Lonely Angelfish

[Twaksak]

HI all

I've recently started a community tropical fish tank and is populated as follows:

3 x male guppies
2 x mollies
2 x pleco
1 x catfish
1 x angelfish

I've been reading up about the angelfish, and I've learnt that they are supposed to be full of personality and life... also according to the pet shop owner that they're school fish... I understand that he's new environment maybe overwhelming and all, but he seems to just be a 'loner'. according to friends that have years of experience, he seems perfectly healthy. I believe he is still very young (as are all the fish in the tank), about 1 1/4 ". The guppies and the mollies seem to get along just fine, swimming together, and swimming through the bubbles and all that. One suggestion made sense to me, and that is my question - Would it be wise to buy another young angelfish to create a more of a 'school' idea for the angelfish?

I have 30l tank, sufficient hiding place (cover), the temperature is approx. 28 degrees.

The rest of the fish are playful and full of life, its just the angelfish that gives a 'lonely' impression.

Please help, and thanks a lot for this grand website, I've found a lot of helpful tips already.

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[Butterfly]

Your angelfish will be fine alone they are not really schooling fish. Adding another would add the possibility of them pairing and spawning. Which at that point they would become very aggressive. Even same sex angels would be aggressive to some extent.
I personally would leave the tank as it is and let it grow a bit and see how you feel about adding another later. I have them in pairs and separately and they are equally beggars and attentive to me when I walk up to the tank.
Carol

 

[Twaksak]

Thanks a million. I feel a lot better about it now ha ha.

Thanks for the speedy reply! I will do as you have suggested

 

[Butterfly]

Cool! Let us know how the tank progresses. Oh by the way angelfish love to be bribed with treats
Car0l

 

[Twaksak]

Treats eh?!?! ill definitely be looking up on those. I've heard of dried worms and some sort of pellets. So far I've only been feeding them flakes. million thank yous for the help!

 

[Butterfly]

Your most welcome mine will follow me from one end of the tank to the other for a bite of blood worms LOL
Carol

 

[fishingman001]

Welcome to Fishlore!

It says in your profile that you don't know about the nitrogen cycle. Here is a link describing it: https://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Your tank is 30 Liters? If so it is really overstocked. 1 angelfish needs at least 30 gallons by themselves. Are the plecos you have bristlenose or common? Common plecos need at least a 55 gallon.

What are you water readings? A great water test kit is the API Master test kit (liquid).

 

[Butterfly]

I read it as 30long ( I have two )
So are we talking about 30 liter tank or 30 long? That would influence my advice dramatically
Carol

 

[fishingman001]

That's still really overstocked for a 30 long. 2 plecos need a lot of space. And a 30 gallon is good for one angel and not many more fish.

 

[Twaksak]

Wow, thanks again for the responses. Its great to be part of such a helpful community.

Its a 30 liter tank. Is it over-stocked? 'cause then I've got to make quick work of telling many of the fish enthusiasts around here so. Strangely many of the tanks I've seen range from 30 - 50 liters and seem stocked as mine, but even more strangely the fish live for long and never seem sickly or anything. Please reply soon in this regard, this maybe urgent. If it is over stocked, what is my next step?

Thanks for the link to the Nitrogen Cycle, I've now read it, I remember it from high school where I learnt it in biology class.

As for the test kit, I'm making work of organizing my own one. I'll bring the readings as soon as possible

As for the Plecos, I have one common Pleco, and I bought another, "Golden Pleco" is what the sign read. I got quite a shock when I paid for it, so I suppose it can't be the common type. I'll research and report back when I find the right name. I was however assured that the pleco wouldn't mind his new environment, and I believed it considering that its new home would be considerably larger that where it had been kept


Thanks again for the response. ALL advice will be taken super seriously and is highly appreciated.

 

[Butterfly]

30 liters =7.93 gallons so yes it is extremely overstocked. Sorry I didn't realize you were talking about liters.
The Guppies or the Molly's would be suitable for the tank but is completely too small for the rest of the fish.
Again I apologize for my error in recognizing the size of your tank.
Carol

 

[Twaksak]

May I ask what the consequences are of having them in a tank too small? I'll be making plans to ship them out into a bigger tank.

and just an update, the angelfish seems a lil more full of life today, he responded to feeding time, and keeps swimming through the bubbles as the other fish do.

