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Introduction to Angelfish Cichlids
Angelfish is a beautiful and attractive fish. They belong to the Cichlidae family. They are initially calm species but they can get aggressive during spawning season. They have a lifespan of 8-12 years. You can keep angelfish in a wide variety of setups like you can keep them in community tanks, bare tanks, or planted tanks. Angelfish cichlids are also known as ambush predators because they prey on tiny fishes. Also, they are very popular freshwater species and fish aquarists love to keep angelfishes in their aquarium.
Facts about angelfish
- Angelfish are top dwellers
- They are omnivorous so they can eat plants and meat both.
- They are calm but can get aggressive during breeding.
- They are also known for the bright-colored scales on their body.
- Angelfishes in domestic can come in all colors of the rainbow
- They are prone to disease
- Angelfishes eat their offspring
- They have a long lifespan
Are angelfish cichlids
Yes, Angel Fish is an American cichlid. It is a very popular pet cichlid and is liked by many fish aquarists. Angelfish comes in the order of Cichliformes which is basically a taxonomic rank that includes the family of Cichlidae. Today in this article we are going to know in detail about angel cichlids and their complete care guide.
Aggression of Angelfish
To understand the aggression of angelfish in a better way, we will first check out their natural habitat. So basically the natural habitat of cichlids is quite competitive and full of aggressive species. Most of the cichlids are aggressive but cichlids like Angelfish, Rams, Kribs, and Keyholes are peaceful and calm varieties. This is what makes them the best cichlid choices for home aquariums.
But angelfish can still get aggressive in some situations so to avoid their aggression you need to follow the steps mentioned below
- I mentioned above that angelfishes may become aggressive during spawning and breeding season. They can become highly territorial when they are about to breed so to avoid their aggression you need to set up a separate breeding tank. In this way, your angelfish won’t get very aggressive since they will feel safe in a separate tank.
- Keep the tank clean every time so your angelfish stays healthy. Because if the tank is dirty it might give unnecessary stress to your angelfish and they can become aggressive or sick
- Another way to reduce the aggression of angel fish cichlids is by having plants in the aquarium. Plants will provide them with hiding spots which is a good way to reduce fights.
Can Angelfish live with African cichlids?
I won’t recommend you to keep angelfish with African cichlids!! This is because even though angel fish are cichlids they are quite obedient and are not aggressive all the time. On the other hand, African cichlids are ferocious and aggressive every time. So they don’t make a good pair.
Let’s move forward and we will tell you some suitable tank mates for angel cichlids.
Can angel fish have tank mates?
Yes, they can definitely have tank mates. One thing you need to know is angelfish cichlids are top dwellers so you should choose tank mates for them which are bottom dwellers. So they will stay peacefully in the same tank. Below we will discuss some suitable tank mates that you can keep with angelfish cichlids.
Suitable tank mates for Angelfish
Before we talk about suitable tank mates for angel fish, you must know some important factors that you need to consider before choosing tank mates for angel cichlids.
Whenever you choose a tank mate for angel fish make sure that the size of the other fish is not smaller than the mouth of your angelfish. Because if other fish can easily fit in the mouth of angelfish then angelfish will definitely attack them which we don’t want!!
Another thing you need to keep in mind is angelfish have beautiful long soft fins. So you should never add fin nippers in their tank. Some of the most aggressive fin nippers are Serpae Tetra and tiger barbs so you must not add these fishes with your angel fish.
Lastly, now you know that angel fish are not really aggressive so you should avoid keeping aggressive species with them as they might bully your angel fish!!
If you keep these factors in your mind then you are good to go.
Now we will move forward and will see suitable tank mates for angel fish.
Some suitable tankmates for angel fish are
| Kuhli loach | Kuhli loach are compatible with many fishes since they are bottom dwellers and will stay at bottom most of their time, so they won’t give any tough time to your angelfish. The best thing about them which i like is that they also keep the tank clean. |
| Swordtail | They are quite peaceful but can get aggressive during breeding season. But normally they are peaceful and hardy species and this attribute makes them good tank mates of angelfish |
| Keyhole Cichlids | They are extremely peaceful cichlids so they are best buddies for your angelfish cichlids. They are also hardy so you can easily keep them with angel fish cichlids. |
| Bolivian Ram Cichlids | It is also one of the best tank mates for angelfish cichlids. Because they are small in size but don’t worry they are big enough to not fit inside the mouth of angel fish cichlids so its completely safe to keep them with angelfish cichlids |
| Bristlenose Pleco | They are peaceful and also ideal tank mates for angel fish cichlids. I also recommend this fish because they are hardy fish and are easy to take care of so even if you are a beginner you can keep Bolivian ram cichlids with angel fish cichlids |
| Black Mollies | They are peaceful so they are also suitable tank mates for angelfish cichlids. |
| Platy fish | It is also one of the best tank mates for angelfish cichlids. Because they are small in size but don’t worry they are big enough to not fit inside the mouth of angel fish cichlids so it’s completely safe to keep them with angelfish cichlids |
FAQs
Can cichlids go with angelfish?
Yes, you can keep peaceful cichlids with angelfish cichlids. We have given some examples of peaceful cichlids above so you can keep cichlids with angel fish.
Can you keep gouramis with angelfish?
Gouramis are peaceful species and they won’t give you any tough time so yes you can keep gouramis with angel fish. They both will live peacefully in the same tank.
But if in any situation you feel that angel fish is getting very aggressive then you must separate them from gouramis. Angelfish can also become territorial and aggressive during breeding so at that time separate them in a specific breeding tank so they don’t harm other fishes.
Can you keep guppies with angel fish?
This is a little tricky!! Yes, you can keep guppies but first of all, observe carefully that if the mouth of your angelfish is large and you feel that they can fit guppy inside their mouth so in that case you should not keep guppies with angel fish. But in most cases, fish keepers keep guppies and angelfish together from a small age so they become friendly and angel fish might not eat them.
Can angelfish be with Tetra?
Yes, you can keep tetras with angelfish but the problem is many tetras are tiny fishes and they can easily fit in the mouth of angel fish cichlid and in this case, angel fish cichlid might eat them. So basically you should avoid keeping small tetras with angelfish cichlids.
What fish Cannot go with angelfish?
Angel fishes have long beautiful fins so you should not keep fin-nipper fishes with them. You should avoid Oscars and Tiger Barbs as they are fin nippers and also extremely aggressive.
What is the smallest angelfish?
The smallest angel fish is leopoldi.
What do angel fish like to eat?
They like to eat tiny crustaceans, algae, etc. They are basically omnivorous so they will literally do anything that comes in their way.
Conclusion
Angel fishes are beautiful and peaceful freshwater species. They belong to the Cichlidae family. They are a popular choice among fish keepers due to their calm nature.
They have beautiful long fins which makes them very mesmerizing.
They are definitely a good addition to your tank, even if you are a beginner fish keeper you can easily keep them. You must keep them with peaceful species like Ram, Kribs, and Keyhole Cichlids and avoid fishes like Oscar and tiger barbs.
You just need to take care of their requirements and they will be great pets to you.
