FW Angelfish Help Needed

I purchased an fully grown (6") angel today and added it to my 55g
tank. Within an hour, another smaller angel (4"), had shredded my new
angel. The new angel didn't even fight back. I have a third angel
(3") that was fine and didn't do a thing. In a panic, I put the
agressive angel in a 5g bucket with an aerator and heater. The new
angel looks like it is doing better, but we'll see if it survives the
night. What should I do? Thanks in advance. -Matt

55g setup: (running approx 1 year)
fake plants, moderately planted
3 plastic caves/tree stump

2 Clown Loaches (3" each)
1 cory
1 blue ram
3 angelfish (3", 4", and 6" including the new one)
1 pleco (5-6")
6 white clouds

"Matt Fultz" wrote in message
om...
I purchased an fully grown (6") angel today and added it to my 55g
tank. Within an hour, another smaller angel (4"), had shredded my new
angel. The new angel didn't even fight back. I have a third angel
(3") that was fine and didn't do a thing. In a panic, I put the
agressive angel in a 5g bucket with an aerator and heater. The new
angel looks like it is doing better, but we'll see if it survives the
night. What should I do? Thanks in advance. -Matt

55g setup: (running approx 1 year)
fake plants, moderately planted
3 plastic caves/tree stump

2 Clown Loaches (3" each)
1 cory
1 blue ram
3 angelfish (3", 4", and 6" including the new one)
1 pleco (5-6")
6 white clouds

Some guidelines:
1) Quarantine new fish. Even if they are free of disease, it gives them
a chance to recover quietly from transit, acclimate to your water
conditions, build their strength up and you can be confident that they
are eating properly.

2) Respect the limitations involved when mixing territorial fish,
especially as adults. It very often can not be done.

There is no sure-fire solution. In theory, tanks are stocked in the
order of smallest least aggressive fish to largest territorial fish last
(however all should be juveniles). In your case, you might let the 6"
Angel acclimate for 4-6 weeks in your 55g, and then re-introduce the 4"
and watch the fireworks fly. There is a slim chance they will
co-habitate. Re-arranging the interior with new plants, driftwood etc
will help. Adding in other fish sometimes helps distract two aggressors
from getting too intense with each other. jmo
--
www.NetMax.tk

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, I don't have the ability for
quarantine. My wife won't let me set up another tank in the house.

I seem to have taken care of the agression problem. I doubled the
amount of plants, rearranged the tank, and bought two more juvenile
angels. I added the two new angels to the tank along with the
aggressive one at the same time. After a day or so, everything
settled down.

Now I have two new problems. I treated the tank for a few days with
Melafix and the original new angel's fins have healed nicely.
Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be eating yet (almost a week now.)

Also, one of my loaches has become sick, coninuous gasping. I changed
about 15% of the water (nitrates aroung 10 ppm after the change) and
added some charcoal/diamond blend to my filter media. Probably too
late. He most likely caught something from one of the new angels.

I knew buying a fully grown angel was a bad idea and shouldn't have
let my wife talk me into it. I've had nothing but grief since.

If you can try some live food for the angel that is not eating. Baby
guppies, etc. If such are not available, try frozen adult brine shrimp.

--
Bob Alston

bobalston9 AT aol DOT com
"Matt Fultz" wrote in message
om...
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, I don't have the ability for
quarantine. My wife won't let me set up another tank in the house.

I seem to have taken care of the agression problem. I doubled the
amount of plants, rearranged the tank, and bought two more juvenile
angels. I added the two new angels to the tank along with the
aggressive one at the same time. After a day or so, everything
settled down.

Now I have two new problems. I treated the tank for a few days with
Melafix and the original new angel's fins have healed nicely.
Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be eating yet (almost a week now.)

Also, one of my loaches has become sick, coninuous gasping. I changed
about 15% of the water (nitrates aroung 10 ppm after the change) and
added some charcoal/diamond blend to my filter media. Probably too
late. He most likely caught something from one of the new angels.

I knew buying a fully grown angel was a bad idea and shouldn't have
let my wife talk me into it. I've had nothing but grief since.


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"Matt Fultz" wrote in message
om...
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, I don't have the ability for
quarantine. My wife won't let me set up another tank in the house.

I seem to have taken care of the agression problem. I doubled the
amount of plants, rearranged the tank, and bought two more juvenile
angels. I added the two new angels to the tank along with the
aggressive one at the same time. After a day or so, everything
settled down.

Now I have two new problems. I treated the tank for a few days with
Melafix and the original new angel's fins have healed nicely.
Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be eating yet (almost a week now.)

Also, one of my loaches has become sick, coninuous gasping. I changed
about 15% of the water (nitrates aroung 10 ppm after the change) and
added some charcoal/diamond blend to my filter media. Probably too
late. He most likely caught something from one of the new angels.

I knew buying a fully grown angel was a bad idea and shouldn't have
let my wife talk me into it. I've had nothing but grief since.

She made you get a fish but won't let you get a quarentine tank for it?
Ouch. Perhaps it is the permanence that does not appeal or the cost? A
quarentine tank doesn't have to be fancy - it can be a cheapy 10 gallon. It
can be a bucket. Just needs airation and filtration. With a little
planning, you could set up a temporary quarentine by running a sponge filter
in your established tank for a week and then using it in your temporary
quarentine tank. Then there is no permanent space issues and very minimal
cost involved. But then you would not be able to get spontaneous fish...
Good luck with it.
-Jen