Angel fish... lost 3 in 2 days...

Prometheus

Prometheus

Luke 22:35-36
Nov 3, 2003
164
0
0
47
NW Indiana
Visit site
3 days ago the wife came home with two adorable Angel fish (she had to have them) from petco (yeah I know, petco)....

Size was about 1 inch tops...

Anyway, woke up the next morning one was dead... took it back got another, woke up this AM both were dead took them back, another petco fish 'specialist' shakes his head and says... weird, your water is perfect... Almost seemed like I was the first one to bring in an ok water sample... just got the money back...

My questions...

was it just a bad batch of angels?

I have two penguin 330's on my 55gallon tank is that too strong for them to handle?

The wife loves them now and wants a pair in my tank (I'm full as it is, but she is supportive of me getting a bigger tank, so I don't wanna nix that :cool: ) ...

Anything I need to know that I'm missing?

ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates between 5-10ppm, GH 150, KH 180, pH 7.6
 
Usually angelfish don't transport well. LFS I used to work for, would only buy them from local breeders rather than trying to have angels shipped via Fedex or something. Petco may have gotten the angelfish day before you bought them, so you can't exactly tell how they're doing. The effect of stress might not have shown yet.

Angels catch bacteria and ich pretty easily.

I don't think it's your water, Promoetheus. I think it's stress from shipping to Petco. That being said, I'm no angelfish guru, but that's just my suspicion.
 
i've lost several

angels they are very sensitive to changes n stress out n drop like flies - i woul try to buy them from a local lfs unless you know they've been in the store tank for about a week or so -
 
Re: i've lost several

Originally posted by LMOUTHBASS
i woul try to buy them from a local lfs unless you know they've been in the store tank for about a week or so -
Click to expand...

Thats what I was planning on doing... but before I did, I wanted to make sure it wasn't my tank.... I hate seeing dead fish...
 
Prometheus:

Give up! Give up! Give up!

I see you now where I was about 6 months ago. Angelfish are too hard to keep. I tried everything and after going through about two dozen fish - some lasted a week some lasted a day - I gave up.

Like you I first thought it was my tank - it wasn't. All of my other fish thrive - what's happening? What am I doing wrong? They are wonderful fish but, as I said, too hard to keep.

Bill Schultz

PS: Just to show me, the original angel purchased 6 months ago, is still alive and thriving.
 
This is so odd to me cause I have always felt angels were, by far, one of the easiest cichlids to keep. I question how long those angels were in the store when you got them, and perhaps whether there was a disease in the store tank or they were mistreated there.

I would go back to the store to see how those fish are faring.

A local fish breeder's stock will usually always be better looking, healthier and better able to cope with local water conditions than some of those mega petshop fish. Try a local breeder, and give angels a chance, I love them, lotsa personality.
 
I disagree with a lot in this thread too as along with KarlskidMarx , I find the Angels one of the easier cichlids to keep as well. Actaully, I've bought them from LFS as well as ordered them online with nothing but fantastic results. Maybe I just have the touch......

I'm wondering if there was a parameter difference that affected the Angels when placed in your tank. Your tank may very well have the optimum parameters for the Angels, but we all know, the larger chain stores can be known to have their fish in wrong situations. Meaning, the pH can be way off or such things like that while it is optimum in your tank. They may survive in the wrong situation but not happily, while putting them in the right kind can set off a stress or shock, causing death. Unfortunately, there are more non-knowledgable people than those who are fluent when you go into the bigger places. Not to say they are all bad, because I know there are a handful of good-eggs there.

I would go back to the store and maybe ask about the levels in the tank and how long the fish have been there, where they came from, etc.

I would also try to go to a LFS as opposed to a big chain such as that for the Angels, you will most definitely get a stronger strain and happier results. I also love the Angels and wouldn't trade keeping themm for anything.

HTH
 
I too have had success keeping angels. I bought 9 from angelsplus.com in March and lost one to disease in September. They came in nickel sized and are getting close to coaster size now and spawn all the time. 75g fully planted tank.

That said, angels are like a lot of aquarium species - they have been overbred and weakened by "puppy mill" practices. Mollies, angels, guppies, labrador retrievers - you need to be careful about the breeder for all of these IMO.
 
just caught something else in your starter thread in regards to filtration. The two 330's should not be too strong for these guys as that's the exact setup I have for mine without a problem. If they are showing signs of struggling with this setup, I would think it was a signal that the fish you are getting are weak, whether it be inbred, sick, shocked, or what have you. Can you actually see any abnormalities on the fish, such as white specs, bloated stomachs, clamped fins, etc?

Also, I notice your pH is a little high for the Angels. While many websites as well as members may say the ideal range for Angels could be as low as 6.0 to as high as 8.0, I personally find that a closer range of 6.5 - 7.0 works best for my Angels.

again, HTH
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom