Rebecca

I've always wanted to own a couple of angelfish but naturally I like the research the species first so I can make the babies happy So I had a few questions...

1) Will 30 gallons be okay for a pair, or is that only enough space for one?

2) I hear they like taller tanks - is one of the tall hexagonal shaped tanks I see around pet stores a good idea for them? If so that's a good thing anyways because it means less room to take up, heh.

3) Still based on the 30 gallon idea, what kind of bottom feeders could I keep with them (and how many can be comfortable with the size + angel(s))? I already have some albino cory cats in another tank so I was wondering what others would behave with the angelfish. Other than that I don't plan on having much else in the tank (aside from plenty of plants and hiding spots of course), since angels don't seem to need a lot of company to be happy.

4) What are some "treat" foods the angels might like other than flakes to help vary up their diet?

Thanks in advance!

Chief_waterchanger

WELCOME TO FISHLORE!

30g tall is awesome for a pair.

Hexagonal is a little more difficult to heat and make sure there are no dead-water spots. (spots the filter doesn't move) but would be fine for the fish if you can overcome the afore mentioned problems.

Any of the other cories, smaller bristlenose pleco pairs, kuhli loaches would probably work also.

Pellets are good treat foods. Pellets such as:

-Earthworm
-Algae
-Shrimp

and livefoods such as brineshrimp, live or frozen bloodworms, or freezedried shrimp.


The main problem most people encounter with angelfish is that not all females will mate with all males. They usually go through a rather physical courting process to determine whether or not the fish is worthy of their mating, and it is impossible to know at the time of purchase whether or not the male and female will work out as a pair unless they are already a pair.

Rebecca

Thanks for the fast reply!

Well as of now I don't plan on breeding angels, I just think two is better than one - I don't like fish to get lonely!

Hexagonal is just what I've seen common but I'm sure I can find some can of regular rectangle-shape tall aquarium somewhere. I don't really have the floorspace in my bedroom for another wide tank thanks to the one I already have + furniture, heh. So tall would be best for both of us!

Are there any tips you can recommend to help keep the water moving so the filter/heater reaches everything? I know of "toys" like bubble wands and such that move water, but I don't know if angelfish like fast flowing water? Or is there any filter and/or heating system you'd recommend to use for a tall tank?

Rebecca

Sorry I just looked up bristlenose plecos - are they like regular plecos that get ginormous?! :P I don't want to overcrowd the tank - are does the bristlenose species not get so large?

Chief_waterchanger

Bristlenose plecostomus get to about 6 inches, it is rare to find one that gets over 6 inches in length. They are not like the gibbiceps or common plecostomus that get huge, and are pretty friendly while not attracting the aggressiveness of most fish.

I would purchase extra uplift (intake) tubes for the filter, so that it goes ALL the way to the bottom of the tank, should rest about 2 inches from bottom of the tank.

As for the heater I would suggest a submersible placed near the bottom of the tank, because heat rises, so warm water will rise causing cooler water to sink, and you will get a minimalistic circulation that way.

Rebecca

Sounds good! The bristlenoses look like very interesting fish. I'll have to debate between them and khuli loaches, since I think those are pretty cool too. We'll see!

Thanks so much for helping me out!

Chief_waterchanger

In a 30g you could do 2 angels, a pair of bristlenose, and still do 10-15 kuhli loaches without overstocking the tank as far as bioload goes. (Kuhlis produce VERY little in the way of waste.)

COBettaCouple

welcome to FishLore!

Sabi

Welcome to fishlore!
You got advice from among the best! Hope you enjoy your angels!

Rebecca

Thanks for the welcomes

Now if only I had the money to actually get my new tank set up That's a whole other problem though lol. Maybe I can save up and make it a nice birthday present for next year...