Are angel fish good community tank mates?

Are angelfish good community tank mates? I was wanting to do a small school of neon tetras and possibly a pair of rams.... Currently in my 55 gal is just the 2 angelfish, 2 ghost shrimp, 1 mystery snail, reg Pleco, rubberlip Pleco, and a Raphael cat... Please help and thanks!!!

 

Angelfish can be pretty aggressive, and territorial, so the fish you put with them in a tank that size should be able to hold their own. You'd probably be okay with the Rams, but I wouldn't do neons for a few reasons. First, they are likely to be eaten or bullied by the angels. Second, they are poor beginner fish because of their sensitivity to water parameters. And third, they are just too tiny to really hold their own against larger fish, especially when it's a non-schooling tank like yours.

Please research the nitrogen cycle before adding any more fish to your tank. It's the staple of good fish-keeping, and knowing about it will help you keep your fish healthy and happy

 

So if I want to do a schooling community tank I should steer away from the angels and find a pair of something more peaceful for my main attraction?

 

That is what I would do. I have a 48g and in it I have multiple schools of fish and 3 gouramis as my main attraction. In the tank I have neons, tetras, guppies, platys, snails, shrimp and corys.

 

If you don't do the angelfish I would go with pearl gourami's as a replacement for they angelfish. And maybe a school of rummy nose tetras or praecox rainbows. IMO some of the prettiest and best schoolers.

Edit: Just saw that you already have the angelfish.

 

Hmmm. A regular pleco? Common plecos get flippin' HUGE... much too big for that 55gal tank. Before doing anything else, I'd find a new home for him.

Not sure about the rubberlip. Maybe someone else can comment.

 

Hmmm. A regular pleco? Common plecos get flippin' HUGE... much too big for that 55gal tank. Before doing anything else, I'd find a new home for him.

Not sure about the rubberlip. Maybe someone else can comment.

I really liked the common Pleco, but knew they would get way too big for my 29g, so I went with the Albino Pleco (which only looks albino under a black light; they are brown and tan, normally) which only grows up to about 5" or so. Maybe, if you really want a Pleco, you could check into these. And I have about 25" of fish in my 29 gallon right now consisting of plecos, angels, platies, guppies, danios, neon tetras, african dwarf frogs, mollies, and a ghost catfish. They all get along wonderfully. I would recommend keeping the tank dark when adding the new fish to cut down on the stress levels of the tank, after you ace your chemical tests, of course

 

I have about 25" of fish in my 29 gallon right now consisting of plecos, angels, platies, guppies, danios, neon tetras, african dwarf frogs, mollies, and a ghost catfish. They all get along wonderfully. I would recommend keeping the tank dark when adding the new fish to cut down on the stress levels of the tank, after you ace your chemical tests, of course

...SierraLauryn, I don't want to hijack the thread, but that tank is seriously overstocked... I recommend you start asking questions on the stocking forum if you haven't already.

 

angel fish are way more interesting and fun to watch compared to gouramis...keep the angels..I would suggest getting a school of tiger barbs, they are semI aggresive and do quite well with angels from my own experience.... as for the pleco i'm afraid the others are right. maybe look at finding a bristle nose pleco, they max out around 4 to 5 inches, perfect for your 55

 

Thanks y'all going to the pet store tmrw to regroup lol

 

Ok, good luck

 

angel fish are way more interesting and fun to watch compared to gouramis...keep the angels..I would suggest getting a school of tiger barbs, they are semI aggresive and do quite well with angels from my own experience....

I wouldn't recommend keeping Tiger Barbs with Angelfish. Tiger Barbs are usually very aggressive and could easily go after the Angelfish.

 

Just my 2 cents...no one is mentioning the Raphael Catfish. They are pretty cool, if you see them. The potential problem with them and your tank idea is that they will come out at night when most other fish are sleeping and since they get to a decent size (6-8"), they could easily eat your rams (bottom dwellers) and especially your neons since they're so tiny. Not to mention be careful with their sharp body armor.

Tiger barbs are also fin nippers and with angels, that won't go well. Yes angels can be territorial and aggressive but so can many fish. They are also cichlids and you don't want any fish going next to them if they are breeding! They can get bigger than most people think. You can do it, I would just suggest either getting one, or a mating pair. Two males will just cause too much trouble. I still would not keep them with any small fish. Mine used to devour neons till I convinced my wife it was a bad idea...took 4 attempts. You could manage with a school of larger tetras. We had bleeding hearts. They are very underrated and get gorgeous when they mature. They are large and can defend themselves if need be.

As far as the plecos, I will also agree, please find a new home for the regular pleco. They get Massive! Howevery, your rubberlip is fine. If you did want another pleco, I second the others with the bristlenose. These guys do produce a lot of waste though. So watch your water parameters. Could you please post them in your info?

And finally, please read about the Nitrogen cycle. It will save you time and money in the long run. We all made, and will make, mistakes. We are just here to help. Once you get the tank up and running it'll be worth the effort.

 

I have a male dwarf powder blue gourami with angelfish since 2.5 months and doing fine. Intend to get a big enough tank and add pearl gouramis (2 or 3) to it. Havent really researched if adding pearls is a good idea to such a tank as mine but would like to if its ok.

 

Good morning,

Angel Fish can make good community members if their tank mates are chosen wisely. Too, they work out even better if you do not have a mating pair in the community tank. I have 2 male Angels in my 265g tank and they are doing great. My stocking list is below in my signature.

Ken

 

For the main question - I think it depends on the Angelfish and your choice of tank mates. Larger tetras could work. I've had my Angelfish and Rummynose Tetras since early December of 2012 (not that long in terms of their lifespans...) and the only issue I've had with them is I think the Angel took out the eye of one of the Rummies. Or at least I'm pretty sure it was the Angel, as the Cories and BN Pleco didn't seem to be likely candidates.

Like others have mentioned, I wouldn't get the Neons due to their size.

 

I second the rummynose! They tend to school (not always) and all seem to get along fine. The panda cories are a great bottom fish addition, also!

 

Silver dollars are a good main attraction

 

I have definitely read through the stocking section, multiple times. Please notice, I have 25 INCHES, not 25 fish. Also, All of my water tests are absolutely perfect. I do the water changes, consistently. None of my babies peck, scratch, hover, poop weird, etc. They are all extremely happy, and as much as I appreciate the advice, none have died or even gotten sick. Not even once. And it is my first tank. I really try to do as much research as possible before adding/subtracting/changing the tank at all. And so far, so good. Again, thanks for the advice

 

@Ken, that's cool. Especially the angels + parrots together. I thought that combo was impossible since the parrots might kill the angels but looks like I was wrong. Just wondering how do you go about maintaining a 265g. Do you carry out weekly maintenance? You have a cleaning crew (fish/snails/etc - I don't know much about what forms good cleaning crews). Is your tank live planted?

@Poorboy, german rams work with angels too, if you want to check if that suits your aquarium stock and size.

 

I agree that larger tetras will work with angels. They tend to schoal as well. I have an angel ( my stocking profile is up to date) and have some minor fin nipping at times but that tends to stick with the group if tetras I have ( occasionally I'll notice the angel have a torn fin but never seen it happen in action so I don't know who to blame. ) But my angel is a pretty tough little thing.

 

I have 8 black skirt tetras with a female angelfish and a Blue gourami. They all get along great. The angelfish will even school with the black skirts from time to time.When I received my angelfish she looked like she was about to do. Most of her fins were nipped and gone. She is fully healed now and looking great !