Can Angelfish Live Alone? {Best Tankmates and Plants}

Angelfish are peaceful fish with a lot of admirable qualities. Can Angelfish live alone?

How many angelfish should you keep together? Can you keep angelfish with other fish?

This article is meant to explain Angelfish behavior to find out if they are able to live alone.

Can Angelfish Live Alone?

Yes. Angelfish can quite happily live on their own. They are good at staying alone, but they prefer to be paired with other Angelfish. They can also live with other species of fish provided they have compatible properties.

Despite the fact that they do shoal or swim in groups in the wild, having only one fish as the focal point of your aquarium appears to make them considerably more laid-back and peaceful overall.

How Many Angelfish Should You Keep Together?

It is preferable to keep an even number of Angelfish in the tank. This number is because Angelfish are neither a complete solitary nor schooling fish.

They like to move in pairs, so you must always keep the number of fish needed for pairing in the tank.

  • Keep no more than four mature angelfish with other tank mates in a 29-gallon communal tank.
  • Start with six young angelfish for a 55-gallon tank, and be ready to relocate some later on if they become very aggressive.

Whenever there is an odd number of Angelfish in the tank, the odd one out usually suffers from the other pairs and might eventually get killed in the long run.

Can You Keep Angelfish with Other Fish?

Angelfish are cichlids, and it is common for cichlids to be aggressive towards one another. Also, Angelfish are slightly aggressive, particularly during their breeding season.

Yes. Angelfish will live peacefully and comfortably with most other species of fish. When living with fellow Angelfish, they tend to be less aggressive. Their level of aggressiveness only rises in overcrowded tanks or when they are in their breeding season.

Angelfish can:

  • accommodate other species of fish if you meet their accommodation demands. 
  • eat anything that fits into their mouth.

Since they are carnivorous, keeping smaller fish in the same tank with Angelfish is not advisable. Also, Angelfish are known to eat smaller fish. It would be best if you didn’t keep smaller fish or fry in the same aquarium as the Angelfish.

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What Fish Can Live With Angelfish?

Here is a list I put together That can be debated. These fish have had success, but there are always risks and failures based on many factors from tank size, overcrowding or other causes of aggressive behavior due to stress.

Top 30 Angelfish Tankmates:

  1. Rainbow fish
  2. Peaceful barbs
  3. Large rasboras
  4. Corydoras
  5. Gouramis
  6. Black Skirt Tetra
  7. Bleeding Heart Tetra
  8. Hatchetfish
  9. Discus Fish
  10. German Blue Ram
  11. Electric Blue Ram
  12. Bolivian Ram
  13. Silver Dollar
  14. Common Plecostomus
  15. Rubbernose Pleco
  16. Bristlenose Pleco
  17. Neon Tetra
  18. Cardinal Tetra
  19. Otocinclus Catfish
  20. Platies
  21. Swordtails
  22. Mollies
  23. Three-spot Gourami
  24. Dwarf Gourami
  25. Boeseman’s Rainbow Fish
  26. Synodontis Catfish
  27. Kribensis Cichlids
  28. Keyhole Cichlids
  29. Kuhli Loach
  30. Guppies

Spacious tanks, lots of hiding spaces and similar water parameters for the fish above with Angelfish will make it possible for them to coexist. You are the manager of this ecosystem and will adjust when necessary.

What Fish Cannot Live With Angelfish?

Avoid any fin nippers or quickly moving fish that will compete with your angelfish for food because of their long, beautiful fins.

Considering their potential size and avoid purchasing any nanofish or other tiny animals that your angelfish could devour like micro rasboras or dwarf shrimp.

Otherwise, the circumstances of unique tank set ups and individual characteristics of each Angelfish or tank mate will determine if the match is compatible to too risky to cohabitate.

What Are the Best Water Conditions for Angel Fish?

1. The appropriate temperature for the water is:  78°F to 84°F.

The pH of the water should also be ideal for their existence. The water should not be too acidic and also not to be too basic.

2. The perfect pH for the water is from 6.8 to 7.8.

Angelfish do not do well in hard water. So, the water should not be too hard as it can significantly affect their health.

3. The water should be slightly hard and should be around 30 and 80 (54 and 144 ppm).

The water should be changed regularly, and you should ensure that it is adequately filtered. You should treat the water, especially if you are using tap water before adding it to the tank.

4. The tank should be as large as 55 gallons because Angelfish needs a lot of space to grow. 

Do Angelfish Like Plants In Their Tank?

Yes. Anubias, Amazon swords and Java Fern are the most prominent plants in an angelfish tank. Hopefully they’ll pick these plants as a spawning location. Angels prefer to deposit their eggs on broad, sloping leaves.

Plants with similar features will promote natural spawning and reproduction. natural environments. Angelfish are among the most attractive tropical freshwater fish to observe when coupled with lush plants to highlight their natural appearances and activities.

Conclusion

Angelfish do just fine when they are alone in the tank but will also do well when they are with other Angelfish (preferably in pairs). Angelfish can also be happy to have different species of fish.

This introduction will work only if their existence together in the same tank is compatible. Angelfish can be very generous in accommodating other fish.

It is not advisable to keep smaller fish in the same tank as Angelfish prey on smaller fish. Also, it is not advisable to put bigger fish that prey on Angelfish in the same tank so as not to lose your Angelfish.

 

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jbarr3tt1979

Hello, I'm Jason. I'm the guy behind HelpUsFish.com. I volunteer at my local fish shop and I created this site to offer tips and advice on the fish I care for.

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