Angelfish Tank Mates?!

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Kerri Gronow

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Hi all!
 
I was on this forum a few years ago when I had a tropical tank with an Angelfish pair (my absolute favourite breed
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)​. Unfortunately, when I began university I had to sell the tank but after a few years without them, I just couldn't resist. I bought a fluval 95L tank and I have finally finished my fishless cycle
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 Now it is fish hunting time and I am definitely planning on getting 2 baby angelfish but I was just wondering what you all would recommend as tank mates? With my old tank a few years ago I had rummy nose tetras and other smaller fish but I would like some other exciting ideas!
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Thanks in advance!!
 
 Welcome , Im new here too ... i was wondering the same thing too .... i want to find tetras that will work with angels ....i posted the same question in Characins Forum ... take a look..
 Cheers !!!
 
Thank you so much! I love the rummy nose tetras and they were always fine with mine
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I shall go over and have a look now, thanks!
 
I have a mated pair of angels (mature) with Rasoboras, Rummy Nosed Tetras, Zebras, and Neon Tetras. I bought the angels when they were young, so I think that helped with the fact that they do not consider the smaller fish to be food. They grew up with them around. I have never seen them go after any of the smaller tetras.

I just noticed that you said you have a 95L tank - you might find that tank to be too small for fully grown angels. 
 
Yes I am planning on getting 2 baby angels so that sounds like a good plan
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Oh really? I kept my previous angel pair in a tank around this size before and they seemed ok, I just didn't keep many other fish with them which is my plan this time round! I was just looking for small fish ideas, those tetras sound perfect.
 
Thank you for your response!
 
My first comment is that I agree with Gvilleguy that a 95 litre (= 25 gallons) is not sufficient space for angelfish.  I understand you had a "pair" in this tank some time back, but that does not mean they were in the best circumstances or were as healthy as they should/could have been.  This fish will attain six inches in body length, with a vertical fin span of 8-9 inches.  Aside from the cramped quarters, which does affect the fish's development even if they appear to manage, there is the issue of gender.  A true "pair," meaning a male/female that have accepted each other and bonded, is a very different thing from two males that will in such conditions definitely soon be one live male and one dead one.
 
Obviously if this tank is not sufficient space for the angelfish, considering other tankmates is irrelevant.  But for the record, in suitable space, it is best to avoid linear fish such as rummynose tetras.  Angelfish do eat such fish.  The fact that this may work for this or that aquarist is simply the exception to the norm.  But in the interest of providing the best we can for our fish, it is wisest to follow what should be normal rather than what is a risk and may or may not work in this or that situation.  Individual fish can behave contrary to the norm for the species, but ascertaining this prior is impossible.
 
The disk-shaped characins such as those in the Rosy Tetra clade usually work.  Obviously none that are in the least inclined to fin nip would be suitable, as the temptation would be bound to create trouble.
 
To the tank size, angelfish are shoaling fish that should be in a small group of five minimum, which means a 4-foot (120 cm) tank at minimum.  A mated/bonded pair can be kept as a spawning pair in a smaller tank, but a 30 gallon (113 litres) is absolute minimum and this may not always work either.  Beyond this, there is the issue of pairing by two of the angelfish in such a shoal, and that may necessitate even more space to work.
 
Byron.
 

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