Angel Fish Aggressiveness

[scalare]

I have 6 angels in a 55 gallon octagonal tank and no other fish. 2 of them are larger (bodies about the size of a half dollar) and the others are just marginally smaller. I had 4, and then purchased two new chocolate angels a few weeks ago. The two larger Angelfish chase the others all the time and they stay relegated to the back corner of the tank. The larger angels also gobble most of the food up--I try dropping food in different parts of the tank, but the water flow moves in a circle so all the food winds up rotating about and the two larger fish bully the others about and grab most of the food before they ever get a chance to get to it. So, I'm overfeeding two fish and underfeeding 4 fish. Am I overstocked? I've also lost two fish to what I suspect is fin and tail rot (water quality is good--weekly 30-50% changes and gravel siphoning). I routinely test and ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels are good. Although I suspect I may not have enough filtration (I saw someone say they were running a BioWheel 170 and 330 on a 55 gallon tank and I'm only running a 170!) So, I suspect the rot disease was due to fin/tail damage. I hate to get rid of these two bullies--they're quite beautiful but I'd like to have a peacful small community of angels instead of a large regal pair and cowering, starved individuals.

[Mary Burns]

Try posting on http://www.angelfish.net/yabbse/index.php they are very good
at angelfish and friendly. Mary
"scalare" > wrote in message
...
>
> I have 6 angels in a 55 gallon octagonal tank and no other fish. 2 of
> them are larger (bodies about the size of a half dollar) and the others
> are just marginally smaller. I had 4, and then purchased two new
> chocolate angels a few weeks ago. The two larger Angelfish chase the
> others all the time and they stay relegated to the back corner of the
> tank. The larger angels also gobble most of the food up--I try
> dropping food in different parts of the tank, but the water flow moves
> in a circle so all the food winds up rotating about and the two larger
> fish bully the others about and grab most of the food before they ever
> get a chance to get to it. So, I'm overfeeding two fish and
> underfeeding 4 fish. Am I overstocked? I've also lost two fish to
> what I suspect is fin and tail rot (water quality is good--weekly
> 30-50% changes and gravel siphoning). I routinely test and ammonia,
> nitrite and nitrate levels are good. Although I suspect I may not have
> enough filtration (I saw someone say they were running a BioWheel 170
> and 330 on a 55 gallon tank and I'm only running a 170!) So, I suspect
> the rot disease was due to fin/tail damage. I hate to get rid of these
> two bullies--they're quite beautiful but I'd like to have a peacful
> small community of angels instead of a large regal pair and cowering,
> starved individuals.
>
>
> --
> scalare

[Margolis]

"scalare" > wrote in message
...
>
> I have 6 angels in a 55 gallon octagonal tank and no other fish. 2 of
> them are larger (bodies about the size of a half dollar) and the others
> are just marginally smaller. I had 4, and then purchased two new
> chocolate angels a few weeks ago. The two larger Angelfish chase the
> others all the time and they stay relegated to the back corner of the
> tank. The larger angels also gobble most of the food up--I try
> dropping food in different parts of the tank, but the water flow moves
> in a circle so all the food winds up rotating about and the two larger
> fish bully the others about and grab most of the food before they ever
> get a chance to get to it. So, I'm overfeeding two fish and
> underfeeding 4 fish. Am I overstocked? I've also lost two fish to
> what I suspect is fin and tail rot (water quality is good--weekly
> 30-50% changes and gravel siphoning). I routinely test and ammonia,
> nitrite and nitrate levels are good. Although I suspect I may not have
> enough filtration (I saw someone say they were running a BioWheel 170
> and 330 on a 55 gallon tank and I'm only running a 170!) So, I suspect
> the rot disease was due to fin/tail damage. I hate to get rid of these
> two bullies--they're quite beautiful but I'd like to have a peacful
> small community of angels instead of a large regal pair and cowering,
> starved individuals.
>
>
> --
> scalare



angelfish are aggressive cichlids. What you are seeing is normal behavior.
You need a lot of places for the fish to hide from each other. And turn the
filter down, or off for 10minutes while feeding the fish.

