The truth about Angels and Discus   12/1/06
Hello,
<Hi there>
your site is very informative - thank you for providing so much useful information.
<Welcome>
I have a 72 g tank with substrate and plants and am wanting to stock it with a few discus and angelfish.  There seem to be two schools of thought here; 1. the two shouldn't mix, and 2. they are ok together. I am aware of the need for frequent water changes and the need discus have for high quality water.
<Mmm... will repeat my S.O.P. response re these two cichlid genera... and personal experience>>
I've heard more from the no. 1 camp to be sure, but would like to hear from the 2 camp.  Surely someone has had positive results having the two species together?
<Do know of this, but is a minority experience>
If they are raised together from a small size, would they not accept each other? BTW I don't want to breed, just have a nice show tank. I've been told they could be kept together until the angels spawn. I was thinking of getting about 5 discus and 3 or so angels.  I have a few bottom feeders in the tank already (Raphael catfish, 2 horseface loaches and an upside-down catfish - not all Amazonian but seemingly compatible).  I will drop this idea if I'm told that there is no way of having the two species co-exist without too many adverse effects.
Michaela
<There are folks who suggest that disease may be/is easily passed between Pterophyllum and Symphysodon (most noted: Octomita)... but the real issue has been behavioral incompatibility, with Angels almost invariably over-bullying the Discus... causing them to go off-feeding... perishing subsequently from "stress". Bob Fenner>

Angelfish not Compatible w/ Barbs... - 10/18/06
I purchased a medium sized silver angel fish from a reliable fish store a few days ago.
<OK - hopefully you quarantined it, even though you find the store reliable...>
The first day it looked stressed; difficulty maintaining balance and swimming.  By the second day, its balance and strength seemed to improve.  It's now the third day and I expect any minute to see it floating.  It's been hiding much of the time behind the strip thermometer in the front of the tank.  I haven't seen it eat although I provide a variety of food for it (dried blood worms, color bits, shrimp pellets and flake food.)  I also have five bleeding heart tetras, six red platys, a rope fish and a few feeder sized guppies.  All of the other fish seem happy.  
<Have you recently tested the water parameters? I'd start buy finding out what the ammonia, nitrite and nitrates are at, along with pH.  Also, when you put the fish in the tank, did you slowly acclimate it, or just immediately release it in the tank?>
Would a partial water change/gravel vacuuming stress it out more?  
<Depends on your water parameters - generally, water changes are never a bad thing, however...>
What about moving it to another tank (10 gal) by itself for a while?
<You should have done this initially.  If the fish was harboring some sort of disease, it's now been introduced into your main tank.  If the fish still isn't acting well, I would quarantine it ASAP, though.  Make sure to provide hiding places (plants, decor, etc.).  Also, in the present tank, have you been able to observe if any of the older inhabitants are picking on the new arrival? Especially the barbs - they can be very fin nippy, and the angel, with its beautiful fins, could find him/herself being bullied, which obviously would cause stress.  In all reality, angels and barbs should not be housed together.>
I called the store where I got it (in a tank by itself) and they said it was healthy and eating well there.
<What else would they say?!>
Out of the four angels they had, this one seemed most active when I bought it.  Now it just hides.
<I think you have an incompatible mix of fish here - you will likely have to find a new home for the angel...with peaceful tankmates, not aggressive ones, like barbs.>
  I have plenty of plants in the tank, but it seems to prefer the thermometer.  What should I do?  Will it eventually get used to its tankmates or is it more likely to starve to death?
<Incompatible.  Either set up a suitable species / peaceful community aquarium for the angel or return it to the fish store.  Do make sure to research species compatibility before purchasing...check out A Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums by David E. Boruchowitz if you haven't yet...>
<Good luck, Jorie.>

