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in my 30G i was thinking of 1 angel (or possibly 2 angels if i could have them with the other fish i want) as well as around 6-8 albino corys and a candy striper pl*co and then if my teank isnt over stocked like maybe one more angel. could any one tell me if atleast one angle and 6-8 corys would overstock a 30G?

2 angels will be fine.

do u meen 2 angles w/the other fish or just 2 angels by themselves?

2 angels + the others.

What are the dimensions of the tank? IMO angels are big fish that like to swim and shouldn't be kept in a tank that's smaller in 4' length and shorter than 16" tall (bear in mind this fish can easily reach 8" in height!)

I know people breed angels in 29gs, but this usaully isn't a permanant setup and their are no other fish in the tank, and angels tend to move around the tank less when breeding rather sticking to the breeding site guarding it.

the tank is 36" or 3 feet long 18" high and i beleive 16 " wide.

I think 2 angels and all the other fish you mentioned should be fine.

Well, if the dimensions you gave are correct then your tank capacity is closer to 45 gallons than 30. If the width of the tank is only 12" instead of 16" then the capacity is close to 33 gallons. \

Anyways, saying all of that the height of the tank is the most important and you should be able to keep a couple of angels as well as the cory's without any difficulties as long as you keep up your tank maintenance.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Yeah, given the height and width of that tank a pair of angels should be ok, but still IMO i think they realy should have no less than 4' of length having kept these magnificent fish in a 2', 3' and now 4' aquarium.

However as aquarist we all have our individual way of doing things so by all means go for it, however i think you should be willing to upgrade in the future (they do take quite a while to grow, mine are 3 years old and still not quite full size)

the minimum recommended size per angel is stated as 10g per fish in a tall aquarium...i think ur setup should go fine..but ive heard that a pair of angels works only if the are a breeding pair, or the weeker one's life will be made miserable by the dominent one. Many people suggest a minimum of three angels to start with to distribute the aggression a bit.

..but ive heard that a pair of angels works only if the are a breeding pair, or the weeker one's life will be made miserable by the dominent one

I've heard the same thing. Another option would be a single angel along with a peaceful schooling fish, maybe harlequins.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I agree with Theresa, go with 1 angel. If you don't have a pair, they may not get along and you certainly don't want fighting angels in a 30g tank. All the other fish will be miserable.

And, if you do have a breeding pair, they will guard the eggs and could end up killing some of the other fish. I only like to have 1 angel in a tank less than 4ft. In a 4ft tank, you have room for 3-4 angels, so the aggression is distributed better and if you end up with a pair and give the others away, they have enough room to guard territory without bothering the other fish.

Just my personal observation though....

I currently have 3 angels in my 4ft tank and the smaller 2 seem to have formed a pair. The bigger one constantly picks on one of the smaller ones, so I'll be moving her to another tank soon. IMO angels can have bad attitudes, so its hard to guess how they will get along.

Having one is safe..

*Kristin*

Here's an interesting article on buying/trying to keep "pairs" of fish

http://www.bestfish.com/2somes.html

I wouldn't keep 4 adult angels in a 4ft tank (unless it was a 120 (4'*2'*2'), people often underestimate how big these fish actually get, saw one in my LFS on saturday that must have been 6" long and 10" tall.

If you kept a pair, the only problems you'd have would be if you got two males, if you wish to get a pair then the best bet is to buy 6+ juveniles, grow them to around 3" and then pairs should start forming then move the ones that do not pair.

I also do not believe that angels should be kept alone, they are communal fish and do enjoy the company of their own species even if they can get agressive at times.

Also a spawning pair of angels is actually unlikely to harm any other fish in the tank, true they will chase them away (when mine are spawning they usually spawn on the spray bar at one end and then decide that 3ft of the tank is theirs and the other fish must live in the remaining one ft) but no physical harm is inflicted.

Also be prepared to see some violence, if for some reason they lose the eggs/fry (mine usually end up eating them) the pair will usually have a very big fall out and many scales are lost and fins shortened, however no serious damage has ever been inflicted.

Angels are a fantastic fish, and are relitively easy to care for provided they have the right conditions.