thx for the imput, so the overstocking of angels isn't the same as Africans? I wanted to overstock to compensatie for when they eventually pair off. im not trying to breed here I just want a good amount of angles. the more fish the more the aggression gets spread around or is that only true with Africans?
why does overstocking work with Africans but not others?
what problems could you see poping up from the overstocking?
I have not researched and thus can't explain the specifics on rift lake cichlids, but I do know something about angelfish. And indeed this applies to most fish, particularly those with territorial natures. If you crowd them, it is highly stressful. This works two ways. First, if a fish does take it upon itself to bully or harass others, he (usually this is the male) won't stop just because of the tank size. But the other fish being targetted have no room to escape, and they will not last very long due to the weakening by stress.
There is to my knowledge no way to deal with eventual pairing; it happens. The larger the tank and the fewer the angelfish, the easier this will be. But angelfish should be in a group of no less than 5, though 4 might work, but absolutely never 3, and never 2 unless you know they are a mated pair. Angels, like most of the dwarf cichlids, do not accept any mate, they like to select their own.
Byron.
