank mates for angels?

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[Byron]

Just out of curiosity, why are gouramis not good tank mates for angels?

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Cichlids and gourami in general have too much alike; males are territorial and depending upon species may or may not tolerate the opposite. As a general rule, cichlids should be one species of cichlid to a tank, and the same is true for most of the gourami. Related to this--most aquarists going down this road tend to have small tanks, by which I mean tanks that likely provide sufficient space for one or the other, if even that.

 

[Byron]

You said that there are some fish that would generally be okay with angelfish. Which fish were you referring to, besides cories and plecos?

Essjay responded, I concur. Linear fish should never be combined with angelfish; linear meaning fish like the neon tetra, rummynose, glowlight, and similar shaped fish.

Disk-shaped tetras usually are OK if the tank is large enough to accommodate the group of angelfish and more. The Rosy Tetra, Roberti Tetra, Bentosi Tetra, Black Phantom and Red Phantom Tetra, etc. The species I mention are peaceful and not likely to nip fins, and being disk-shaped the angelfish are unlikely to think they can eat them. There are some risky species among such tetras though that will readily nip fins, so the shape alone is not the criteria.

 

[Crusader13]

Hmm okay. I might just do 5 red/black phantoms instead of 5 pearl gouramis.

i would like to ask about the compatibility of silver dollars and angelfish however. is it doable? if not, why? if it is doable, i may just keep the dollars with the angelfish in a larger tank if necessary since i know they can be huge and are a schooling fish. i just don't know how large the tank would be. but i dont want to get any ideas if its not doable so.

 

[Essjay]

I might just do 5 red/black phantoms

Shoaling fish like tetras need to be in a bigger group than 5. Although the usually quoted minimum number is 6, they always do better and behave more naturally with more than 6.

This applies to all shoaling fish, not just tetras - it includes cories, for example.

 

[Byron]

Hmm okay. I might just do 5 red/black phantoms instead of 5 pearl gouramis.

i would like to ask about the compatibility of silver dollars and angelfish however. is it doable? if not, why? if it is doable, i may just keep the dollars with the angelfish in a larger tank if necessary since i know they can be huge and are a schooling fish. i just don't know how large the tank would be. but i dont want to get any ideas if its not doable so.

Essjay answered the shoaling number issue. This also involves the Silver Dollar, Metynnis hypsauchen, as this is a shoaling species.

Unless the aquarium is very large, meaning 6+ feet in length, combining angelfish and silver dollars is not advisable. They attain very similar sizes (body length six inches). The SD are rather shy fish, and aggressive angelfish behaviour might frighten them into not eating. They are primarily vegetarian so plants may be eaten. At full size they will also consider smaller fish as food.

 

[Crusader13]

Well what I was going to do was 5 black phantoms and 5 red phantoms, and since theyre both tetras i figured they would shoal together. but if not, i'll go with 6 of each

 

[Byron]

Well what I was going to do was 5 black phantoms and 5 red phantoms, and since theyre both tetras i figured they would shoal together. but if not, i'll go with 6 of each

A species requi8res a number of its own to satisfy the inherent need for the group (shoal). It is true that different species may get along well together and swim about in mixed numbers, but this is not satisfying the inherent need of the fish. And thse two species are distinct; their similar common name may imply a closer relationship than is actually the case. Rosy Tetras are just as closely related to Black Phantoms as are Red Phantoms.

The other thing is that minimum numbers should not bee considered "adequate." So many in this hobby have small tanks and want more fish that the tank is often able to handle. Minimum numbers of a species may provide the miinimum number, but the species will be in better shape (health) with more, and when space permits, that should be the aim, to provide a decent sized group. If not, then the species is best avoided.

The two "phantom" species really should have 8-9 minimum. I have had both of these more than once (not together, though that does not matter), and I always start out with at least 12-15 of whichever species. If the intent here is still a 55g tank at 4 feet in length, then either the Red or Black Phantom if selected should be in the 15-20 number range. They will provide much more enjoyment to you, as they will be more settled, less stressed, and interact more. And these are nice little fish.

 

[Crusader13]

Well im still going with a 75g setup, but this i what ive decided for the moment

5 angelfish
10 red phantoms
10 rosy tetras
10 black phantoms
5 snails
5 live plants

i still want cories and bristlenoses but im not sure about the numbers.

 

[Metalhead88]

1 bristlenose would be fine....unless you really like them.

I'd go with at least 10 corries. They do best with sand.

I think you have room for all these fish in a 75.

You can also add many more plants but that's totally up to you.

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