Questions about Angelfish tank needs

[Blaha]

I have always wanted an angel community. I saw someone selling a 28g Hex tank (18x20x24tall) and I was wondering if that would be a suitable size for them? It is plenty tall for a few, but would it be enough for them laterally? 

[Fish Folk]

It can work. Personally, I am not a huge fan of tanks taller than other dimensions. Those tanks tend to require extra air-stones or additional sponge filters, IMHO. O2 just doesn’t dissolve well in tall vertical aquariums.

I’d probably limit Angels to a pair in a 28 gal. Yeah, you can jam a load of youngsters into a tank that size, but adults will max out the space. 

[nabokovfan87]

I had a 38G bowfront and it was one angel that just terrorized everything.  With tall tanks especially hardscape matters so much.  The other fish need to have some way of away from the angel if they need to.  Other angels need line of sight breaks. 

So.... 20h, 29G, 37G, etc. I would at most have a pair.  For something that same height and with more space, 40B as an example, then you can have more.  A 55G doesn't have a lot of room front to back, but it does have the height and length.  I would keep in mind how big they get and needing space front to back for turning around.  I would be much more comfortable with an angel community in a 40B, 75G, than I would a 55G.

[Blaha]

I did get it. If it doesn't become angels then it can be something else, or I have a friend that will take it if I don't use it.

It was $50 for the tank, stand, lid, small canister (don't know what kind yet) Petco heater, an air pump, decor, and gravel. So it was a good deal. It needs some cleaning and I need to test the seals before in the garage before it goes inside. I think it could be a fun set up with a variety of community ideas

[Tazalanche]

That is a good deal!

I also would not recommend anything smaller than a 55 for angelfish, unless it was to be for a breeding pair. In order to reduce the territorial squabbles, &/or one deciding to turn into a jerk toward everything else that moves. They do much better in a school of 6+.

Here's an example of adults in a 6' long 135 gallon planted aquarium. You can see that they'll get pretty large, but in this situation, there are plenty of places to hide, if needed.

[Blaha]

Not so surprisingly, the full tank, equipment, and decor setup on a Buy, Sell, Trade for $50 has two small leaks. Maybe so small after a 24 hours test in the garage that the seller didn't know. If they did know that is lame of them. It is an opportunity to re-seal a tank. I know how, but never have. I'll also refurbish the stand to be a black cherry color to match the other tank and general room aesthetic. I will probably journal the experience for my own future reference at least

[PineSong]

On 9/12/2022 at 4:36 PM, Blaha said:

Not so surprisingly, the full tank, equipment, and decor setup on a Buy, Sell, Trade for $50 has two small leaks. Maybe so small after a 24 hours test in the garage that the seller didn't know. If they did know that is lame of them. It is an opportunity to re-seal a tank. I know how, but never have. I'll also refurbish the stand to be a black cherry color to match the other tank and general room aesthetic. I will probably journal the experience for my own future reference at least

It can still be a fun purchase and a great tank. Someone else here recently refurbished a hex tank, I think? Maybe do a search and see if it comes up.

I like the retro look of the hex tanks and I think it could be a fun tank for lots of smaller fish.

One thing I've found where I live is that if people have stored tanks outside in a garage or shed, mice or squirrels or somebody chews at the seals and can cause leaks. They also chewed the seals around my mom's car rear windshield, the little rascals. So it's entirely possible the last time the person used it, the tank held water 100% and after a week in the garage...some nibbler made that 95%.