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And if I do go with the Angelfish, will the platy's get along the them?

Platies and angels should be fine together.

Good luck with whichever you decide on.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I was looking at in adding a butterfly pleco to the suggestion Clown loach kid made. Would that be possible or would I be overstocking?

ok stokc yah tank as the following :

6 juvie firemouths
10 platies
8 cories (the same spceis)

then when u get 2 pairs pairing off take the others back as long as u have alot of caves and hiding palces etc they should be fine

6x2x2 - Firemouth and Oscar Tank
30+ royal pythons.

Back in the game after 4 years out ..

No confusion at all, and no need to apologize for giving us information we can all use. Your post was great and very informative. It made me think twice and ask questions about angelfish and their care.

Sorry if I caused any confusion, but being "capable" of reaching a certain length doesn't mean that your own angels will neccesarily reach a foot in depth. I was implying more of a "maximum size" sense. Your average finned angel won't go much over 8" in depth (although I've seen some Gan non-veils get pretty hefty). You should be able to keep around 3 angels in a 30, 4 in a 40 and so on.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Klee 2004-07-06 20:12][/span]

They're ANGELS, not ANGLES. You could keep 3 Angels in a 75 gallon tank, or 1 in a 40. However, you CAN keep 2 Firemouths in a 40. Some may say I'm wrong about they angelfish, but lemme tell you something. They grow to 8" long and to 14" tall. They are aggressive. They produce a good amount of waste.

So, what Klee said is true. They can even get 2" taller than he said. It is sad, but they're about as big as a Severum at full size, and most agree that severums need a 75. So, if severums get as big as angels, and they neeed a 75, then why do Angels do fine in a 29? Wait. They don't.

Go with Firemouths, dude.

[span class="edited"][Edited by TheGoldenDojo 2004-07-06 16:44][/span]

I was reading a post by Klee and in that post it said that angelfish get up to 12" top to bottom and up to 8" side to side. If they get that big, I can't imagine even having one in my poor 40g tank. Is that true?

As for the platy's I already have a couple in my tank, should I add more if I want firemouths?

I have 7 twin-bar platys in my 20 gallon that has a pair of Thorichthys sp. 'mixteco blue'. I'd say around 10-12 platys in a tank that size.

In response to Jason, the tank is a 40 breeder (36" x 18" x however tall).

I'd say there's a pretty good chance you could keep more than just 1 pair in that tank assuming you raise them together from a young age and get anywhere from 8-12 juveniles. Then you can keep the ones that are the most compatible. I know of people that have 6 (4"+) firemouths in a 55 gallon (48" x 13" x 20".

Jason

In response to Jason, the tank is a 40 breeder (36" x 18" x however tall).

What is the bio load on the Angelfish versus the firemouth cichlid. Let's say there was 40g tank how many could I have of each?

Thanks for the ideas. As for the platy's I already have a couple in my tank, should I add more if I want firemouths? And if I do go with the Angelfish, will the platy's get along the them?

what are the dimensions of the 40 gallon? is it a standard 40 breeder (36" x 18" x however tall) or a standard 40 long (48" x 13" x however tall)?

Either way, I can't advise on angels, but as for firemouths I'd get 8-10 juveniles (2" or less) and let pairs form. Depending on how they act with each other you may be able to keep 2 pairs in the tank. Also, get some platys for the tank with them if you go with firemouths. platys (and other livebearers) are found in the same waters as firemouths in the wild. you could probably add some decent sized cory cats as well. having all the smaller fish swimming around will let the fm's know there are no large predators around and make them more active.

Jason

4 angels max. Probably only 2 for firemouths. As stated earlier, firemouths are only mildly aggressive as cichlids go.

Firemouths aren't too terribly aggressive. I would only keep them with other "aggressive" cichlids, though.

I think you could squeeze by with 4 angels in there.

How can I tell when they have paired? Will they be swimming together all the time or stay together every once in awhile? Also, will they pair off if they are just dime size angelfish or do they pair off when they get older? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[span class="edited"][Edited by luisprado 2004-07-01 18:23][/span]

You could have a pair of firemouths or a pair of angelfish. If you get 3 angelfish their is a good chance that 2 of them would pair off and then you would have a angel by itself. Trying buying 6 of them and then when their is a pair, take the other ones back. I would do the same with the firemouths.

Sorry, I didn't mean of each with each other, but how many can I have of one species in the tank.

Maby 3 angles in a 40 gallon tank.

You should have them in odd pairs, and 5 is too much.

I don't know about firemouths, but they are very agressive, and alot of people I know had to take them back.