Added more Angelfish

[leafs]

I currently have 2 - 3" Angels in my 30 gallon and would like to add another 2 about the same size. The 2 that I currently have seem to have paired off and they get along fine. Could there be any problems if I added another 2? I'm not really interested in breeding them, but it would be nice if they did.


Thanks

 

[Tolak]

Breeding pairs are very aggressive, especially when spawning. Adding another angel or 2 without a divider will give you some torn up fish.

At 10 gallons per full grown adult, the most you could put in there would be 3 angels. You can cut it back to 5 gallons per potential breeder, giving you 6 angels in that tank, but if 2 of those fish are a pair, you will have aggression problems.

Before you consider breeding them, find a place to take or sell 300+ fish, and have an extra 200 gallons minimum of tank space for grow out.

Tolak

 

[leafs]

Breeding pairs are very aggressive, especially when spawning. Adding another angel or 2 without a divider will give you some torn up fish.

At 10 gallons per full grown adult, the most you could put in there would be 3 angels. You can cut it back to 5 gallons per potential breeder, giving you 6 angels in that tank, but if 2 of those fish are a pair, you will have aggression problems.

Before you consider breeding them, find a place to take or sell 300+ fish, and have an extra 200 gallons minimum of tank space for grow out.

Tolak

I just want to make sure I understand this correctly. The 2 that I currently have aren't necessarily a breeding pair, I'm not even sure if they're male and female, so would I still have a problem with aggression? I'm assuming that it would be a problem if the 2 I have now are a pair.

 

[Tolak]

If they haven't spawned, they probably aren't a pair. They may have established territories in their tank though. You can avoid territory problems by taking out the 2 angels in there, re-arrranging the decor in the tank, put the new angels in for a day or so, then adding the older angels back in.

In a 30 gallon you should have only 3 adult angels in there. You could squeeze 4 in there, that would keep the 1 new angel from being picked on, spread the aggression a bit.

Knowing that adults need 10 gallons per fish, potential breeders 5 gallons each, you could put 4 more in there IF you keep a close eye on water parameters, and watch for aggression. 1 or 2 will probably fit in with the older angels, another 1 or 2 will probably get chased around. Keep the most compatable 3 or 4, trade the others back to the lfs. They will be larger by then, you will probably pay for the new fish.

Tolak

 

[leafs]

Now I understand. Thanks for your help Tolak.

 

[parker313]

I would not add any other angels to that tank.

 

[leafs]

I would not add any other angels to that tank.

Why not?

 

[parker313]

For the reasons Tolak outlined. You currently have 2 angelfish. If you add another one now, chances are very good that the 2 (even if not a pair) will have staked out the tank (a relatively small one for angels) as THEIRS. They probably will not tolerate another newcomer to their tank. So, your best bet is to add 2-3 more angelfish, but there's no way your tank is big enough for 4-6 full grown angels.

If you have CONCRETE plans to upgrade your tank or you can (and WILL) re-home your angels when they get too big for your current tank, then go ahead. Otherwise, adding just the one to a tank with 2 existing angels is just asking for trouble.

 

[leafs]

For the reasons Tolak outlined. You currently have 2 angelfish. If you add another one now, chances are very good that the 2 (even if not a pair) will have staked out the tank (a relatively small one for angels) as THEIRS. They probably will not tolerate another newcomer to their tank. So, your best bet is to add 2-3 more angelfish, but there's no way your tank is big enough for 4-6 full grown angels.

If you have CONCRETE plans to upgrade your tank or you can (and WILL) re-home your angels when they get too big for your current tank, then go ahead. Otherwise, adding just the one to a tank with 2 existing angels is just asking for trouble.

I guess everyone has their opinion. I think 4 will be fine in my tank.

 

[Tolak]

Angels mature between 6 & 9 months of age, on the average. They don't really hit the full grown, fully finned size until at least a year, closer to 18 months. Any pairing, spawning, or major aggression issues will usually show up before they reach maximum size. At this point you can decide which ones get along best, keep those 3 or 4, and trade the other 2 or 3 in. At this point they will be larger than when you bought them, you should get a decent price in cash or store credit, paying for the ones you keep.

Tolak

 

[parker313]

You think 4 adults will be fine?

Good luck, I hope they are