Angel fish

[indrajitmasuda]

I bought 4 marble Angels, two hybrid and two a little less hybrid could call them the 'normals'.They were no angels but quarrelled all the time trying to establish dominance for territory especially while feeding. Finally they formed two pairs the hybrid and the normal marbles. On either side of the tank the two pairs shook menacingly coming close and battling with their mouths. Later i found the hybrid pair huddled on the floor as the two normals attacked them and bullied them till i thought they would be killed. The hatred was extreme and the dominant normals kept badgering them. Then i intervened with the holder of the net and hit the normals whenever they attacked so they could associate their bullying efforts with my rod coming for them. finally reluctantly they let the hybrids alone for a while and then resumed the bullying. as i repeatedly intervened the bullys became calmer. no angels these.lol
One day I was surprised to see the hybrids in dominance and the normals huddled in a corner. Now the larger hybrid kept threatening them with body shakings head twisting and ready for battle posture striking at the dominant normal from time to time. But this did not last long and a few days later the hybrids were again in a corner and the smaller one who i presume was the female had sought refuge hiding behind the filter box. And so it goes on the Angel wars. So interesting.

THE HYBRID PAIR HUDLED ABOVE AS THE BULLY THREATENS FROM BELOW:





THE UNRELENTING VICTORIOUS BULLY - HIS EQUALLY AGGRESSIVE MATE IS BEHIND HIM BUT OUT OF THE PIC:






Amazing how fish are so like humans in their behaviour  !!

[littlegoldsnail]

Angels can be aggressive sometimes, but it’s usually when there are to many of them in a to small of tank. You know for that many they need like a 75 gallon, right? They will pretty much try to kill each other as they grow if you put them in a 20 or something. 1 angel could be in a 20-30, but I wouldn’t combine multiples in anything less then a 40 gallon. And for 4 angels, I’d say a 75 gallon is your minimum.

[indrajitmasuda]

i did the calculation - my tank turns out to be 680 gallons or 157 litres - so i dont think space is the problem at all. The two types of pairs take turns to bully the other two - some days the normals have the upper hand but then the equation chanes and the underdog pair become the overlords. Now i have added an albino pair and they do have ganged up to become the third contender pair - its all very interesting seeing one come upo to the other and shake threateningly then mouth to mouth battle.

[littlegoldsnail]

157 liters is only about 40 gallons... did you mean 1570 liters?

[indrajitmasuda]

i think you are right - my tanks are indeed only 22 gallons and 44 gallons. no wonder angel wars. the beaten sulk in corners. the victorious dare them to move dhaking violently in threatening mode.

[littlegoldsnail]

I would recommend rehoming one or two of the angels then. A 45 gallon is perfect for a pair of angels, but is a little crammed with 4.

If you just have two in the 45 gallon, then you might be able to get a little school (maybe 6 or so) of Corydoras or kuli loaches or something for the bottom. Those are fun little fish and they go well with angels.

I would definitely rehome one or two of the angels first though.

I would also recommend some live plants. You could get a couple java ferns or some anubias and it would look super nice with the angels. Angel fish love live plants.

[indrajitmasuda]

you may be right but 44 gallons or 157 litres dont appear as a small tank for a hobbyist and at least to me it doesnt appear criminal. i study their antagonist behaviour very carefully and in any case i dont keep fish to decorate the home. When i have to change the water i realize what a lot of water 157 litres is. it is good to have your sympathetic concerns about spae and you are indeed very knowledgable which is real good education for someone who could be a budding naturalist but i have different interests and traet my fish with much love concern and most important observing their behaviour and relating it to human behaviour.That is in itself a fascinating firld of study - basically i ahve found that animals and humans havevery similar behavioural patterns - love hate competetion good natures bad natures responsibility for family ( the way bettas and Paradise fish care for their fry) tolerance of other species and intolerance like chiklids a disaster with other species of fish. Also id love to keepa oscars and study them but cant because they harm other fish. I ve kept a variety of swordtails, plattys,guppys, mollys, and other live bearing species to study their behaviour and anabantids with their inique labarynth lungs that help them survive even in polluted waters like goramis of all kinds paradise fish and the beautiful aggressive bettas. my favourites are the Paradise fish hybrids with stunning clours and intelligent behaviour. now as you know my study concentrates on this great giant gorami the most intelligent of them all. He now knows when i approach the tank - i can see him he can see me and what a rapportt we are beggining to make almost like a pet dog.lol

[indrajitmasuda]

Instead of rehoming them i have added two albino angels to the foursome as in my view this is quite a large tank and i have always kept fish to study their behaviour. Well they too were attacked by the bullies who strangely never havm harmed each other - they must be a pair that has fallen in love LOL. Now the albinos are taking no nonsense from the normal marble bullies and though quite circumspect know how to preserve their self respect. the bullies have understood that and generally though not always refrain from attacking them. but with the hybrids its quite another matter. the dominant Hybrid is larger than the hormal dominant and cannot accept his position so unlike his better half never tries to be so meek as to hide behind the filter box. but it is beyond me why he doesnt have the courage of his convictions. Perhaps the bully is one of his own kind a natural fighter who never gives up aggressive behaviour.
There is also a lone outsifer a Kissing Gorami who i moved out of the tank with the giant Gorami so that he would not be killed like his mate. earlier he never spared his mate and would keep bullying her till she died of injuries. Now alone with angels he is an unwanted outsider in the angel wars. All the angels hybrid, normal and lately introduced albinos cannot suffer his presence and never miss an opportunity to spike his fins. But he doesnt have any idea what is going on and holds his own without the least concern. aAh this fish world is so much like ours you have no idea. Ill post a pic of the albinos soon and if you like the Kissing gorami also. Incidentally Kissing goramis i found did not kiss out of love but because like wrestlers they wished to find out who was more dominant!!!!

[indrajitmasuda]

The two bully Angels have one by one killed the two hybrid angels and later the two albino angels though the lone kissing Gorami is holding his own against the vicious pair. Well it is what it is.