 

[izzyfishfarmer]

Cool! Let us know how the tank progresses. Oh by the way angelfish love to be bribed with treats
Car0l

yea I put the food infront of them and they know what it is

 

[Butterfly]

May I ask what the consequences are of having them in a tank too small? I'll be making plans to ship them out into a bigger tank.

and just an update, the angelfish seems a lil more full of life today, he responded to feeding time, and keeps swimming through the bubbles as the other fish do.

An overstocked tank tends to have ammonia spikes which can cause finrot and gill problems. Overcrowding is also stressful which can bring on a variety of diseases and it is just uncomfortable for the fish.

Glad the angelfish is a little more responsive today.
Until they can get into a larger tank please do extra water changes to keep their water clean. Plecos are huge waste producers even when their small.
carol

 

[Twaksak]

Thanks a million. I'll keep you updated on what's happening, and once again, thanks!! I appreciate it

 

[Pinina]

One of my two angelfish died. The remaining one is a very young one (an inch long). He/she is in a 30 gl cycled, planted tank and it looks lonely. I am scared to try another angel so I am open for stocking suggestions. Thanks

 

[yukondog]

. I am scared to try another angel so I am open for stocking suggestions. Thanks

Why scared? A tank that size [long or tall?] could hold three or four one inchers. Do you have any fish in with him?

 

[Pinina]

It is a square one. Since my other angel died, I feel that they might be too delicate and if he/she doesn't like the other angel, it will be stressed and die.
No other tank mates at the moment. But I have a month and a half mollies that eventually would need to be split into other tanks (8 in a 30 gallon tank). Perhaps, in a couple of weeks, I could transfer 4 of those mollies to share the tank with the lonely angel.

 

[Ouse]

Perhaps, in a couple of weeks, I could transfer 4 of those mollies to share the tank with the lonely angel.

The mollies would essentially be serving as dither fish for the angel. Using dither fish can reduce stress and loneliness in fish and is a common practice. Mollies are known troublemakers and fin nippers though. For dither fish I recommend using danios or deeper bodied tetras to fulfil this purpose rather than mollies.

 

[JayAlva]

One of my two angelfish died. The remaining one is a very young one (an inch long). He/she is in a 30 gl cycled, planted tank and it looks lonely. I am scared to try another angel so I am open for stocking suggestions. Thanks

Rummy nose tetra, cardinal or neon tetras

 

[NotSoAggressiveAquatics]

In my opinion 2 angels is to much size and aggression wise for a 30 gallon. It’s best to stick with one

 

[Pinina]

Now...in trying to replicate the natural environment, I added almond leaves and driftwood but the ph seems to be too high for the angel's liking (7.8+) should I use a lowering agent?

 

[NotSoAggressiveAquatics]

Now...in trying to replicate the natural environment, I added almond leaves and driftwood but the ph seems to be too high for the angel's liking (7.8+) should I use a lowering agent?

No don’t. A stable ph is much more important than a perfect ph.

 

[Pinina]

No don’t. A stable ph is much more important than a perfect ph.

Oh gosh...I think I know what may have killed him: dropsy. I think my goldfish has it now (it is stayingat the top, almost not movingand the scales seem more prominent) . I isolated her in a 30 gl tank with cycled water ( 7.8 ph, 0 nitrite but it was high on nitatre since I was cycling it- so I did a 30% water change). I am about to treat her with epson salt but I don't know if to treat the entire tank or do salt bath. What would you suggest?

Oh gosh...I think I know what may have killed him: dropsy. I think my goldfish has it now (it is stayingat the top, almost not movingand the scales seem more prominent) . I isolated her in a 30 gl tank with cycled water ( 7.8 ph, 0 nitrite but it was high on nitatre since I was cycling it- so I did a 30% water change). I am about to treat her with epson salt but I don't know if to treat the entire tank or do salt bath. What would you suggest?

In the picture, I circled what looks like string of poop stuck on her.

 

[NotSoAggressiveAquatics]

Oh gosh...I think I know what may have killed him: dropsy. I think my goldfish has it now (it is stayingat the top, almost not movingand the scales seem more prominent) . I isolated her in a 30 gl tank with cycled water ( 7.8 ph, 0 nitrite but it was high on nitatre since I was cycling it- so I did a 30% water change). I am about to treat her with epson salt but I don't know if to treat the entire tank or do salt bath. What would you suggest?

With dropsy they are usually sitting at the bottom of the tank. Staying at the top sounds like swim bladder. Can you get a picture from a top angle to see if the scales are sticking out into a pinecone shape

 

[Pinina]

Can you see it in the one I attached?

Can you see it in the one I attached?