Jorie Misread Last Email - Apologies All Around. Angel Fish with Tetras... - 10/18/06
I don't have any barbs unless they go by a different name.  The 29 gal tank has a rope fish, six platys, five bleeding heart tetras and a few guppies? Which ones are barbs?
<I apologize for my mistake, Jennifer - I misread your list.  Your stocking scheme seems fine, but whenever a new fish is introduced, you should look out for bullies.  Your setup seems good, complete with plants and all for cover, but do make sure no one is harassing the angel.>
PS.  Chemicals were fine.
<"Fine" is subjective - ammonia and nitrites are both at zero, and nitrates no more than 20 ppm (at the very highest?)>
  I did the water change and moved it to a 10 gal tank with a mild mannered female beta, a glow light tetra (large) and a neon tetra (large).
<Sounds like a good idea.>
I would have put it by itself but the beta didn't like the turbulent water in the big tank and the rope fish would probably eat the tetras.
<I understand; sounds logical.>
Angel seems healthier and has started to eat a little food.
<Great sign.>
It hides behind the plants during the day but swims around at night.  I have noticed it's tail seems a bit nipped since I moved it.  Territorial tetras?
<That would be my first guess.  You could try re-arranging the decor, etc. so that the angel isn't so much the "newcomer" - this can work with territorial saltwater fish issues sometimes, so I would think the same theory would hold true in fresh...>
I haven't seen any problems but I can't imagine who else could be doing it. Angel doesn't swim as fast as they do.
<I agree.  Perhaps the tetras can go into the 29? If not, I'm not sure what options you have, besides finding another home for the angel...>
Thanks for your advise.
Jennifer Pickett
<Jennifer, I apologize once again for misreading your initial e-mail - no barbs, I see that now! As you point out, though, the tetras may be bullying the angel - if the re-arrangement doesn't help sort things out, you may have to play "musical tanks" again...best of luck. Jorie>

Sometimes the small fish can be the bullies!  10/24/06
Thanks for your advice.  I moved the tetras to the larger tank.  One disappeared but the other's doing fine.  The angel fish immediately left the corner and began swimming around the whole tank.  It's fine with the female Betta. It's amazing how such tiny fish could intimidate such a large one.
<I know - never ceases to amaze me.  An extreme example of this is the strawberry Pseudochromis (marine fish) - it's one of my favorites, due to its beautiful magenta coloration, but even at its max. size of 1.5 or so inches, not even the hardy clownfish could likely stand up to it!  And, as I mentioned, I've got the same phenomenon going on with one of my mollies - a female, at that.  After killing her boyfriend (plus being the suspect in a few other molly deaths), she's been relegated to living alone in a 5 gal. hex...>
Two days later, I moved the tri-color sharks back to the 10 gallon tank. The platys were bullying them.  They're much happier now.  Musical tanks worked well this time.  Only one tiny casualty.
<Sounds like things are going well - sorry you lost the one tetra.  Once everything is established, you may be able to add another one, if you like.  Good luck! Jorie>
Thanks again,
Jennifer Pickett

Setting Up A FW Angelfish Tank  - 10/14/06
Hi my little brother told me about your site when I told him I wanted to set a freshwater angelfish tank like his. My question is could I put 4 adult angelfish in a B45 gallon Odyssey bow front aquarium. Also what plants do you suggest to use with these fish. Also what kind of tetras do you suggest to house with angels.
Thanks -- Sbatiste
< Four angelfish will fit quite nicely in that aquarium. I would recommend medium to low light plants like Anubias, java fern, and come Cryptocorynes. Small tetras like Neons may get picked on by the angels. I would recommend larger bodied tetras like rosy, bleeding heart or emperor tetras.-Chuck>

An angel community   9/21/06
Hi everyone I had a couple of quick questions to ask, I was wondering how many of each of these fish could I keep in a 40 gallon planted aquarium, here's the fish: angelfish, German blue rams, true rummy nose tetras. Also would a blue crayfish be compatible  with 2 clown loaches,
<Ah, no>
and 2 gold algae eaters.
<I'd seek out other than Gyrinocheilus species here. Some Loricariid... of small ultimate size... Listed on WWM>
Thanks
--Sbatiste
<A pair or two of Angels (should be okay unless they start spawning, likely just a pair of Rams, and a school of what size suits you (for me, 5,7,9) of the Tetras. Bob Fenner>

Breeding  FW Angelfish Are Aggressive   8/19/06
Hello Bob and Crew, Ever since one of my angels laid eggs, she has been extra  aggressive towards the other one. She was always dominant, but it is getting  pretty bad. I
figured that if I add in another angel and switch the decor around  that would give her more to think about. We have some angels at the pet  store where I work
that are similar of size but the one I have permission to  take is the most aggressive in the tank. Will this be a problem if the new one  wants to be the
dominant one? I just don't want my angel to get beat up because  she's real pretty and all she "can" do is hide in the back corner beneath the  plants.
Thanks for your help and  advice!
< Angelfish are cichlids and really don't like other fish around when they have fry or eggs. An over protective mother with guard the eggs from her mate if she thinks that he is going to eat them. Adding more fish will give her more fish to beat up. If she has no mate then reduce the temp to the mid 70's and she will stop breeding and she will not be as aggressive.-Chuck>

