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what fish are compatible with 2 angels in a 55 gallon tank. 78 degrees - 7.2 pH - 4 live plants

There are probably more compatible fish than incompatible fish. Basically just stay away from anything too small (about 1.5" or less) or anything too aggressive.

What kinds of fish do you like? Specific groups or specific colors, etc?

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

How big are the angels now? If they are still small then you could get away with adding small fish and them not getting eaten, however it could still be a risk.

Some of the larger tetras would work well (pristella maxilaris (sp), cardinals etc). Cory's would work well as would some of the dwarf pleco species.

I like 20 rummy nose tetras and 10 corry's and a nice colorful pleco.


chris

that was actually my tank my friend was asking about for me.... but the angels are large prob 2 inches long and like 4 high and ones and altum and the other is different which is bad i know but its too late now they have been together for 2 years since a 10 gallon.... look at my other post in this topic its called "my 55" it will explain... let me know what you think

With Angels in a 55, you could run with Platies. Easy to obtain, lots of nice colour varieties to choose from, and the Angels will take care of fry overcrowding that would otherwise happen. Adult Platies are also too big to be considered as lunch by the Angels.

Rummies are nice fast swimming Tetras that will be quick enough to escape any unwelcome attention from the Angels if you buy small ones, and should eventually grow to be nice and large. However, they ARE slow growers.

Lemon Tetras should be big enough as adults to escape attention too, and in my experience should also be robust enough to survive any harrassment that they might receive as juveniles. Rosy Tetras should also fit into this category, and are a species that should be available more often, because they're lovely to look at and hardy to boot.

Cardinals should be chosen carefully - get larger ones (even though they're more expensive) and you won't have problems. Some of the tiny Cardinals in circulation here in the UK I wouldn't mix with Angels until they'd been fattened up and grown to a decent size. Once they HAVE been grown to a decent size, however, again a good mix - I've seen them living happily with adult Discus, so Angels should pose no problems either.

Quite a few people put Harlequin Rasboras in with Angels. A mix that allegedly works well, but one I haven't tried.

I'd be VERY wary of mixing Black Widows, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi (yes, the fish that has a myriad of common names, including Black Skirt, Butterfly Tetra, Petticoat Tetra, etc., etc. ...) because they can exhibit a degree of nippiness, and though you MIGHT get away with it, the Angels would not like you if you took the risk and got it wrong ...

Species to avoid like the plague include Serpaes (evil nippy little fishes) and Red Eye Tetras (again evil an nippy).

If you're looking for something bizarre, and don't mind keeping a fish that will give you a facial tic watching it, you could go for the Whirling Dervish Characin, Apareiodon pongoensis, which would be big enough to survive alongside the Angels, but chances are their perpetual swimming in tight circles around each other (hence the name Whirling Dervish Characin!) would probably drive you crackers if you watched them for more than about 30 seconds!

Another alternative is to go for Hatchet Fishes for the surface, and leave the middle space to the Angels. Marble Hatchets might be a bit small, but could work, while Silver Hatchets, though big enough to avoid trouble, are a bit bland in appearance. Plus, there's the need to keep them covered to consider, as they ARE freshwater flying fishes with a considerable capacity to turn into ICBMs with fins!

This leaves your bottom area. You'd probably be better off with the more robust Corydoras species, I'd hesitate to put something as small as habrosus or Pandas in there, in a 55 you've space for a decent shoal of Peppered Corys - 8 would be a good number. Alternatively, a Raphael Cat would survive happily, being an armoured battle tank of a catfish that can live with Oscars and Green Terrors because it's covered in its own coating of spiked chain mail, and I've yet to see another aquarium fish that doesn't back off after tying to get through those spines! However, the Raphael might be best dropped from the list unless you stick to Hatchets at the surface, and just the Angels in the middle regions. Kuhlii Loaches are a possibility (if you can get one of the more robust species that reaches a decent size).

All in all, you've quite a choice open in a 55.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

My Cochu's blue tetras are not even noticed by my angels in my 55 which are getting quite large (the angels). I also have rams and Apistos. I actually saw my male ram take on one of my large angels the other day in order to protect his eggs. Here's a tiny 2" fish taking on at least a 4" angel fish and kicking his ***!!!! You have a lot of options. I also have platies in with my angels with no problems...and 2 rummynose tetras. Just avoid anything that will fit in their mouth.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

how many angels do you think possible... teh two in here have grown together... could other (a tiny bit smaller) angels be unwise

I don't think any more than 2 angels in a tank that size is wise.

ok i wont then..... i just got 6 rasboras and a dwarf gourami....... and i feel like a hero... five of the rasboras were in the bottom right side and really nicely colored... and one alone was in the top left corner and silver with no color just shaking and i scoped him up and dropped him in and hes with his buddies.... I WANT MORE RASBORAS... can you tell me all the tetras i can have and how many more

just got 12 free neons.... is it worth putting them in or can they harm the angels

neons are great, they are from the same biotope as angels and will not bother them. However you should first quarantine them for a couple days because usually some of them are carrying diseases, in my experience. Also, make sure that they are large enought that the angel cannot fit them in his mouth.

-Vincent

yea they are in and look amazing

ok, just watch them to make sure none are sick. If they are alive after 2 weeks, chances are they will stay alive for a a while. Thats what happened to me. anyway good luck with them, they are very pretty

-Vincent