Isabella

Hi all, and particularly Carol if you're reading this

I have 9 neons and 2 adult angelfish (a pair) in my 30 gallon tank, and 11 angelfish babies in a 10 gallon tank. I am wondering if it will be safe to put my baby angelfish (they range from 1" to 1.5" in size, not counting the fins ... with fins some are as tall as nearly 2" already!) in the 30 gallon tank with the parents (neons would be removed to the 10 gallon tank). I will be giving 5 angels away soon, so that I am left with 6 angels to see which ones will pair up. Then I will select one or 2 pairs out of the group. Anyway ... the reason I'd like to put the angels in the 30 gallon tank is because they're getting bigger, but neons would be just fine in the 10 gallon tank in the meantime. When I get my 75G tank set up and running (approximately by the end of summer), I'll transfer the angel parents and the selected young angel pairs to that 75G tank. In the meantime, they would be in the 30 gallon tank (and neons in the 10G tank).

Again, my question is: would it be safe to put the babies with the parents? As I have said, the babies range from 1" to 1.5" in size, not counting the fins. Or will the parents bully or attack them because they're smaller? Also, will the Aqua Clear 70 power filter be safe for my baby angels? Or will it be too powerful? (I'm concerned about their finnage).

The pH in the 10 and 30 gallon tanks is the same. The only problem would be nitrate, which is at 0 in the 10 gallon tank with babies, and which is approx. 20 in the 30 gallon tank. But I'd perform many large water changes in the 30 gallon tank to lower nitrate before I'd put baby angels in there. However, do you think low nitrate would hurt my baby angels in the 30 gallon tank?

Butterfly

Isabella if you acclimate them slowly it shouldn't bother the babies at this point. You could put them in a bucket half full fo their water and slowly add water from the 30G until the bucket is full then transfer them. I imagine that ten is looking kinda crowded about now
The only thing I can tell you about how mom and dad are going to react is to try it. Put a few in , then a few more if they do ok. Thats still going to be crowded so watch mom and dad when they spawn again. Hope that helps.
Carol

Isabella

Thanks Carol. I will definitely acclimatize them first. For how long do you think I should be adding the 30G tank water to the bucket half full with the 10G tank water? Should I perform the acclimatizing procedure for the neons too (before I put them in the 10G)?

Or ... Carol, since I'll be exchanging fish from one tank to another, could I just remove 5 gallons of water from the 10G and slowly add 5 gallons of water from the 30G tank to the 10G tank? This way, when the neons are transferred to the 10G, they'll already have mixed water. But that's just a thought - what do you say?

Another thing, if the parents start bullying the angels at some point and there will be a need to put them back in the 10G, should I again slowly acclimatize them to the 10G tank? Or just put them in there straight from the 30G? (Same question with regard to neons.)

And last question ... (I know, I ask a lot of questions!) ... will the Aqua Clear 70 be safe for young angels in terms of the water flow strength?

Butterfly

1) acclimatize them for at least an hour since your going from 0 Nitrates to some Nitrates.
2) I think the neons will be fine since they are going to 0 Nitrates in the ten gallon.
3)If the Nitrates are still 0 in the ten should you need to move the angel babies back they will be fine to just move them.
4) The baby angels will be fine with the aquaclear 70. Its not too strong at all.

Carol

Isabella

Thanks Carol. I am sure you know that, but just in case: the Aqua Clear 70 pumps 300 gph (not 70 gph!) ... so that's a pretty strong water flow as for small angelfish in my opinion. But if you still say it's safe to put them in the 30G with that filter, I'll do it

Oh ... and (I know, I know ...) won't the temperature of the water in the bucket decrease a lot over the course of 1 hour, thus increasing the risk of my angels getting some temperature shock? They usually have their temperature set at 80-81F, and the lowest they ever had was 79F.

Butterfly

The temp really won't fluctuate enough the make a difference.
As for the filter: You will be there with them, if you observe that its too strong for them then turn the flow down a little. Most aquaclears have a way to reduce the flow if need be.
There are times when my angels go down to the quiet end of the tank and there are times they are right under the filter in the overflow. Go fighure
Carol

Isabella

OK Carol, THANKS a lot

My angels also like to stay at times right under the filter's water flow! And at other times, they'll just stay at the other quiet end of the tank. I wonder why they do that.

Butterfly

Maybe they have moods like us
Carol

Isabella

I'm sure they do, haha My angels, "for example ", have worst moods during breeding times ... better not to be in a close proximity to them anytime before and during spawning!

Butterfly

LOL