Female Angel Killing her mate

[daveandmarion]

We have 3 breeding pairs Angel fish although another pair 17 years old are not breeding and only have the odd courting now. The problem is one of the female angel fish. She killed her last mate he was smaller than her. We left her on her own for quite a long time but she kept laying eggs. We looked on this forum about introducing her to a new mate. We hunted for some males bigger than her, not easy. We then put her and two males in a heavily planted very large tank as per the advice. Within days her and one of the males were giving the other male a beating. So we assumed she had chosen. She has now laid eggs she allowed him to fertilise them but if he dares come out of hiding and tries to fan the eggs, she attacks him violently. The worst thing is she has bitten part of his fin and tail off and proceeded to eat the bits. Do we remove him or him and the eggs or her at the moment he is hiding well and not moving. Will she get over this. We don't want to find another mate dead.

 

[Byron]

Might change her temperament, but very unlikely. This is cichlid behaviour. All cichlids must bond as a pair, and while they may still spawn without bonding, usually one (it can be either, and they can reverse roles spawning to spawning) will call the shots. This might go on until one kills the other. If she encounters a male with more aggression he would likely kill her before she changes, but nothing is certain.

 

[daveandmarion]

I agree that animals behave the way they behave. But if one animal in a zoo was killing another as humans we would not stand by and let it happen. We cannot help but base our own emotional response onto the wild animal. I really just want to do the best I can without any fish getting killed. I have another tank empty, another very large tank with just some danios im hoping to breed. Also a community Angel fish tank. Should we remove him leave her with eggs or remove her leave him with eggs. We know she can not go in community tank as tried it before she attacked all the others. He did spend a few days in the community tank whilst we set up the meeting tank and was fine. Can we have some ideas on best option for our human attachment to these fish. As aggressive as she is she is a stunning fish and I feel bad that she may have to live alone. He has come out of hiding a few times has been determined to fan the eggs but she just bites him the whole time. Which one would be better left with the eggs the aggressive one or the passive one.

 

[daveandmarion]

i did think maybe after all that spawning maybe she just hungry so gave her some blood worms she picked a few but wasnt much bothered. Im also worried that if we stick a net in to catch one of them the other one will eat the eggs. All our Angel pairs fight each other sometimes usually courtship but she has always been more aggressive than any of the others since she was a baby her small size did not faze her even then.

 

[Byron]

I agree that animals behave the way they behave. But if one animal in a zoo was killing another as humans we would not stand by and let it happen. We cannot help but base our own emotional response onto the wild animal. I really just want to do the best I can without any fish getting killed. I have another tank empty, another very large tank with just some danios im hoping to breed. Also a community Angel fish tank. Should we remove him leave her with eggs or remove her leave him with eggs. We know she can not go in community tank as tried it before she attacked all the others. He did spend a few days in the community tank whilst we set up the meeting tank and was fine. Can we have some ideas on best option for our human attachment to these fish. As aggressive as she is she is a stunning fish and I feel bad that she may have to live alone. He has come out of hiding a few times has been determined to fan the eggs but she just bites him the whole time. Which one would be better left with the eggs the aggressive one or the passive one.

I assume she is caring for the eggs, so leaving her to that task seems the best. Remove the poor male. Down the road, obviously she cannot be kept with other angels if I read you correctly. I know this is difficult, I have in the past even had to euthanize a fish to avoid killing everything else, when I had no other option. Another time I moved a group of Nematobrycon lacortei (Rainbow Emperor Tetra) from tank to tank to tank, trying to find one where they would be settled without attacking others, and eventually giving them away (with a clear indication of the issue of course). Even with 8 or 9 tanks in a fish room I ran out of options for these fish; they just would not tolerate any other characins in the same tank.

 

[daveandmarion]

Thank you Byron. We are gonna move him out and put him back in the community Angel tank he might some time in the future find an easier partner in there. Yes it is sad i think she may have to live on her own or maybe try her with some of our other tanks with no other Angels see if she might get on. We have a lot of Angels that have been rescued from people who dont understand their paring and how territorial they become and want to get rid of them one was even deformed from being kept in to small tank but he gone on to have lovely babies. I just worry when we sell the babies they end up at some point unwanted. Our number 1 rescue fish are goldfish got 3 just this evening got to big as always we told the owner that compared to most of ours they were still tiny. Thats it though or we will need to build another pond. Thanks again for getting back so quickly and we fully agree with your thoughts on it you are right we cannot always get it perfect and for all her aggression she is taking great care with her eggs.

 

[Colin_T]

I agree with Byron, remove the male and let the female look after HER eggs and babies. She is a broody protective mother and should be fine. Once she has reared the young you can add the male again and let them breed again. If she bashes him again move him out and leave her with the eggs. Basically use him as a sex machine, let him have conjugal visits and then remove him so she can care for the eggs and young.

He might be the luckiest male alive, get invited into a tank with an excitable female, eat, breed, then leave. Every guys dream. And no child maintenance either

 

[daveandmarion]

Yea Thank you both. We moved him back into community Angel tank was worried he might get aggressive in there but has settled down fine with the others. We put in health boost as he lost bits of fins and tail but dosnt seem worse for wear or the least bit bothered by his removal even though he was trying so hard to get a chance to fan the eggs. She is like a mother possessed looking after the eggs. So for now everyone happy. You made me laugh Colin but I agree it seems the way to go. Thanks again for advice it worked out great.

 

[daveandmarion]

After all that she ate the babies. She is one crazy fish. But i cant help liking her she has a dont mess with me expression on her face. Broken hearted though our Angel pair been together for 16 years in the same tank for 17 years. she died last night. Have put him in community tank to see how he goes it seem OK so far he is massive but very old hope he can hold his own with the youngsters. in our minds we always thought they would die together never works out the way you plan. He just seems to be swimming about looking for her. SAD. The other 2 pairs have made up for crazy fish and we have loads of babies shame none are hers she is gorgeous.

 

[Colin_T]

Sorry to hear she died