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Angel Fish Aggressiveness
>From: scalare
>Date: 12/14/2004 2:13 P.M. Central Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>
>I have 6 angels in a 55 gallon octagonal tank and no other fish. 2 of
>them are larger (bodies about the size of a half dollar) and the others
>are just marginally smaller. I had 4, and then purchased two new
>chocolate angels a few weeks ago. The two larger Angelfish chase the
>others all the time and they stay relegated to the back corner of the
>tank. The larger angels also gobble most of the food up--I try
>dropping food in different parts of the tank, but the water flow moves
>in a circle so all the food winds up rotating about and the two larger
>fish bully the others about and grab most of the food before they ever
>get a chance to get to it. So, I'm overfeeding two fish and
>underfeeding 4 fish. Am I overstocked? I've also lost two fish to
>what I suspect is fin and tail rot (water quality is good--weekly
>30-50% changes and gravel siphoning). I routinely test and ammonia,
>nitrite and nitrate levels are good. Although I suspect I may not have
>enough filtration (I saw someone say they were running a BioWheel 170
>and 330 on a 55 gallon tank and I'm only running a 170!) So, I suspect
>the rot disease was due to fin/tail damage. I hate to get rid of these
>two bullies--they're quite beautiful but I'd like to have a peacful
>small community of angels instead of a large regal pair and cowering,
>starved individuals.
>

Well, you have to understand Angelfish behavior to understand what's going on
in your tank.
Your larger ones are guarding their territory.
Larger Angels pick on smaller ones. In a large tank or the wild..the smaller
ones get chased off...in a tank they have no where to go.
You have an octagon shaped tank.
Not the best for Angelfish. They need territory that's horizontal..not just
vertical as some books will tell you.
Yeah, they're tall but that's not all they need. They need space to make
territories and space enough to feel comfortable.
A 55 octagon tank is too small for 6 Angelfish (fully grown).
Either leave the larger ones in there by themselves or put them in a spearate
tank.
The 4 smaller ones should get along better.
Angels aren't mean like some folks think..they just don't undertsand what the
behavior means.

[bassett]

Angles, unlike there name, can get plain nasty, and thats being nice. But
yours are only small , wait till they grow, and pair up. I keep two pairs in
a 3 foot tank, nothing else, one pair at each end. and they tolorate each
other.
But food will also dectate how they carry on,, Flakes do nothing, Brine
Shrimp, will
make them very terrirorial, And Blood Worms, turn them into killers, but if
you want them to breed, it's all about protene content. A Blood Worm diet
will also grow them.

bassett

"TYNK 7" > wrote in message
...
> >Subject: Angel Fish Aggressiveness
>>From: scalare
>>Date: 12/14/2004 2:13 P.M. Central Standard Time
>>Message-id: >
>>
>>
>>I have 6 angels in a 55 gallon octagonal tank and no other fish. 2 of
>>them are larger (bodies about the size of a half dollar) and the others
>>are just marginally smaller. I had 4, and then purchased two new
>>chocolate angels a few weeks ago. The two larger Angelfish chase the
>>others all the time and they stay relegated to the back corner of the
>>tank. The larger angels also gobble most of the food up--I try
>>dropping food in different parts of the tank, but the water flow moves
>>in a circle so all the food winds up rotating about and the two larger
>>fish bully the others about and grab most of the food before they ever
>>get a chance to get to it. So, I'm overfeeding two fish and
>>underfeeding 4 fish. Am I overstocked? I've also lost two fish to
>>what I suspect is fin and tail rot (water quality is good--weekly
>>30-50% changes and gravel siphoning). I routinely test and ammonia,
>>nitrite and nitrate levels are good. Although I suspect I may not have
>>enough filtration (I saw someone say they were running a BioWheel 170
>>and 330 on a 55 gallon tank and I'm only running a 170!) So, I suspect
>>the rot disease was due to fin/tail damage. I hate to get rid of these
>>two bullies--they're quite beautiful but I'd like to have a peacful
>>small community of angels instead of a large regal pair and cowering,
>>starved individuals.
>>
>
> Well, you have to understand Angelfish behavior to understand what's going
> on
> in your tank.
> Your larger ones are guarding their territory.
> Larger Angels pick on smaller ones. In a large tank or the wild..the
> smaller
> ones get chased off...in a tank they have no where to go.
> You have an octagon shaped tank.
> Not the best for Angelfish. They need territory that's horizontal..not
> just
> vertical as some books will tell you.
> Yeah, they're tall but that's not all they need. They need space to make
> territories and space enough to feel comfortable.
> A 55 octagon tank is too small for 6 Angelfish (fully grown).
> Either leave the larger ones in there by themselves or put them in a
> spearate
> tank.
> The 4 smaller ones should get along better.
> Angels aren't mean like some folks think..they just don't undertsand what
> the
> behavior means.