Weird Angel Behaviour

[Fish Fantasy]

I have 4 Angels in my tank and the 2 biggest (body size 7cm excluding fins) ones started pushing eachother into the gravel, then chasing eachother, then circling eachother, nipping eachothers mouths like they are kissing. What is going on with these 2 they've been buddies for 6 months and now this starts. Could this be fighting or maybe a mating dance!

[Zafgak]

This is normal mating behaviour - just now they will start cleaning a leaf or a flat surface and then lay eggs...

[Fish Fantasy]

You know you're right!! What could have started this could be because i've been slowly been putting the temperature up over a couple of days because of the cold spells and the heater is at 28*c right now and they started acting all fiesty!

[Zafgak]

Yep - one way to trigger spawning is to raise or lower the temperature. Sometimes a water change will do it too.

[Fish Fantasy]

Oh my word!!! I might become a grand mother, I'm so proud!!!! If they lay eggs what do I do then?

[LanceP]

FF, you're in the same boat as me.

As far as my Angel's eggs are concerned, they're going to be fish food for several months to come, until I can get a seperate breeding tank.

[Fish Fantasy]

Looks like the next few sets of eggs are going to have to become fish food because I'm also going to have to get a breeding tank and right now I'm saving for a Cannister filter. Well at least i don't feel so alone in this! :(

[veegal]

Guys before you decide to jump in and get another tank for breeding purposes, please remember that baby angels need LOTS of room to grow or else their fins are stunted ....not nice. Angels lay anywhere from 200 to around 600 eggs at a time. My 'average' spawns seem to be in excess of 300 babies at a time (NO I haven't literally counted them yet :D). I let my parents raise the babies for the first week or two. Then I separate the babies between 4 60cm tanks, leaving some behind with the parents a little longer. They stay in these 60cm tanks for another week and a half to two weeks before being moved into a 1.2m tank. After another two weeks or so, I separate them out between two 1.2m tanks. Needless to say - with 4 breeding pairs of Angels alone, excluding the other fish having babies, I currently have a lot of tanks and estimate that I need at least another three 1.2m tanks. (I currently have 4 already).

My Angelfish at work, in a community tank, laid eggs recently and they now have wrigglers. All I've done is put up a divider today and we'll see how many live. :D

[Zafgak]

Agree with Veegal - Take a look at the angels in most of the LFS's the fins are REALLY stunted. A good Angels shouls have fins AT LEAST double his body size..

I made a point of checking out a few LFS's this weekend and ALL of them had stunted Angels... Tis a shame I tell you

Also the stunting is set in the first four weeks - so week 1-4 must be LIVE FOOD at least twice a day, minimum.

[Fish Fantasy]

Alright thanks guys looks like there won't be any breeding tanks I don't have the space for so many tanks especially that size, looks like the Angels will just have to cope for a long, long, long while breeding in the community tank. That just breaks my heart!!!!!

[veegal]

FF you can always let them spawn in the community tank, putting a divider in for them, and move a few of the babies out into a separate tank to grow. If the babies left in the community tank survive then they are true fighters and deserve the chance to live :D

[Fish Fantasy]

So true! I'll give that a try and see what happens!

[veegal]

So true! I'll give that a try and see what happens!

Keep us updated - it's amazing to watch them grow from little 'tadpoles' into teeny tiny angels :bigsmile:

[Fish Fantasy]

I will do!!!