Angelfish Fighting

PrincessKiara

Fish Crazy
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
200
Reaction score
2
Location
MX
Hello everybody!
As some of you no doubt know, I have been wanting angels for the longest time, and now that I have a large enough tank, I finally decided to try for a breeding pair, so I bought three Paraibo Blushing youngsters, intending to buy more later, grow them out and let them pair up before rehoming the 'extras'. Unfortunately, they all came sick and while constant salt dips kept them alive a little longer, only the largest one was cured. He is around. 1.75" long, though I haven't measured exactly.
Anyway, yesterday I saw a gorgeous silver pearlscale veil angel around 2" long but very tall, taller than my 'old' angel. He was really expensive, but was being kept in a tank well under ten gallons in company of several goldfish and sharks and one mutilated angel with almost nonexistent finnage, and kept chasing off any tankmates that came near. I totally understood; the fish was huge and the tank very tiny, so he wanted some space to himself. And I missed my babies, so I brought him home with me.
At first the smaller angel, the one I had before (calledĀ ĆŽnger) would come close to the big angel (Haiduc), chase him around a bit, and put his mouth close to Haiduc's side as if he were going to "kiss" him the way kissing gouramis do (but wouldn't really touch him). Later, the tables were turned, and now Haiduc won't letĀ ĆŽnger near him at all. Luckily, both angels' fins are intact, and there is no serious harm done that I can see, but still. I would eventually like to breed them if they should happen to be of opposite sexes, or if I can get them to pair up, so how can I get them to stop this behavior? I feed them more than enough, twice a day (all gets eaten though), and there's plenty of space in my tank. It's not territoriality, because Haiduc isn't drivingĀ ĆŽnger away from any particular spot, only when he sees him near. He won't bother with any of the other fish. I don't wantĀ ĆŽnger stressed, he's the sweetest fish in my tank and always "dances" for me.
My sword/platy crosses are also exhibiting this behavior between themselves, mostly from the male towards the female (not trying to mate, just sending her off). They normally don't bother any other fish. The female has been very fat and pregnant looking for over a month now, but no fry. Also, both swords continually gasp at the surface when they aren't picking algae off the decorations. None of the other fish are doing it. All fish are eating and acting normally otherwise.
Here are my tank stats:
Size:Ā 240L
Filter: 100L sump with sock filter and 100+ bio-balls from established tanks
Substrate and decorations:Ā Fine white sand, lava rock arch
Temp: 78F
Equipment: 1 airstone (my other pump broke so I can't run the bubble wand), heater, glass thermometer
Lighting: 2 yellow bulbs and 1 blue bulb in the wooden hood
Plants: Masses of hornwort andĀ Elodea, 3 reproducing Corkscrew Vals and one large Amazon Sword
Stocking:
1 male veiltailĀ Splendens betta
2 young angelfish
3Ā Paleatus cory cats
2 orange swordtail/platy crosses
Water parameters: Unknown
Water changes: 20-60L weekly depending on how much I can sneak
Ā 
Later in the week I will probably get several more plants.
Ā 
Thanks in advance for your guidance!
~PK.
Ā 
 

Most reactions

trending

Back
Top