Perfect Number Of Angelfish For A 75 Gal Tank

[NewTankGuy]

I am making some changes in my tanks, and I wanted some stocking advice for my 75-gallon.  Soon (once my second tank finishes cycling) I will have only 3 angelfish, and a pelco in my 75.  I know I want to add more angelfish too the tank, but I am not sure how many would be best.  I was thinking adding 1 to 3 more angles to the tank, but first wanted some advice on what is the best number of angelfish to keep together based on their behavior towards other angelfish.  Should I stay at just 3, and instead add other fish (which I really want to do more angels), or should I just add 1 more, or 2 two, or should I max out the tank and go with 3 more angles?

 

[attibones]

How old are the angels? What sex are they? If you've got a mix, you might have two of them form a pair, but then they may kill off the other. If you've got all of one sex, they may fight regardless. If you add a bunch of similarly sized angels, you may get several pairs which might work in the tank. Basically though, it would not be good in the long run to have an odd number of these. If you could get two proven pairs in the tank and provide plenty of shelter in the form of hiding places and plants, then you very possibly could have a harmonious tank. You would need to provide a spare tank for breeding purposes though. They get territorial while mating.

 

[Alasse]

I have a 90gal that will eventually be home to around 10 angels. I like to keep them overstocked like most cichlids are

 

[NewTankGuy]

How old are the angels? What sex are they? If you've got a mix, you might have two of them form a pair, but then they may kill off the other. If you've got all of one sex, they may fight regardless. If you add a bunch of similarly sized angels, you may get several pairs which might work in the tank. Basically though, it would not be good in the long run to have an odd number of these. If you could get two proven pairs in the tank and provide plenty of shelter in the form of hiding places and plants, then you very possibly could have a harmonious tank. You would need to provide a spare tank for breeding purposes though. They get territorial while mating.

 
The 3 angels I have now are prob about 2-3 months old, and I have NO idea what sex they are.  So with what you are saying should I just add one more, so I have 4 in 75 gallons (along with Mr. Pleco), or should I add 3 more to have 6 in the tank (but that begs the question would 6 angels and a pelco be too much for 75 gallons)?

 

[attibones]

I would add a few more juvies. Around six to eight of the same size would be fine. Then just wait to see who pairs up. If you bought just one more angel, it may not pair up with anyone, or you could have a seriously lopsided mix (1m:3f or something). You will need to rehome the ones who haven't paired though, so you'll need to ask your PFS to see if they will take any of the leftovers, for lack of a better word.

 

[NewTankGuy]

I would add a few more juvies. Around six to eight of the same size would be fine. Then just wait to see who pairs up. If you bought just one more angel, it may not pair up with anyone, or you could have a seriously lopsided mix (1m:3f or something). You will need to rehome the ones who haven't paired though, so you'll need to ask your PFS to see if they will take any of the leftovers, for lack of a better word.

SO your saying add another 6-8 more angels now, then when they sort out who is each other's mate, then get rid of the ones that haven't found a partner?  What if I'm not trying to spawn them, and I just want a cool angelfish tank with a group that I can keep through maturity? 

 

[attibones]

Well the group would kill each other eventually. They need to be kept in pairs if you want a group, otherwise you'll keep a group of juvies until they mature up, try to pair, and kill each other. You don't have to let them breed, just remove any eggs they may lay.

 

[NewTankGuy]

OK, Im new to all this btw, so unless they all have a mate, then the ones that have mated will really kill the others, every time? or does that only happen when you have a bigger group of them?  Like basically theres no way to stop it?

Oh also, when they do mate, by removing the eggs do you reduce, or prevent the big territorial aggression that comes next, or is that just a step to take if you dont want a bunch of babies in the tank?

 

[Alasse]

Mated pairs wil not always try and kill any other angel in the tank. I had a pair recently that were perfectly fine with the other angels in the tank. But they are individuals, and you can get cranky ones and ya can get nice ones lol
 
In my display tank, i do not permit breeding behaviour. I keep the temp a bit lower than normal and if they do happen to lay eggs, these are removed straight away. This limits any nasty behaviour that may appear.
 
I just added 4 new angels to my display tank this morning, a tiny bit of posturing happening, totally normal, they are purely working out the tank heirachy. 4 more will be added later in the week.