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I have just set up a 20 gallon, 20 inch tall tank. In it I put two angels, one marble and one silver, and a pleco. Both angels are about 1.5 inches long, the silver being a little smaller. For the first 10-11 days they all seemed to be great tank mates but then the silver became aggressive. He/She would nip at and chase the marble out of the open water and into cover relentlesslly. At feeding time its the same thing and the marble gets about half the food the silver gets. The silver even takes the occasional shot at the pleco. Online I found info about angels stating that 2 angels in one tank is not the best idea. One can become dominent and make the others life misserable. At the pet store they supported this theory and sold me another marble angel (little bit bigger then the silver) to help even the balance of power in my tank. This did not solve the problem. It seems the silver just has one more fish to pick on. Given the size of the tank I dont think adding another angel is an option. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Single pairs are not a good idea. Angels are shoaling fish and the dominant one will harrass them both unfortunately, regardless. In that sized tank, unfortunately its a case of 'thats life' unless you reconsider your stocking choices.

All those fish need to be in a bigger tank. Common plecos will get about 18 inches long, and angels will get about 10 inches tall, and 6 inches long. Even 1 angel is too much for a 20 gallon. They just get too big. It seems your fish don't have enough room for their own territory, so the silver one has claimed the entire tank.

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

Janna's right, a 20 gallon, even tall, isn't enough room for one angel, much less three, and a common pleco is almost useless in normal aquaria...

As for the angel's aggression, they are cichlids and have a tendency to become rather aggressive towards both each other and other fish...

Instead of the angels and pleco in that tank, I'd recommend a different combo...maybe go with a dwarf gourami instead of the angels, get some cory cats for some playful bottom-dwelling, and pick up 2-3 ottos for algae-eating...

PM/email/msg me if you have any questions/comments regarding me or my knowledge or if you want me to read a thread.

Current angel collecting trips in the wild support the idea that angels aren't even shoaling fish by nature, so the need for numbers is not neccesary.

If you want to keep a pair of angels in a 20H, then you should start out with 5-6 until a pair forms, and remove the rest when it does. The extra numbers provide for the strongest bonding, which is necessary for such a small tank, as if they break up, you'll be back to square one.

Although they are certianly a possiblity for a 20H tank, I would not try it until you've had experience with them in a larger tank, say a 55G, and even then, you have a seperate tank one can go in if it becomes overly aggressive.

I suggest you stay with cichlids, but pick one that might be a better starter for a tank that size. Keyholes immediately come to mind, although apistos, rams, and thomas' dwarfs would all work equally well. No reason to abandon cichlids for some boring ol gourami =D.

Mike

I like the idea of the dwarf gourami and the cories. OR even try a paradise fish and cories. If you get a good male paradise fish then it is one of the most BEAUTIFUL fish you will ever see. Expecially in a heavily planted tank.

Thanks for all the help guys. I got a few follow up questions. First off, considering that none of the 4 fish is currently over 2 inches, is the tank not large enough for the time being? By the way its a rubber pleco, not a common, and I dont think they get as big. Second, will the aggression in the one angel maybe encourage the other two to pair? Then at a later date, when money allows, I can buy a larger tank and separate the pair from the aggressor. Or do you think once the silver is out of the picture one of the other ones will become aggressive and I'll be back at square one? Once again thanks for all the help.

You really should return the fish until you have a tank big enough for them. In a tank that small, they can become stunted. I have experiance with stunted angels, and believe me, it isn't pretty. I have 2 angels that were rescued from a 3 gallon that held 12 angels. One of them has trouble swimming because her pectoral fins are almost disintigrated completely. Their fins will never be perfectly straight.

That is great that it isn't a common pleco! That will make everything easier, since it can stay in the 20.

I really don't think that you should keep any angels in a 20, so having a pair doesn't make a difference.

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

No, the aggressor won't cause the other two to bond together to defeat the big baddie, it will probably prevent them from doing it if anything.

I still suggest you return your angels and try some other type of more peaceful cichlid in your 20H, not because I believe angels don't work in a 2H, but because its not a good plaec to start with angels (I would thing a 40 or 55G would be far better, than maybe work down if you want as you gain experience and knowledge with them).

Any of the peaceful dwarfs (apistos come to mind first) would add the same cichlid appeal, without the slightly more aggressive nature.

Mike