Isabella

My Angelfish babies (or should I call them adolescents now, lol) are about 5 months old and are quite large! I am wondering: when do angels start pairing off? Because I am not seeing any pairing off behavior so far ... and they're not getting any smaller ... and my 30 gallon tank isn't getting any bigger either, lol.

Butterfly

About 6-8 months is about usual.
Carol

Isabella

OK, thanks. Well, I think it's time anyway to give 5 of them away I'll be left with 6 for now.

Butterfly

I know it's hard to give them away A breeder friend of mine says you can look at their heads and tell which is male and female( I still don't see it ) The male supposedly has a little bit of a hump .
Carol

Jason

What size would they be at 6-8mths of age?

Butterfly

Depends on the individual angel fish.
carol

Isabella

J-Man, some of my angles are bigger than a quarter in body size (without fins) and they're approximately 5 months old. I suppose they'll be a bit larger in a month or two. But I think it really depends on the individual batch and how well one takes care of the fish, and also on the tank size (too small a tank may cause stunted growth). Which is why I will be giving half of them away - time for them to get more space and hopefully some decent homes (I hate the fact that I won't know who bought them - I am afraid it will most likely be beginners who don't even know about the cycle and as a result will kill my babies - whom I've been raising and caring for, for so long ).

Carol, really? I'll observe my babies for any "humps" lol and will leave 3 with and 3 without the humps.

P.S. J-Man, I believe the size of angels also depends on the variety of angels.

Butterfly

Thats what he tells me Isabella LOL
Carol

Isabella

I'm not saying I don't believe Carol, lol. It's actually interesting and could be VERY helpful if we could recognize male and female angels by their body shapes, or ... humps

Isabella

I checked my angelfish pair today and ... lol, I think the male indeed has what appears to be a "hump" above his head and a little to the back (between the head and where the dorsal fin begins). I have also read somewhere that male angels have more pointed heads, while females have round bodies. My female angel has a round body indeed when compared to the male. Until angels pair off and start mating, I suppose this is the best one can do to try and determine which is which.

Butterfly

Yep thats the sure way but you know me always looking for an easier way LOL
Carol

Isabella

LOL, yes, but I can't keep all 11 until they're 6-8 months old! So it seems I'll have to use the alternative method of "humps" and "body shapes". LOL