Help! Black angle hurt.

Gnoflet

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Location
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Tank size: 20 us gallon high
pH: unknown
ammonia:unknown
nitrite:unknown
nitrate:unknown
kH: unknown
gH: unknown
tank temp: Upper seventy's lower eighty's.

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):
Angel fish was fine when I put it in yesterday but this morning its fins were torn and it had a small patch of scales missing from its back.
Volume and Frequency of water changes:
irregular
Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:
none
Tank inhabitants:
1 black angel, four neons, 1 loach, 1 fancy lace catfish, 1 silverfox or chines algae eater.
Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):
1 black angel, three neons, 1 loach
Exposure to chemicals:
none
Digital photo (include if possible):
 
I would suggest the angel has been attacked by one of the other fish, and you have a couple of likely culprits.

The Chinese Algae Easter can develop into a very nasty fish, and is known to eat the slime coat and fins of fish. This fish attains six inches, and frankly I would suggest you get rid of it quickly.

I've no idea what the "silver fox" or "fancy lace catfish" are, but from these names I would question their temperaments too. Same for the loach, a shoaling fish that needs a group of its own species (they are very social fish) or it will be stressed to the point of becoming very aggressive. The species vary in temperament, but all are highly social. We will need to know the exact species to offer more.

I'm afraid a 20g high tank is insufficient space for this combination of fish, whatever the species turn out to be. You need to consider re-homing some of these fish, probably all of them except the neons.

Byron.
 
I would suggest the angel has been attacked by one of the other fish, and you have a couple of likely culprits.

The Chinese Algae Easter can develop into a very nasty fish, and is known to eat the slime coat and fins of fish. This fish attains six inches, and frankly I would suggest you get rid of it quickly.

I've no idea what the "silver fox" or "fancy lace catfish" are, but from these names I would question their temperaments too. Same for the loach, a shoaling fish that needs a group of its own species (they are very social fish) or it will be stressed to the point of becoming very aggressive. The species vary in temperament, but all are highly social. We will need to know the exact species to offer more.

I'm afraid a 20g high tank is insufficient space for this combination of fish, whatever the species turn out to be. You need to consider re-homing some of these fish, probably all of them except the neons.

Byron.
The silver fox is The Chinese Algae Eater. It was probably the one who attacked as the fancy lace catfish barley ever leaves the castle in the tank. I doubt the loach was the one who attacked it because it went behind the castle as soon as I put it in and has only come out twice. About the tank size the angel is a baby so is only around three inches long. I have a larger tank that has a large hole in it but I'm planning to fix it and put the fish in it before they get to big. And I'm not going to get rid of all my fish but the neons. The tank is big enough for at least five fish. I've had seven fish in it and they all lived a long lifespan. If the angel gets worse I might move the silver fox to a small tank until the angel gets big enough to defend its self.
 
Well, if you are not going to accept the advice, we needn't bother. But as I am concerned for the welfare of fish, I will just respond to some of your misunderstandings.

I doubt the loach was the one who attacked it because it went behind the castle as soon as I put it in and has only come out twice.

Loaches are very social fish, and being alone is why you see this behaviour. Aside from that, loaches are often nocturnal so in complete darkness it may well come out exploring. Not having any companions as nature intended, the cover of darkness will afford it some sense of protection. You haven't mentioned the species, so I can't be more specific, but I can guarantee (whether you want to accept it or not, up to you) that a loach on its own will be severely stressed and it is not going to be healthy as a result. Stress causes 95% of fish disease.

The tank is big enough for at least five fish. I've had seven fish in it and they all lived a long lifespan.

No, this tank is not big enough for these five fish. They may be small now, but they will grow (if conditions are what they require that is), and this is a continual process with fish, and involves the external physical increase in size as well as the internal organ development and when these two are not developing consecutively and properly, problems ensue. This tank might hold the angelfish alone (of the fish mentioned here), though there are others who would not even agree with this. The angelfish shouyld attain six inches body length, with a vertical fin span of 8 inches. That is not a small fish. However, as it is clearly being attacked by something, I can say it is never going to achieve this.

I've no idea what the "seven fish" were, but how do you know they lived their normal lifespan? They may not have. When fish just die for no obvious reason, it is often due to internal problems brought about by the environment (water parameters, space, numbers, other species, etc). Unless you have an ichthyologist dissect the fish you cannot be so certain.

If the angel gets worse I might move the silver fox to a small tank until the angel gets big enough to defend its self.

This is not responsible fish keeping, deliberately allowing a fish to suffer when there is clearly a problem.
 
As byron stated, angels get very large and a 20 gallon is far too small with all these fish in it. The small space combined with lack of proper care will make any fish stressed and likely aggressive. Being a pet owner is putting the well-being of your pet over your own wants. Re-homing some of your fish would be in their best interest. One thing to add, although angels are classified in the cichlid family they can actually be pretty docile, unless mated and protecting their eggs. They are slow swimmers that like to take it easy. Having a bunch of fast moving fish in a small environment easily stresses them out, and as Byron said, stress leads to fish illness and eventually fish death.
 
! also agree with the other 2 members. Please take there advice.
Good Luck.
 

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