Angelfish Fighting (video)

[55gal]

My angelfish have been apparently fighting for a few months now. My tank is neglected while I am at college (my dad is in charge of it, I'm working on teaching him and I think it's finally sinking in since the fish are getting sick) so during that time the fighting goes away for the most part, I just don't think the fish are feeling good enough to scrud. But once I come home, after a few water changes they start going at it. There are three angels. I think two might be pairing off, I can't really tell. But they clearly target the third fish, not each other.

So my questions are, do you think the two are pairing, and do you think the third angel is going to be seriously injured/killed if they all stay together?

If I do have a pair and choose to keep them, are the other fish (the small guys) at risk?

 

[Tuxyu3]

It would probably be helpful if you gave the details of the tank (size and whatnot).

 

[Jenste]

But yes, if two are teaming up and attacking the third it would indicate the other two are pairing up.
How large is the tank? Any other tank mates? You are going to have to make a choice soon

A) Keep the pair and rehome the outcast, get ready for spawnings, rearing fry, needing raising tanks etc

B) Keep the outcast and rehome the pair, keep the outcast as the sole angel in a community tank.

 

[techen]

Agreed, you have 3 angels in there. Were they grown up with each other or just added to the tank from a LFS? You can't mix angels as they'll fight each other for hours on end before one dies of stress.

 

[55gal]

They were bought together when young, I can't rmemeber how long we've had them, a year or so. The tank is 55 gallons. The fish are all sick with fin rot right now because my dad neglected the tank while I was away at college, I've been fighting with him over this tank for a while now and I think it's starting to sink in that he needs to clean it because the fish are obviously ill. I have told him he can't get more fish until he starts doing weekly water changes and the fish heal up (not that he couldn't get them without me, he bought the angel fish without telling me, but I told him new fish will just get sick so I don't think he'll get more).

So we have like 5 cherry barbs, 3 bleeding heart tetras, 3 harlequins rasboras, and one BN Pleco in additin to the three angels. If I keep the pair in the main tank and don't care for any eggs/fry would that be alright or will they attack the other fish? We'd prefer to keep the pair (and might have a place for a single fish to go), but not if they will cause problems with the other fish. BUT because the fish have fin rot right now I don't think anyone will take the angel, not until he's healthy again. But will he be too stressed to heal here? How big of a tank would I need to keep him by himself, at least until he is healthy enough to rehome?

 

[BerryAttack]

well if your dad isn't taking care of the tank and acting the way he is i would say give the fish to someone who will take care of them because he probably as u say isnt doing a good job. with the fin rot and everyone... or you can move the tank to your dorm or something hahah then you dont need to worry

and the fish look way over fed... tell him to cut down on feeding because with angel fish the female is fat with eggs and the male should be slender compared to her.. if all this fish are "fat" then telling who is female and who is male is a lot harder. (was able to guess who was who with my pairs with that method but can vary with each fish)

i keep my pairs in separate tanks and they breed in community tanks with their eggs. during the night all the time the eggs are gone. so you dont need to worry about having fry if that is what you want. and they fish and angelfish should be fine, you'll see them sometimes chasing but shouldnt be harsh... just a little push here and there.

OH and when moving an angel fish.. just say you put it in a smaller tank he'll most likely get stressed out and die because of the amount of freedom he was use to to swim around in is now gone. your tank is large enough that the angels should make their own territory and if there isn't extreme chasing just worry about getting them healthy in the same tank and it should be fine.