Your Opinion- Just One Angelfish

We have an established 75 gallon setup, with a school of 7 cories, 2 keyholes, a rainbow shark, 2 honey gouramis, 9 rasboras and 1 angelfish (very small juvenile). We took the second angelfish back to the LFS yesterday, bc he was picking on the other. So now we have just 1. I wanted to try and see how getting another would do. They could end up being best buds. My husband shot it down, saying he doesn't want the same thing to happen and the single one will be just fine.
What's your opinion on this? Would you try to get a second juvenile angel? Or leave the one by himself? BTW. Our lfs has about 15 juvenile angelfish right now. Thanks!

 

Angelfish are semi-territorial towards their own kind. Honestly, It is safer to just have the 1. You CAN keep 2 together without a problem (I've done it), but it's a toss up.

Usually, the more dominant angel will pick on and chase the smaller or less dominant one if you get two. We recommend odd numbers if a customer is going to buy more than 1 because then that way, if 2 begin to fight there is a third to break up the aggression. HOWEVER, I've also heard (when having 3) that if you get a mix in sex (like 2 F 1 M), than its likely a F/M will pair off and gang up on the third (remaining F) Angel.

If you want to try having 2, the other angel you add should be similar size to the one you already have. Also, If the angelfish do fight when you add them. You can try re-arranging the tank decor. When angels fight, it's over a specific space or territory. If you re-arrange the tank and make a new environment/territory for the angels, the'll both have to find new territory and will be less likely to fight with one another.

You might be able to wait a bit and then try to see if your angel is M/F. Then, add another (similar size) angel of the opposite sex. It's likely than that the angels will pair off and be 'best buds'...But they will defend their territory from other fish than, especially if they've spawned. If you have 2 male angelfish, I'm not sure they'll be 'friends' with one another.

 

I have 2 and they've been fine together for months. Think they just need time to get used to one another. In my experience the aggression is normal (establishing a pecking order) and after 2 weeks it subsides. So if you get another it likely will get picked on at first but yeah that's just what angels do

 

Thank you!
We've had 3 in the past, 2 ended up with eggs and chased off the other angel and every other fish in the tank! So we were hoping for the best, getting two small ones from the same tank on the same day. Perhaps we should've waited a little longer to see if the aggression subsided. I was just curious if our 1 angelfish would be lonely, or if I'm just projecting human feelings on a fish I guess it's just a guess!

 

Oh no, Semi-territorial species like that are never 'lonely'. If anything, they're swimming around letting all other fish know they're the boss. And they really enjoy being the boss.

Ah, so you've experienced the 2pair off and gang up on the 1. That will basically be the 'best thing' that can happen when having 2 angels. Otherwise, they're very likely to fight with each-other.

It's possible they would've gotten used to each-other. Its always a toss up with angels though.

 

One angelfish is fine, you likely will not be able to add one later unless it has a very chill personality (once an angel is by itself for a while it is less likely to accept other angels in the tank and likely will try to harm the angel since it perceives it as an invader of its territory).
Adult angels aren't schooling like juvenile angels, so they are fine solitary.

 

Oh no, Semi-territorial species like that are never 'lonely'. If anything, they're swimming around letting all other fish know they're the boss. And they really enjoy being the boss.

Ah, so you've experienced the 2pair off and gang up on the 1. That will basically be the 'best thing' that can happen when having 2 angels. Otherwise, they're very likely to fight with each-other.

It's possible they would've gotten used to each-other. Its always a toss up with angels though.

I have males and females together with no issues, if there is an issue the problem angel gets moved to it cannot be a problem in that tank (I have a tank for problem angels).
Having two males is the best option to be honest, most of the time if they are raised together they form a bromance and get along fine.

 

Ok thanks everyone! It's ultimately up to my husband what he decides, he may decide to give it one more chance, add one more juvenile and just see how it goes. Good thing is, our lfs always takes in fish with a small credit. No big deal.
Thanks again!!