Angelfish Hiding Under Filter?

[xamy_valox]

For around the last 2-3 weeks my Angel has been hanging out underneath my internal filter. I keep having to check that it hasn't passed away, but when I look it doesn't look ill or on its side like you would expect, it's just choosing to be there all of a sudden?

Before it would always be at the top/middle of the tank as you would expect from an Angel. I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that I added a group of Platys to the tank and as you can expect they are a little boisterous, and have been breeding like crazy. I am going to be donating some go a friend as the way they are going, I will quickly become overstocked. Could it be that the Angel feels it doesn't have enough space or is intimidated by the Platys? Or maybe just old? I have had her for about a year and a half and I don't know how old she was when I bought her, but she wasn't fully grown.

Any advice appreciated. It's a 125 litre tank and all water parameters are fine, other than my nitrates being slightly low.

Thanks.

 

[Byron]

If this behaviour commenced with the introduction of the platy, it could be related.  Angelfish are sedate fish, and should not be combined with boisterous or active fish.  But it would help to know the water parameters, especially temperature here.  Is the photo the angelfish and tank?
 
Nitrates being low...this is good.
 
Byron.

 

[xamy_valox]

No, sorry the tank in the picture is how it was a couple of years back.

Tank's levels are: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate about 2-3. It's not 0, but deffo not as much as 5, has been this way since I had to re-cycle my tank after a PH crash a few months back. Tank is heavily planted, with big wood and stones as well.

Inhabitants include:

1 Angelfish
8-10 Platys
5 Pentazona Barbs
2 Bolivian Rams
10 Corydora (5 Sterbai, 5 Adolfoi)
1 Bristlenose

The Angel was fine when I first introduced the platys, but I am worried that the fact they swim a bit erratically and tend to always be on the go compared to the other fish in the tank, that it has made the Angel retreat to this corner. It must still be eating, although I rarely see it or surely it would have passed away

It does sometimes struggle to eat as when I had my PH crash, it developed horrendous pop eye which resulted in one never really going back to normal and instead is clouded over always. This means sometimes it can struggle to determine distance.

 

[Byron]

A clouded eye is usually blind.  I have had fish develop blindness, yet live for years.  But obviously it is going to be more stressed by activity.
 
You do have a lot of fish for a 125 litre/33 gallon aquarium, which I will assume is 36 inches in length.  I'm more thinking here of fish activity/space than bioload, though the latter is affected by the space and fish behaviours.  Are the barbs active?  These might factor into this too.
 
Nitrate is fine.  Planted tanks often have very low nitrate, many are zero, mine tend to run 0-5 ppm but I have a lot of fish in my tanks.  Certainly low nitrate is nothing to worry about; all the fish we keep in aquaria come from waters with nitrate so low it often cannot even be measured.
 
Byron.

 

[gh74]

Listen to what ever advice Byron gives you,he has all the knowledge of ALOT of stuff,but i think his tank are over stocked lol only joking matey

 

[Byron]

Listen to what ever advice Byron gives you,he has all the knowledge of ALOT of stuff,but i think his tank are over stocked

lol only joking matey