Adding FW Angels, Bob's go   7/3/06
How many angelfish can I add to the tank I already have which is 37 gallons and has:
    - 2 angels
    - 1 male dwarf Gourami
    - 1 ram cichlid (pretty sure it's a male)
    - 2 platys
    - 2 female pineapple sword tails
    - 2 Cory cats
<Mmm, actually, I would add no more here. The two you have already about "fill up" this space (with growth, age), particularly if they should display reproductive behavior... and force all other fish livestock to the corners... More angels added would almost assuredly bring about this consequence>
If I can add any more angels to this tank, I would have to buy angels that are about 3 times smaller than the ones I have in my tank already. My angels are
pretty big compared to the ones at the pet store so do you think they would pick badly on the newer , smaller angels I would add?
<None IMO>
I have a hang on back filter which I converted to a biological filter like the ones they use for ponds and an undergravel filter also.
Thank You!
<Perhaps another aquarium can be found... Bob Fenner>

Adding Angelfish to A Tank, Chuck's go  6/30/06
Can I add any more angelfish to this setup? If so, how many?
37 Gallon tank
    - 2 angels (about 3 times the size of the angels I would purchase, is that too big?)
    - 1 male dwarf Gourami
    - 1 ram cichlid
    - 2 platys
    - 2 female pineapple sword tails
    - 2 Cory cats - if I would not add any angels, how many Cory cats could I add to make these guys happier, because I understand             
they like to be in groups of 4 or more. Thanks
< The angelfish would eat any livebearer fry that were born in this tank. The "feelers" on the Gourami would be mistaken for food and bitten off. You could add 4 to 5 angels to this tank easy assuming that you have adequate filtration and do regular water changes.-Chuck>

FW Set Up For Long Term  4/6/06
Hi Chuck, Thanks for your quick response.  Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to save the medium angelfish described before and lost them within 48 hours. The angel that was a fry when placed in the tank is now 1 1/4" and been named Savage by my daughter.  In my frustration at losing the fish, I was prepared to take the Pleco and Savage to a LFS and sell or give away the tank and equipment.  My wife convinced me to purchase 6 neon tetras which I did almost two weeks ago.  Of the six, I lost two.  One got stuck to the intake of the carbon filters, and the second died due to an unknown reason. Meanwhile, I've followed your advice with the exception of a quarantine tank.  I've been unable to convince my wife that it would be money well spent, but she's starting to agree. I've also removed 200 lbs of the gravel.  On the advice of my LFS, I've begun adding 1 Tbsp of kosher salt per 5 gallons of water when doing water changes and added some artificial plants. Tuesday, April 4, twelve 1"-1 1/2" angels, provided by a different dealer than the previous fish, were added of which two didn't make it through the night and two are improving, but they still show signs of stress.  The other eight are beautiful, active, and eating well.  Current tank conditions:
Population:  11 small angels, 4 Neons, 1 large Pleco
Ammonia: 0.0 ppm
Nitrite: 0.0 ppm
Nitrate: 0.0-5.0 ppm
Ph:  7.8
Temp:  82 degrees F
I'm concerned about the compatibility of the angelfish and the tetras, especially as the angels grow.  Should I increase the school size of the Neons until I'm able to purchase and cycle another tank?
< Depends on what you ultimately want to do. Adult angels potentially will injure or kill Neons when hungry. In the best case the Neons will be stressed by the larger fish and never really show their colors.>
Hopefully, all will do well enough to cause me to deal with the potential overcrowding. I'm beginning to suspect that my Ph is actually higher than my test indicates and have ordered a high pH test kit.  Would lowering the pH be good for the fish?
< A pH of 7.8 is at the upper end of their range. I would not try and change it unless I was prepared to continue to do this for the long haul.  Try and keep the water clean and see how they do with out any pH modification.>
I understand from other writings on the website that a consistent pH is most important.  However, if I'm able to condition the water in such a way as to make the fishes more comfortable, I'm happy to do it.  If yes, what's the best way to proceed?  Have I chosen the proper diet for the fish?  What else should I be doing to make the lives of the fishes, long, without stress, and disease free while I continue to work at getting a QT tank? Many thanks, Chris
< Keep tabs on the nitrates and do not let them exceed 20 ppm. Feed the fish once each day and only enough food so that all of it is eaten in a couple of minutes. Occasionally add some algae wafers for the Pleco, even though the other fish will go after it too.-Chuck>

