Angel Not Eating

[windhopper]

Hey guys, havent been here for a while but could really use some advice. A while back i got 3 angels, they all lived happily together, until one day two paired off and bullied the other one so they were moved to a different tank, the one that got bullied i rehomed so it could be with more angels as i decided it was unfair for it to be on its own in the end even though it seemed to be quite happy living with my guppys and platies. So anyway i had the pair and recently the male died, the female looks fine to the eye, other than her mouth is constantly open and she looks "depressed" and just floats round the tank; she hasnt eaten anything for about a week now. Theres no ammo, no nitrite and about 20ppm nitrate. This isnt her normal behaviour and im starting to get worried, do you think its because the male died? and should i follow my instincts and get either another 1 or 2 angels for her to be with, i know from the other angel they like company.

any advice appreciated,

Jorel

Edit: Got another angel today, sadly only 1 - couldnt afford 2 at the price of £12 each so abit of a bug really (although it is a nice fish lol), will go to the shop up the road tomorrow and get a third. The original angel seems to have alittle bit more purpose in what it does now sheparding the newcomer (who is tiny in comparison) around the tank

 

[fishfinderdave]

hiya jorel.

angel fish, big and beautiful fish to have in any tank
they prefer the company of their own kind in a tank...so i suggets getting another angel or 2.
is your fish showing any other signs of abnormal activity?

has it got any growths around its gills or mouth?

it may just be where its lonely in your tank and wants the company of another angel fish.
have you tried giving your fish live food? like bloodworm or daphnia?
as this can spur the fish into feeding again.

goodluck with it all.

 

[windhopper]

hi dave, thanks, i did wonder if it was that, i havent tried live foods - mum wont allow it in the house. There are guppies in the tank and normally it would chase and eat the fry that are small enough and its not even doing that. Theres no growths on the gills or mouth. The really abnormal thing is the mouth is always open but i think i might just be noticing it because the angel isnt really swimming at all.

As for getting companions for her, i saw some stunning angels at a shop about 20 minutes away from me, and tomorrow mums going to take me fish hunting to another few stores so should find another few to keep her company, and hopefully that should work then.

Thanks dave,
Jorel

 

[Joller]

you could try frozen live foods, or just go digging for worms =)

 

[windhopper]

you could try frozen live foods, or just go digging for worms =)

Worms as in earthworms? like the ones in the compost heap? I have plenty of acces to those, what do i do with them once ive got them? wash them? drop them in and watch what happens? they wont harm the fish with any chemicals in them will they?

Thanks,
Jorel

 

[windhopper]

Ok so heres some pics of the new angel along with the older one

 

[Joller]

yeah they can eat earth worms. i'd choose smaller worms as the fish have probably never eaten live worms before so they may just ignore it (my fish do)
as for preperation i'd just say wash the dirt of and good to go
some people will disagree with me on this though because things from outside can introduce diseases, but my logic is that insects are a part of their natural diet so it can't be too harmful.
just make sure it gets eaten, if not you should remove it

i'm glad the larger angel has taken to the youngster
i once tried the same thing but the larger was a male. i had to remove the yougster after 2 minutes of keeping the large one from attacking it with my hand

 

[windhopper]

yeh i'm glad she took to the youngster, i wonder if its because she did raise some fry before and maybe shes treating it like her own? like i said above i'll try get a third one tomorrow just to make it even more comfortable for them

Thanks for your advice

Jorel