My new angelfish is ... dancing at me?

I had two new juvenile angelfish in a tank, and unfortunately one of them died soon after I put him/her in there.

Since then, even though they seemed to be "getting along" my other one has been more active - swimming around the tank a lot more, not hiding behind the filter.

Last night I sat down in front of the tank for my daily examination and also just because I like it, and the little angel came straight up to the glass - he was looking RIGHT at me - and he was sort of shimmying. I can't think of another way to describe it. It was like he was dancing at me. I've not seen this before. The gouramis in there are similarly interactive with me but not like this. I'm new to angelfish but to me it looked particularly gorgeous.

Is that the kind of thing they do? It's soooo sweet.

 

Begging for food I think…

 

Begging for food I think…

He'd just been fed, and actually he's really not all the motivated by food. He tends not even to notice unless it literally falls on his head. Then he'll eat. He's not like the gouramis that get excited the minute they see me walk past where the food is kept haha.

Also, I'd just fed them.

But ... it's not unusual for me to anthropomorphise my fish ...

 

He may be trying to get put and see you, I like to think that fish would do that if they could lol. What ever the reason though, it's super cute!

 

I have one that the moment I open the lid his got his forehead out of the water and blub blub blubing hoping to get food first. Even if I'm just opening to clean, he'll sit there, top of his head out of the water hoping to get the food first if it ever comes while I vacuum.
Pretty sure he learned this behavior from the kissing gourami that's a vacuum cleaner along the top for feedings.

Whether it's for food or whatever, maybe just the interaction as something different for them, they do see you coming and get a bit excited about it.

 

Vacuum cleaner along the surface. Hehe my mollies are like that. It's so funny.

 

My angels would all line up and do the 'feed me' dance as well.

Smart fish!

 

My angels would all line up and do the 'feed me' dance as well.

Smart fish!

yes! they do all kinds of strange things, just wait until you have a mature female and a pair and they go on the attack to defend their egg territory, the move that amazes me is when they square off, then tilt on their sides in a slow drift and then ram at full speed.

 

yes! they do all kinds of strange things, just wait until you have a mature female and a pair and they go on the attack to defend their egg territory, the move that amazes me is when they square off, then tilt on their sides in a slow drift and then ram at full speed.

Oh I know about that. I ended up rehoming my angel pair as water changes started getting stressfull and I couldn't do anything in the tank.

Both would full attack my arm, particularly the male though with quite a force! I've considered getting a single angel again but I'm much happier with a relaxed community tank for now haha.

 

Oh I know about that. I ended up rehoming my angel pair as water changes started getting stressfull and I couldn't do anything in the tank.

Both would full attack my arm, particularly the male though with quite a force! I've considered getting a single angel again but I'm much happier with a relaxed community tank for now haha.

only males work quite well, and it works until maturity with females. then they have to be rehomed, or get their own tanks as pairs. my pair is aggressive with eggs spawned, but if I remove the eggs they go right back to normal again. a pair just isn't good for a community setting but a group of males get along fine forever as far as I can tell.

 

If only angelfish could be sexed as juveniles... Hate rehoming fish and unless you have multiple large tanks it's gunna happen.

 

yeah, it is what it is though and pretty impossible to keep the peace with a female in the mix. so it's either rehome or cull what you don't want, or sell or trade or donate for adoption to a pet store.
You can always pay the higher price for mature angels and almost guarantee males that way I suppose.... yeah. bummer in general.

 

Yeah they get excited to see whoever is outside the tank. Mine will swarm and jig especially if I wiggle my fingers at them.
The babies are more excited than the adults pictured (the adults had already been fed).

 

I had two new juvenile angelfish in a tank, and unfortunately one of them died soon after I put him/her in there.

Since then, even though they seemed to be "getting along" my other one has been more active - swimming around the tank a lot more, not hiding behind the filter.

Last night I sat down in front of the tank for my daily examination and also just because I like it, and the little angel came straight up to the glass - he was looking RIGHT at me - and he was sort of shimmying. I can't think of another way to describe it. It was like he was dancing at me. I've not seen this before. The gouramis in there are similarly interactive with me but not like this. I'm new to angelfish but to me it looked particularly gorgeous.

Is that the kind of thing they do? It's soooo sweet.

Mine really wiggles aggressively side-to-side in one spot when he sees me, or if i move he follows me while wiggling. kind of reminds me of my dog wiggling his bum out of excitement when i come home.
A very adorable personality; every angel i’ve ever had has done this which is why i continue to keep them

 

Maybe it just likes you ! Enjoy him !

 

I think hes begging for food LOL. But I just assume that they love me