Angels, tankmates and tank size?  - 04/05/2006
Hi there
<Hello.>
I have an established 40gallon freshwater tank which was given to me 8 months ago by my stepfather. It has gone really well so far, no losses (touch wood) and everything seems hunky dory. I'd like to set up an additional tank, using your guides on how to set up - as it completely new to me, but I'm not too sure on which fish to buy. I'd like angel fish and a Plec for definite, if possible, but can you offer some advice on the best tankmates and those to avoid... also how big a tank would I need to keep 2 or 3 angels plus a couple of others?
<Mm, can get by with a pair of angels in say a 30 or 40g tank, but do keep in mind that 3 angels will lead to having only 2 angels.  These are cichlids, after all, and therefore VERY aggressive during breeding.  You could start with a half dozen small ones, and as they pair off, get rid of all but your favorite pair.  A Bushynose Ancistrus Plec or any of the smaller, meat-eating Hypancistrus Plecs would do well in a 30 or 40 with the pair of angels.  In fact, you could probably do a pair of either the Bushynoses or Hypancistrus (L260 "Queen Arabesque" Plecs are my personal favorite) and breed both the Plecs and the angels in the same system, perhaps.  I've seen others do the same.  If you do a large enough tank for other tankmates, some of my favorites to suggest are smaller Botia (I like B. striata), Pantodon buchholzi / African butterflies (may need live insects as food), larger livebearers like platies or swordtails, moderately sized, placid tetras like emperors or Congo tetras....  Lots and lots of options for you.  I would stay away from other cichlids (except perhaps some of the smaller Apistogrammas if the tank is big enough) and definitely steer clear of any of the "nippy" tetras and the like.  I'm sure you'll have fun with this endeavor!  All the best to you,  -Sabrina>

Goldfish & Angelfish
Hi. I am a beginner at this, and I just purchased a 55 gallon tank.
<Well, welcome to this beautiful hobby!  May you have much success and enjoyment.>
I have 7 goldfish, 1 Pleco, and 2 Angelfish. I  was wondering if its  okay to have angelfish and goldfish together?
<Not really a good idea; goldfish like colder water temperatures, and can contract illnesses more easily in higher temps that the angelfish would need.  Also, keep in mind that goldfish get rather large over time, and are very messy fish; your tank is really at its limit with seven goldfish.  Goldfish and tropicals together can be done, but one or the other will suffer for it.>
the temperature in my tank is 78 right now.
<This is fine for the angelfish (though a touch warmer would be better), but not for the goldfishes.  Goldfish should be kept closer to 68-70F or thereabouts.>
I got my fish at Wal-Mart and they couldn't answer my question. I have a 10 gallon tank also and if The angelfish cant live with the goldfish then I plan on putting them in there.
<Well, unfortunately, angelfishes get quite large, too, and a 10 gallon is too small for them.  They'll be alright in there for a while, but will definitely need a larger tank in the long run.  Basically, you're set with a few options: move the angels into the 10g and plan to upgrade to a 29g or larger; skip the angelfish altogether, and keep the 55g as a coldwater tank (the Plec should be okay down to 70F, I'd think), or skip the goldfish and do a tropical tank with the angels, the Plec, and some other tropicals.  If you're feeling adventurous, you might even want to do a small pond for the goldies, then turn the 55 tropical.  Lots of options, but all costing, unless you're willing to give up one or the other.>
Thank You.
<You're quite welcome. -Sabrina>

