Aggressive Pair Of Angels

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Annchapman

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I have got 2 angels in my 300 Litre tank which have mated and laid 3 lots of eggs - although they have failed to raise any young as they have then gone on and eaten the eggs.
The problem I have is that they are continually aggressive with each other - my question is should I separate the pair or keep them together and accept that married life isn't always a bed of roses!!
Thanks for any advice
Ann
 
yes it does seem normal,,my female bashes my male sometimes,,he just takes it like a man and walks<swims away>
but as with all cichlids keep your eye on them if it gets too aggresive then i would seperate<but if its a five minute spat it should be ok
 
It is certainly more than a 5 minute spat - they are 'biting' each other continually most days but I see they have actually stopped at the moment to lay some more eggs!!
 
They are lip locking for part of the time but also 'biting' each others sides and around the eyes and chasing after each other.
 
Not got a divider but can put one into my son's tank even if only as a temporary measure and then try them together again.
 
yes that would probally be a good idea,,maybe take all the stuff out the tank<including the real aggresor>,,rearrange and then leave it a hour or two,,then rebag and add again floating bag for a long while,,see what happens
 
Thanks for all your help -you have been a great help -will try that tomorrow
 
If there is no apparent damage happening to either fish I would let them be, as with a tank that size there is enough room for one or the other to escape to. If you start noticing damage to either, a divider would be the best starting place if you wish to keep them as a breeding pair.

Breeding pairs of angels generally are not show specimens when actively breeding, some torn fins & loose scales often happen. Lip locking & pecking are pretty normal, as long as it doesn't get to the point of a stressful situation or serious damage. Angels are cichlids, and anyone keeping cichlids is wise to keep a divider or extra tank handy.

Separating the pair & rearranging the tank, letting the more docile fish settle in the tank, and then adding the more aggressive fish is fine for territorial aggression. This is not the case in your situation, you have angels showing pairing aggression, which is usually more nasty looking than it actually is. Angels get really torn up fast when stuck in a situation in which there is territorial aggression, this is where relocating & rearranging works well.

At times, even the most well mannered of pairs can have a falling out, this can happen at any time, and for no apparent reason. Paired angels have been known to get aggressive to the point of killing a mate, this is one reason a divider is good to have, just drop it in, much easier than setting up tanks, catching & switching fish, and so on.

Breeding fish often release hormones into the water, this includes angels. By switching one of the fish out you can interrupt the breeding cycle, and this release of hormones. Replace the more aggressive fish, and you may have broken the pair. They may re-pair, or the breeding aggression may end up being territorial aggression, which generally causes much more damage to the less aggressive fish.

How do you tell? With territorial aggression the more passive fish will do everything it can to hide or escape, this means hiding behind or under objects, or going for the surface in a horizontal position. The only time you may see the fish near each other is when feeding, and the aggressive fish will chase the more passive fish out of a clearly defined territory shortly afterwards. Paired angels who like to test each other, which is common, will tend to stick near each other for the most part, with little relationship spats here & there. They will both defend a common area, especially before, during, & after spawning.
 
I would agree with Tolak, don't be in any immediate rush to separate them. Aggression is just part of keeping Cichlids, what seems extreme to use probably isn't so bad for them...
 
yes i agree but she said its a permanant arragement, i have cichlids permantly attack each other and it always ended in death<even a breeding pair of firemouths...kept em for 6months laying/fighting/laying/fighting then one day she killed him,,but as said i would be inclined to listen to tolak,amazing angel breeding record to boot :good:
 

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