Angels

It will kinda depend on the set-up and the male/female dynamic. Two pairs for sure, maybe 3. I've never done it, but I think people are able to keep large groups of all males. I know from experience, when there are ladies around two males can really beat each other up. A good rule of thumb is 24" x12" area per pair.

Should I just add six and let them work it out?

Did some reading, I'm going to shoot for 10 juvies.

ahud said:

Did some reading, I'm going to shoot for 10 juvies.

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That is exactly what i would suggest. The only way you will truely know how many will work is to get more than enogh and let pairs form and see how things workout. IME, lone males cause problems. They will pursue already chosen females ready for breeding, resulting in fight which can be pretty ugly. On another note: I've found angels to be very social at times swimming in groups and huddeling together during stress. The idea is to have enough room for pairs to defend an area and allow others to move around the rest of the tank. Add, tall growing plenty of broad leafed plants for spawning surfaces and sanctuary. Good luck with them. A lot of people look past angels, because they are so common and popular. There is a good reason for this. They are easy to fall in love with.

I have never wanted to try them until my girlfriend talked me into trying to save a dime size angel at petsmart. After doing a little reading I found out they had some interesting behaviors such as parental care like most other cichlids. A plus is I can fit them into my community tank and they won't compete with the more ground-bound cichlids that I also have.

I hope I can find some of the wild looking strains. I really like the altums.

Altums area another fish all together. Much more aggressive, need very soft warm water and get very large, up to a foot tall. Try to find some peruvian scalare instead.

Thanks for the info,

I need to research some more I guess. I hate fish that have so many artificial strains, it makes researching exhausting.

I just want some wild looking types that have neutral coloring with some nice bars. Nothing fancy with finnnage.

Is it safe to buy proven angel pairs?