Angelfish 'n Platies
Crew,
I read the post & Sabrina's reply to the reader with an impressive
collection of FW fish in a 58G tank.
<Say my name, and magically I appear!  Sabrina with you, today>
Among the multitude of fish in the tank were angels and platies and swordfish. Over the years, I have never had much luck keeping angels and platies/swordtails thriving in the same tank. My daughters have taken over the FW in our house now that I have moved to SW. My 10 y/o wants an angel and a swordfish, but I have resisted so far.
<One swordtail wouldn't be a very happy fish - they really like/need to school.  Two females (or more) per every one male.  At that, one angel wouldn't make for a very happy critter, either, I'm afraid - and angels will eat baby swordtails, so don't plan on raising many.  On top of that, two angels in a tank will likely try to breed, and will turn aggressive to their tankmates.  I prefer to see angels in larger tanks where they can have space needed to establish territory if they do breed (at the least, a 55 gallon tank, IMO, to try to have other fish with them).>
Am I correct in my understanding that their optimal pH and hardness ranges are different enough that it is difficult to keep them together?
<I wouldn't think so; platies, swords, and angels have been bred in captivity long enough that they can tolerate a very wide range of pH and hardness.  Angels will tolerate pH much lower than the platies and swords, and the platies and swords can go with a much harder, alkaline water than the angels.  Platies and swords can even go brackish.  But I definitely think there's enough neutral ground to keep them together (as long as you're not dealing with wild stock).>
Also, the fish guy at the local Petco tells me that the hardiness and general health of the swords and platies available at retail had been going down in the past few years, probably from genetic problems.
<Likely true.  The same can be said for guppies and mollies, as well, I would think.  Too much selective inbreeding without taking care to add in fresh genes.>
I've been hearing similar concerns about angels recently - too much inbreeding for certain desirable traits leading to problems with other genes.
<Exactly.  I've even seen in stores in the last couple of years angels with very significant deformities - missing or malformed fins, malformed heads, etc.  If possible, try to get angels from good, reputable breeders instead of from stores where some of the angels exhibit deformities.>
Thanks, Steve

Angel Finds Neons a Tasty Treat (4/22/04)
Hello - I cannot thank you guys enough for the awesome website! <It's an honor to play a small part. Steve Allen here tonight.>
I've had a planted 29 gallon freshwater tank running with only an Angel (about 4 inches) and a balloon bellied molly for quite a while. All of the other fish died of velvet and these two were the survivors. Today I decided that the tank could use some new inhabitants and I really wanted small schooling fish. I purchased a 3 pack of neon tetras and finished acclimating them about 2 hours ago. Unfortunately my 3 pack is now a 1 pack and my Angel fish now has a pot belly, so he got a very colorful snack. <Tasty too.>
I really want to keep some sort of schooling fish in this fairly small tank. My question is if I buy more of the neon tetras will they have a better chance of survival in a bigger school (maybe 6-9 of them to create confusion) or am I just buying an expensive snack? <Number two. The Angel will pick them off one-by-one in that small tank.> Are there other small schooling freshwater fish that are better at escaping or a bit bigger so they wont fit in the angels mouth? <Not small ones. You could put maybe 4 or 5 somewhat larger tetras such as Lemon or Serpae. These ought to be OK, but since your Angel is already rather large, start out with near-adult size ones. Another possibility would be Golden or Cherry Barbs, but these could get a little too big. The angel will continue to grow somewhat bigger, so you need to be careful not to put too many other fish in there.> Thanks in advance for the advice :) <Hope this helps.>

Angelfish puffer fin damage
Hello...I have a question about fresh water Angelfish...My son bought a green spotted puffer and put it in the tank with his other fish...it proceeded to bite one of the long feeler like fins over half way off. My question is will this feeler or fin grow back...? the puffers are now history and live across the street so there is no other problem with them.  I was just kind of worried about the angel at this time...I hope you can help...thanks Echoe
< Your angelfishes fins will grow back, just not as straight and not as long. AS you have already found out, puffers have teeth and like to use them on slower tankmates.-Chuck>

Angelfish and Gourami aggression
Hi there!
Great website!  I just got a brand new 20 gallon aquarium. I have a few dwarf gouramis and a couple of tetras. I also have a young ghost angel fish.
  The angel fish is constantly nipping at my gouramis, although they are pretty much the same size. I was wondering if there is a certain type of fish or group of fish that I can get that will reduce the aggressiveness of my angel. Thanks,
< The long feeler type of ventral fins of most gouramis look very much like hanging worms to many fish. You could add some "dither fish" to the tank. There function is to distract the more aggressive fish so they don't pick on the slower more peaceful species. Peaceful fast moving tetras like rosy's or bleeding hearts may be worth a try. Your angelfish eventually will get larger and you may have to make a decision on which ones you want to keep.-Chuck>
Kathryn

