55 Gallon Tank Need Help From Someone Who Knows Alot About Angelfish.

I had a male silver/black angel. After many years he passed. But before he did I got a female koi angel. I have seen them lay eggs. So I got a marble angel. Unknown sex. Here is the strange thing. If I have the white plant light one the marble will keep pecking at the koi. If I have the blue night light on the marble will not chase or peck at the koi. The koi may peck at the marble every once in a while. Reminds me of how the old angel and the koi got along. I want to be able to use the white light for plants. Has anyone seen or know what is happening? I have a 60+ day return policy.

 

I've seen that type of behavior in a lot of different varieties of Cichlids. I've come to the conclusion that certain cichlids sense vulnerability when under bright light. Weaker fish will hide in corners or under decor. Stronger fish will become aggressive, seeking a more secure position in the tank. Cichlids that are similar sized and demeanor will simply peck at each other, refusing to yeild their position, until a more secure environment is provided. One always gets roughed up a little more. I don't keep planted tanks so subdued lighting works well for me. If you have a larger sized tank, consider adding a few more Angels as to dilute aggression.

 

I have an overstock of Koi angels in my main tank at present.
I donot use white light for plants, but a blue/red LED mix. I use the white light for viewing only.

I notice my angels pecking at each other towards the evening - I get the impression that they are choosing their place for the night as they settle down. In my case the pecking at each other seems to be related to the time of the day and not to the amount and type of light.

 

It could be because actinic light is visually dimmer. Angels like most cichlids (if not all) react to light. They can be more aggressive if they have that tendency when the tank is brightly lit because it could stress them or allow them to see eachother better.

Unfortunately you can't usually just put two cichlids together and know they will get along. If the tank is big enough, you could use decor pieces or plants to create barriers to line of sight. If they can't see eachother clearly (like a big threat) there's a chance that could calm the aggression.

But I'll tell you my story if you want to hear it. I had fell in love with gold marble pearlscale angelfish and needed a man angel for my full grown pearlscale. It wasn't easy to find a large angel that was compatible with her. I went through at least 3 other angelfish before I found the beautiful one she chose to lay her eggs for and start my big angelfish obsession.

But anyway, two angels in one tank need to really tolerate eachother IMO. I've also had to split up a really strong pair bond at one time, so you just never know with them and it's good to have a back up plan.

 

I've seen that type of behavior in a lot of different varieties of Cichlids. I've come to the conclusion that certain cichlids sense vulnerability when under bright light. Weaker fish will hide in corners or under decor. Stronger fish will become aggressive, seeking a more secure position in the tank. Cichlids that are similar sized and demeanor will simply peck at each other, refusing to yeild their position, until a more secure environment is provided. One always gets roughed up a little more. I don't keep planted tanks so subdued lighting works well for me. If you have a larger sized tank, consider adding a few more Angels as to dilute aggression.

You should keep an odd number of angels. I have 7.

 

You should keep an odd number of angels. I have 7.

Why is that?

 

It’s just the difference between night and day. The blue light means night is coming...

 

You should keep an odd number of angels. I have 7.

Someone told me this when I started with angelfish they said it’s so they don’t pair up.