I think two male angel fish have paired...

Ok. So I think two male angelfish have paired. They are very aggressive toward the others and make them stay in the other half of the aquarium. How can I curb the aggression?

 

Ok. So I think two male angelfish have paired. They are very aggressive toward the others and make them stay in the other half of the aquarium. How can I curb the aggression?

How do you know for sure that they are both Males?

 

I've never seen them get pregnant or have fry, and I looked up online and they both have the typical male shape. They are about 4 inches

So I'm not 100% sure, so may be you can help

 

I've never seen them get pregnant or have fry, and I looked up online and they both have the typical male shape.

It is not uncommon for females to carry the typical male traits. So you really never know for sure unless you can see their papilla....That's the problem with angels.

How long have they lived together? what size is the tank and what other fish are they living with?

 

Oh. Wow OK. This is my first time breeding... I had them before for a couple of years, but I guess they were always eating their young. I didn't pay as much attention. I Was younger.

These are about a year old.

75 gallon, 5 angel fish, I know this sounds bad-but I'm not sure how many I have, I think there are about 8-13 clown loaches (there are lots of hiding places), 2-6 oto, one remaining amino shrimp.

Sorry I'm on my phone so I seem to make a lot of errors. Lol

 

Are their papillas showing? How long have they been behaving this way? are they only chasing the other angels? or are the chasing all the fish? not that that makes a difference, I guess I am just curious. lol

It definitely sounds like breeding behavior! But I have heard that is it possible, while rare, for angels of the same sex to try and be a pair. But if you are only going off of their shape to determine gender, I think you most likely have a male female pair. But I could be wrong!!

Beautiful tank by the way!!

 

Thank you!!! lol. I never learned that body part. I thought it was dangling poop when I saw them today. This is the first day I noticed them.... But right now they are very small. They started about a week ago acting this way, they all schooled before with occasional nipping, particularily at eating time.

Yesterday, one of my angels stood up to being chased away. I could see the tension. It was a deep stare. As one of the ones in the pair started to chase, instead of running, the one being chased went in too. The paired one backed off. The other of the pair stood back like he was seeing who would win.

Now they don't all seem like a happy family lol. Interestingly, one is a beautiful and the other of the pair is comparatively ugly, with torn up fins ( a year ago he was missing his entire dorsal fin, now about 1/3), he was mishandled... They are only chasing the other angels, but they stare at the loaches intensely when they go to their side- my loaches then inhabit the other with the ostracized angels mainly, except for their rock hiding spots!. My angels are much later in development than loaches, or else it might be reversed. They might then stand up to them.

Yea. I was only basing it on shape, thanks for the insight!!!

I just rearranged everything! I was happy to not find anything dead, dying or evidence of it!!! The pair are pushing the others to the right corner where the flow is higher and the pair is behind that 19inch plant on the left

 

Thank you!!! lol. I never learned that body part. I thought it was dangling poop when I saw them today. This is the first day I noticed them.... But right now they are very small. They started about a week ago acting this way, they all schooled before with occasional nipping, particularily at eating time.

Yesterday, one of my angels stood up to being chased away. I could see the tension. It was a deep stare. As one of the ones in the pair started to chase, instead of running, the one being chased went in too. The paired one backed off. The other of the pair stood back like he was seeing who would win.

Now they don't all seem like a happy family lol. Interestingly, one is a beautiful and the other of the pair is comparatively ugly, with torn up fins ( a year ago he was missing his entire dorsal fin, now about 1/3), he was mishandled... They are only chasing the other angels, but they stare at the loaches intensely when they go to their side- my loaches then inhabit the other with the ostracized angels mainly, except for their rock hiding spots!. My angels are much later in development than loaches, or else it might be reversed. They might then stand up to them.

Yea. I was only basing it on shape, thanks for the insight!!!

I just rearranged everything! I was happy to not find anything dead, dying or evidence of it!!! The pair are pushing the others to the right corner where the flow is higher and the pair is behind that 19inch plant on the left

Have you tried putting some taller plants or ornamnets in the middle of the tank to break up the tank a bit? And create some separation between territories? that might help....

Angels are so hard to predict. They can get along for ages and then suddenly...not. And it isn't always due to breeding. Sometimes they just....change!! That is probably the case with many kinds of fish! Not just angels.

 

Ill do that, yep, I have a tall plastic one that I can use until my live are up to par. Many started from cuttings and are taking forever to get to about 2 feet... Ive not tried it.

Also, In the photo there is one angel on the left that they can't see, and to me its funny. Lol....He is able to chill there until they come out to check again.

That makes me think you have a very good idea. Does color matter to them?

 

I have a breeding pare of Angel fish. They breed every 3-4 week's. During breeding they get a bit aggressive. When there not breeding they pay no mind to there tank mates.

 

Ill do that, yep, I have a tall plastic one that I can use until my live are up to par. Many started from cuttings and are taking forever to get to about 2 feet... Ive not tried it.

Also, In the photo there is one angel on the left that they can't see, and to me its funny. Lol....He is able to chill there until they come out to check again.

That makes me think you have a very good idea. Does color matter to them?

I have no idea of color matters....I doubt it.....

Well I hope breaking things up helps a bit!! And keep a close eye on the pair...they might end up attacking EACHOTHER once (or if) they start spawning....as you are well aware from my thread. LOL hahaha

So now that you are familiar with the papilla, have you been able to determine if they are in fact both male? The male's will be very short and pointy. The female's will be a bit wider....and it'll stick out further and further the closer she gets to laying her eggs.

 

Color does not matter. If they do turn out to be a pair and lay eggs, the clown loaches will run in and eat the eggs as they are being laid. This might be why you haven't seen any spawns; if they spawned while you were not there, the loaches would have had the eggs gone before you knew about it.

 

I have no idea of color matters....I doubt it.....

Well I hope breaking things up helps a bit!! And keep a close eye on the pair...they might end up attacking EACHOTHER once (or if) they start spawning....as you are well aware from my thread. LOL hahaha

So now that you are familiar with the papilla, have you been able to determine if they are in fact both male? The male's will be very short and pointy. The female's will be a bit wider....and it'll stick out further and further the closer she gets to laying her eggs.

Ok, so this is where it gets even weirder. They seemed similar, but I can't remember. Ugh I was just looking and one passed a worm with its poop. I am on my last dosage. I think I will treat them again in a few weeks.

OK. The other one no longer has any one sticking out, but the one with it still does not seem pointy

Right now it looks as though they are trying to eat the male guppy that I have. This is fine, but I just am surprised.

Also, I have had male and female guppies for over a month, with no fry. If that tells you anything I have one male and 2 females. However I have seen them pregnant all the time it seems.