Possible angelfish tank-mates
Hi there,
Thanks for your recent help with the guppy fry...
I now have a question about angelfish which I'm sure you can answer if you have the time.....
My girlfriend and I are soon to be setting up a tank for angelfish, and would like some suitable tank-mates.
After browsing the web and learning that angels are compatible with dwarf-medium South American cichlids of similar temperament and size.
Our local fish stores stock both keyhole and Firemouth cichlids (amongst others), would these be suitable?
< Keyholes yes, Firemouths no.>
Are there any other common cichlids
that the angels would get along with?
<Sure, Lots of dwarf cichlids in the genus Apistogramma and rams, Kribs to name a few.>
Also, I was thinking maybe a small herd of bronze Corydoras to keep the tank clean, are there likely to be any problems there?
< No all sounds good until they decide to breed. Cichlids like angels are easy to breed and when they do they chase all the other fish away from their eggs and fry.-Chuck>
Cheers!
Liam

Re: Possible angelfish tank-mates
Hello
I'm just following up a question you answered for me *see below)
i was just wondering if, when mentioning Kribs you meant the Krib sold under that name (don't know what the Latin name is, sorry!), or the Pelvivachromis taeniatus, or if both types of fish are suitable tank mates for angels. The
Pelvivachromis taeniatus are beautiful!
< The old name for the fish I was referring to was Pelvivachromis kribensis or "Kribs for short as a trade name. The current name is P. pulcher. Any fish from the group Pelvivachromis would be a fine tank mate for your angelfish.-Chuck>
thanks, Liam

Goldfish and angelfish
Hi, I have had my goldfish for over two years now, I change their water every month and feed them every other day, and they were in a 2 gallon tank.
<Hi there...Jorie here.  A 2 gallon tank is an extremely small space for even one goldfish...how many did you have living in there? While I congratulate you on not over-feeding (something that leads to poor water quality very quickly), the reality is that goldfish are quite messy and produce a lot of waste, and you probably should have been changing this water at least twice per week.>
  About two weeks ago, I got a 10 gallon tank, and my fish are fine.
<Great to hear...I'm sure they appreciate the additional space! Do keep up on the water changes, though...50% twice per week at a minimum, in my opinion.>
But now I wanted some more fish in the tank,
<Well, I think you were pretty full to capacity already...>
I went to a fish store and I got 2 angelfish and two snails.  I asked a man about adding angelfish to my goldfish, he said that I shouldn't mix the two, but he said that they both might be ok.
<Definitely should not be living together, as you are dealing with cold water vs. tropical fish. Totally incompatible.>
I know that goldfish are to have 65-70 degree water and
angelfish 75-82, but my goldfish are spoiled and they are always in 74 degree water (they have been for the two years, and they are doing fine) I would like to know is it ok for me to add the angelfish since I have the two snails (which will clean the tank) and since my goldfish like warmer temp.?
<I would absolutely recommend against adding the angels.  Perhaps you can enjoy watching your goldfish relish in their additional swimming room in their new tank? They will lively behave much more actively now. Maybe change the decor if you are dying to try something new? Plants, if you don't have any, would look nice...something like Cabomba, which are tough enough for goldies and provide them some munching food?  Also, I want to point out that the snails will pick up *some* leftover food in the tank, they do not actually "clean the tank", per se, and you still need to do regular water changes.>  
And please tell me what I can to do so.
<I don't mean to sound harsh, Mel, but in reality, a 2 gal. tank really wasn't appropriate for your goldfish.  They are likely very happy in their new digs and, in my opinion, you are now full to capacity.  You could always start another tank...!>
Mel
<Regards, Jorie>

Lonely Angel
I have a 20 gallon tall with one koi angel that I have had for nine months. She is the only one in the tank and is doing great but sometimes I'm tempted to get her a friend. Would there be enough room? Should I get one of the
opposite sex? Or should I forget this idea entirely? By the way your web sight is awesome!<Thanks>
<Sure, As long as your angel is small enough you could add another. But realize that in time they will outgrow the tank. But so will a single. Hard to sex them. Unless you are looking to breed them, I'd add 3 or 4 Cory catfish instead. Don>
sincerely, Erica

Lonely Angel
Just how big can Angel fish get? <About 6 inches, but remember they are taller than long.> Do you have any suggestions besides bottom feeders, because they don't do well in my tank due to very little algae. <First, Corys do not eat algae. Most do very well on flake and pellets for meat eaters. As for midwater fish, your choices are almost endless. Danios would do well. Don>

