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Angels and what?

3K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Gage 
#1 ·
I just set up a 46 gallon bowfront and have 2 angels, about 7 guppies, a spotted pleco and about 6 assorted tetras and some small blind catfish, and my tank seems to be missing something. What if anything would you suggest go in there? I was thinking of a bala shark or rainbow, but it seems no one on here likes that idea, although Ive done it in a smaller tank and it worked out ok but i dont know.
 
#2 ·
Bala sharks grow to 12 inches and will not suit tanks smaller than 150 gallons. Do you have pictures of your blind catfish, tetras and spotted pleco? Those need to be identified properly because most fish should not be mixed with each other nor kept in a tank that is too small for most species.

Your angels will eat guppies. For tetras, avoid those with small torpedo shape especially neons and cardinal tetras.
 
#3 ·
The angels leave the guppies alone except when they have babies and then I figure the angels are good for population control. My lfs called the pleco a spotted sailfin and im sure it will out grow the tank, and I figure thats when I find it a new home and get a small one and start over. I think there is 2 different kinds of neons some that are kinda glass like and have some red in them, some silver ones. I will try to get some pictures this afternoon, It seems that every one gets along just fine and the tank looks great but it just seems to be missing something.
 
#4 ·
ecl said:
The angels leave the guppies alone except when they have babies and then I figure the angels are good for population control. My lfs called the pleco a spotted sailfin and im sure it will out grow the tank, and I figure thats when I find it a new home and get a small one and start over. I think there is 2 different kinds of neons some that are kinda glass like and have some red in them, some silver ones. I will try to get some pictures this afternoon, It seems that every one gets along just fine and the tank looks great but it just seems to be missing something.
Your pleco is a Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps. Best to rehome it now than later. There are plenty of smaller species available out there such as Ancistrus.

I'm still confused with your explanation on neons. How long has this mix been done anyway?
 
#5 ·
at least a year that im aware of. I just got this tank for free with some guppies and the tetras and catfish. They never had a problem and since anding them neither have I. Why is it you say rehome the pleco now its not big at all so i guess im confused. Also is there any way to sex an angel? I have two and they seem to stay together at all times.
 
#6 ·
ecl said:
Why is it you say rehome the pleco now its not big at all so i guess im confused.
Good question. How is it going to grow properly if the tank is too small for it? A larger tank permits fast growth rate without the fish being possibly stunted. There are plenty of species that grow lesser than 6 inches and are much better to start with than sticking with larger plecos. If you do have plans to upgrade the tank in less than a year, it is fine.
Also is there any way to sex an angel? I have two and they seem to stay together at all times.
There is no way of determining their sexes unless they spawn wherein you observe the difference between the appearance of the ovipositors of a male and a female.
 
#7 ·
Sorry Lupin I must disagree here. There are ways to sex angels prespawn. There are a couple of draw backs. One, the fish needs to be about the size of a half dollar, at least for me to get it right. It doesn't work on juvenile, quarter sized fish. There are some angel breeders who can get it right at much smaller sizes than I. I actually kinda suck at it.

The method seems rather simple. I have a friend who uses a method that I have found to be very accurate, somewhere in the 95%+ range, he admits. Using the ventral fin as a guide, the angle of the body from the peduncal to the trailing edge of the ventral fin is rounder in the female. There will also be a flat area at the location of ovipositor, whether extended or not. Now, I'm not real good at this method. I don't breed alot of angels, so I don't notice all of the subtle differences between the sexes.

I am sure that there would be exceptions to this rule just like there are exceptions to the "eggspot" theory" in some mbuna. But, those that use this method, seem to swear by it. It does have its drawback in that the fish must be larger, at least for me to get any accuracy. My friend laughs at me when I practice in his fish room. I usually get about 60-70% correct, sometimes. This is a small difference and in some specie variations it is very hard to get correct. But, my friend gave me (10) 50-cent sized angels, picking out (5)pair and I now have (5)pair. Pretty good average, if you ask me. That's how I found out about this method. I'm just not good at it.
 
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