What Next... How About Angelfish?

[Jamie624]

Ok, good point. I do want breeding Angelfish sometime but not now as the tank is not big enough for angel fish and how ever many babies they produce. I'll just slot 'breeding Angelfish' into my to-do list for life haha

Maybe full steam ahead with the shoalers though.
If anyone could suggest a few more mini shoalers that are compatible with my platies, swordtails and pleco that'd be great

 

[Alasse]

Fry will not survive in a community tank anyway to have to worry about them growing, if the tank mates dont eat them then chances are the angels themselves will to 'protect' them from tankmates. Mine have never successfully raised a spawn in the 2+yrs i've had them and they spawn every 7-10days. Final stocking is upto you of course

Platy and swords will xbreed, just so you are aware.

Rummynose tetras
Harlequin rasboras
Cherry barbs

All the above are schoolers, the rummys being the best ones

 

[KittyKat]

50gal is defiantely not too small for 2

I've got a 90gal and did have 12 in it (until i decided to change it over to maingano) I've kept 2 breeding pair in a 40gal successfully, i've kept a breeding pair in a 20gal. Currently i have a pair in the 90gal, but i am looking for another 4 to add to the tank & platys

I say that I feel this way because of swimming space, not bio-load. When I kept angels before, I did feel that they were cramped in a tall 3ft tank (over 50 US gallons), improving greatly when they were moved to a larger tank. This is why I would not keep them in anything shorter than a 4ft tank. Yes, I do think it is fine to have 12 in a 90 gal and would do that myself. This is my personal opinion based on personal experience, which is why I do point out that other people do not have the same opinions.

 

[Alasse]

This is a 3ft 50gal tank with 2 pairs, and they have heaps of swimming space

 

[Tolak]

Many breeders keep standard fin pairs in a bare 20 high with 16" of water depth, veils in 29's with 18" of water depth. I did that for years with no issues, usually keeping several corys on the bottom. A 50 gallon is plenty of room territory wise and as far as swimming room for a pair. You could easily start with 6 fish, wait for a pair, then return the now larger fish for credit, probably coming out ahead on the deal.

The standard stocking rate is 5 gallons for each potential breeder size angel, I've seen plenty of breeders double that in larger tanks heavy on water changes, so swim room is really not an issue. What you do have to realize once you do have a pair is that angels are cichlids, all individuals have different temperaments. I've had multiple pairs that coexist peacefully in an undivided 55, and pairs where out of the blue one decided to beat the snot out of its mate. This means at the least keeping a divider handy, best bet is a second small tank.

Platys & swords will cross, I avoid keeping them in tanks next to each other, and never keep them in the same tank.

 

[karin]

I'll reiterate too that aggressive behavior will depend on the individuals. I have a breeding pair that are about 9 months old in a 60 gallon that are very mellow, very into themselves and yes chase a little at breeding time. I have a couple of young angel fish (5 months) in my 29 gallon and they are feisty and have killed an oto and a neon and are actively hunting. Also their mouths are not big enough to actually eat their kill. Turns out that they are not a breeding pair so will keep one and give other away. Neons may have worked with my other one but lets face it that they are the natural food.

So I would say that a pair in a 50 gallon are fine but they will eat fry and they will possibly hunt smaller fish. One in a 30 gallon tall is fine with me. My spawning pair lose their eggs every time to the bristlenose. It is fine by me as I don't want to deal with fry.

Just info.

 

[Jamie624]

You say you don't put Platies and Swordtails together. What's wrong with crossed offspring?

 

[Alasse]

Providing you keep all the fry or cull them, nothing is wrong with it, done it myself. Do not sell them or give them away, people will breed them again and dilute the pure platy & sword lines.