Mixing new, established FW angels, Plecos
Mr. Fenner I only have a couple of more questions for now. I was wondering if angelfish living together are going to be ok because I already have two angelfish and I was think of getting two more of the same size, and two of the x-large angelfish (for a total of six angelfish), I was wondering because I've read some articles that tell me that they can be/come a problem with the other angelfish and other fish alike. 
<Yes... only a good idea if the tank is quite large... four feet long... sixty or more gallons let's say>
My last question was if adding a Pleco to my tank in addition with my angelfish would be OK or if it would be/come a problem. Thank you for your time Mr. Fenner
<Likely the species of "Plecos" available would be fine. Bob Fenner> 

Angelfish Aggression
Thank you, Chuck at WetWebMedia, for your quick response to my urgent question/problem. I have taken your advice to heart, and took the angelfish out of the goldfish tank. I agree that possible aggressive behavior on the part of the angel would eventually be a problem. I do think I saw a new nip or two out of the tail of my shubunkin. His tail is frayed a bit anyway and the other goldfish are CONSTANTLY playing. 
There is no way that I could leave any even POSSIBLE danger to my sweet goldfish. They are just so cute and happy and do seem to enjoy life so much. So, the more docile male angelfish is back in the tank with the fighting female, with a separator between them. They have spent most of the time just staring at each other. She is seen occasionally trying to bite through the separator. She really IS aggressive. 
He, seemingly emboldened by the separator, will approach her and try to nip her through the plastic, too. At first, though, he was pretty crept out to be back so close to her and retreated to his furthest corner. Then he realized he was protected. Poor guy. I have a 10-gallon that I may put him in eventually. BUT I DIDN'T WANT ANOTHER TANK!!!!! The work! The work! The work! I feel like I have devoted every spare minute the past two years to FISH!!! But I love them. I do. And I wouldn't give this hobby up for anything. Sincerely, and thanks again Rebbie.
<I am glad that your fish will happy and healthy for a long time with a caring owner like yourself.-Chuck>

Angelfish with Goldfish?
I have had two young angelfish in a 20-gallon tank (with plans to upgrade soon to a 29-gal.) for about a month now. They've grown quite a bit. Day before yesterday, the apparent female (belly swollen) began to pick on the apparent male. I found him sort of cowering in the corner, fins torn in several places, so I reluctantly moved him to my 50-gallon tank which houses two goldfish and three Rainbowfish and three Siamese Algae Eaters (I know, but it has worked beautifully for two years now). 
I am not interested at all in breeding the angels, but most of all I don't plan to subject the more docile male to this harassment from the female again. After almost two days, he seems quite happy in my 50-gal. My questions are, 
1) do you think there is a hope of compatibility between the angel and my goldies long term ? So far, they seem to be ignoring each other and things are fine, and also 
2) are angels OK, kept singly, with other fish like rainbows? Thanks for any advice you can give! 
<The angelfish comes from warm soft acidic waters in South America. Your goldfish come from cool more temperate waters. I think eventually one or the other will have a problem and you will need to separate them into their own tank. Eventually the angelfish will get big and may start picking on the goldfish too. Rainbow fish are very fast and active. They may outcompete the slower angelfish but in general they should be ok.-Chuck>

What Won't Go in This FW Tank
Just browsing through the site and it's very helpful but there are some things that I just cant find anywhere on the internet so I would appreciate it very much if you could help me here.
<That's what we are here for.>
I have a pretty average 50 gallon tank and I'm building a community of smaller tropical fish, so far I have a school of neon tetras, 5 angelfish, a Pleco and a male fighter (Betta) and they seem to be getting on really well. Sometimes the biggest angelfish chases the Betta but only for an inch or 2 then gives up, but he also bullies the smallest angel too so he is probably just a bully. The Betta hasn't shown any signs of aggression to any fish since he has been in my tank, (2 months). So so far its going well, but I want to get some more types of fish to include, like some common fish like barbs, guppies, Knifefish, catfish, etc possibly some rare ones too, could you give me a small list of fish that DEFINITELY will not mix in my aquarium. Thank you very much please reply soon.
<As your angelfish grow they will eventually eat the smaller tetras like the Neons and begin to pick on the Betta and tear his fins to the point he may die. As a general rule of thumb, stay away from fish that get too big, like Oscars. Otherwise, once you decide which fish you want to keep out of your current set up, I would go with fish that have similar water conditions and all stay around the same size.-Chuck>