What are the best fish to keep with angels?

[Yanni]

I have a 40 gallon breeder that I've set up and I want to try some angelfish. Right now, it has 8 gold lasers, a breeding pair of lemon bristlenose plecos, shrimp, and some panda guppies. I want to set up a community tank with some angelfish and want to know what are some good schooling fish that would go with angels. Also, would guppies be ok with angels? What bottom dwellers? Is this setup ok for the angels or should I try a different setup for them? How many angels can I keep in a 40 breeder? Any tips would be great! 

[JettsPapa]

On 12/22/2021 at 1:39 PM, Yanni said:

. . . Is this setup ok for the angels or should I try a different setup for them? How many angels can I keep in a 40 breeder? Any tips would be great! 

 

I'm not an authority on keeping angelfish, but I know they can get fairly large, especially tall.  I'd say a 40 gallon breeder tank is borderline not tall enough for them.

Also, you said "angels", which sounds like more than one.  It's my understanding that keeping just a few can be problematic, and I believe most experienced angel keepers recommend keeping just one or having a large enough group to spread out aggression, and a 40 isn't large enough to house a large group in any case.

If you're looking for alternatives, I have a fairly large group of pearl gouramis in my 40 gallon tank (14, but I don't necessarily recommend getting that many), and I really enjoy them.  They're great community fish, and in my opinion one of the most attractive freshwater fish.  A group of five or so would go well with your corys.  Add a dozen or so of one of your favorite tetras, rasboras, etc, and you're good to go.  I have serpae tetras with mine.  They look great in planted tanks.

Edited December 22, 2021 by JettsPapa

[anewbie]

40 Breeder is not tall enough for male angels; sorry. If you get only female angels you could keep 2 to 4 but they might fight (probably won't).

 

As a general rule any fish that is temp and water compatible with angels; won't harass them and are large enough that the angels can't eat them will work with angels.

 

Technically guppies are hardish water fish and angels soft water fish but if the water is not too soft and not too hard it will work. My angels never bothered going after male guppy tails which is another concern...

 

You can of course keep young angels and then move them but they might be stunted. If you want to get a tank to fit on your current stand you could get a 50 breeder or 65 which take the same floor space but are taller.

Edited December 22, 2021 by anewbie

[KaitieG]

I have angels with my guppies and other community fish, and I love them BUT

1. You will never have a population issue with guppies again.  That could be good or bad.  ZERO of my fry survive.

2. If you have hard water (thinking guppies), see if you can find someone who breeds angels locally IN hard water.  I found someone through a fish club.  Breeds in 350+GH water similar to mine and they've done great.  The one I got from the LFS didn't.

3. I planned to get one.  Then the breeder I bought from said, nah, take some more.  He only charged $5/fish for adults, and they were sooo pretty.  So I took 3 (95 gallon tank).  Two paired off.  They totally harrassed the third and kept him down in a corner of the tank where he looked stressed.  Now the pair is in the 95 and doing great, and the single bullied fish is in my 20 tall.  I know that's borderline for a single angel, but he seems much happier there.

I think you could probably add 1 angel to that 40 breeder, but with the other stocking and size I'd stick with one.  If you want to do another setup for angels, I would do a larger tank with several (6+) fish if it were me.  Or a mid-size (but tall) tank with a pair.

[CalmedByFish]

On 12/22/2021 at 1:39 PM, Yanni said:

would guppies be ok with angels? 

I think "no" is likely. My angel ate fully grown male endlers, and scared the fully grown females so bad that they hid until they lost a lot of weight. Guppies are bigger than endlers, but not by much. 

At least have a Plan B ready, if you do try it.

Edited to add: A shoal of 6 adult dwarf platies is working out great with the grouchy angel. He chases, but never catches. They don't even seem to mind. So platies might be worth looking at.

Edited December 22, 2021 by CalmedByFish

[anewbie]

On 12/22/2021 at 4:01 PM, KaitieG said:

I have angels with my guppies and other community fish, and I love them BUT

1. You will never have a population issue with guppies again.  That could be good or bad.  ZERO of my fry survive.

2. If you have hard water (thinking guppies), see if you can find someone who breeds angels locally IN hard water.  I found someone through a fish club.  Breeds in 350+GH water similar to mine and they've done great.  The one I got from the LFS didn't.

3. I planned to get one.  Then the breeder I bought from said, nah, take some more.  He only charged $5/fish for adults, and they were sooo pretty.  So I took 3 (95 gallon tank).  Two paired off.  They totally harrassed the third and kept him down in a corner of the tank where he looked stressed.  Now the pair is in the 95 and doing great, and the single bullied fish is in my 20 tall.  I know that's borderline for a single angel, but he seems much happier there.

I think you could probably add 1 angel to that 40 breeder, but with the other stocking and size I'd stick with one.  If you want to do another setup for angels, I would do a larger tank with several (6+) fish if it were me.  Or a mid-size (but tall) tank with a pair.

As for frys surviving it depends on how the tank is planted; in my 120 guppy frys had no problem. The danger of keeping angels in a 40 is they get stunted which later causes issues with their organs and life expectancy; if they don't get stunted as i noted above a large male won't fit. Keeping an adult male in a 20 is well not healthy long term; i'd give him away - i kept one of my males in a 29 for about 2 months with hope of putting him back in the 120 but the female wouldn't allow him back (long story); so eventually i gave him to the petshop. I didn't want to (long story) but the 29 was just too small for him (he was  a nice size adult male). 

I've bred angels and as to how many depends a lot on sex combination and disposition of individual fishes; in my 120 i currently have 7 - 2 females and 5 males (2 of them are parents to the other 5); it doesn't work well and i'm hoping they can get buy until i setup a 450. This is my 120 before i removed  a few:

 

[Colu]

A pair of Bolivian rams would be a good alternative to angel fish and a nice group of black phantom tetras  would look great in that tank

Edited December 23, 2021 by Colu

[anewbie]

More than one Bolivian ram can be  a bit unpredictable with regards to their behavior so i would limit it to one Bolivian ram; however there are other dwarf cichlid that would be suitable. I like borelli apisto and have a pair in my 40 but they are not large fishes but quite mellow even when breeding. Borelli also have the advantage of tolerance to both soft and hard water as well as a wide temp. range.

[Prochaska]

I have always kept rams, rummynose and colombian tetras and corydoras with my angels!