My coworker got a five gallon tank like mine for her desk and is thinking of putting angel fish in it. I told her I didn't know if they would do well in a tank that small. I've never kept them before, so I don't know much about them. Are there any smaller varieties that would manage with one or two in a five gallon, maybe with a bottom feeder?
angelfish in a 5 gallon tank
- Thread starter Kuhlifan
- Start date
All Angels need a 30gal + because they eventually get big and territorial
Do a search you'll find a lot of info
Do a search you'll find a lot of info
That's what I thought, but it's nice to have comments from people with experience. If you do enough online research, you find that any wacko can post anything they want online, so it's not always realiable.
Of course, any wacko can post what they want here, but that's beside the point
I didn't know if there just might be some sort of dwarf variety that would take to the smaller tank setup.
Of course, any wacko can post what they want here, but that's beside the point
I didn't know if there just might be some sort of dwarf variety that would take to the smaller tank setup.
I'm actually not someone with much experience but I just read a heck of a lot on here so that I know some things like the question you asked.. and there's a lot of great info on here. I hate when people tell me to search myself but I wasn't saying it that way, it's just a better way to get an answer to your question in case nobody else chimes in.
I have kept breeding angel pairs in a 10 gallon. That was in my farming them days. Three sides of the tank were blacked out to prevent territorial issues and there were no other occupants in the breeding tanks. They got constant water changes from a drip system and were fed high quality foods 4-5 times daily. After each feeding the tank bottom was vacuumed out to prevent water quality decline. The only "decor" in each breeding tank was a piece of 4" pvc pipe for egg laying.
So, is it possible to keep one in a small tank? Yes. Is it ideal? No. My breeders were treated as farm animals. Even though their health was monitored it was not for their pleasure but for production. The pairs would spawn every two weeks for about 6 months, then stop. To rest them up they were transferred to different large tanks (100+ gallons). A newly formed breeding pair would be moved into the vacated tank to keep breeding going. The original angels would then pair with others and after a couple months be ready again. If not ready in three months, they were sold off.
I think your coworker has something entirely different from this in mind. An angel tank can be pretty but, for a display tank the size required is usually too large for an office (unless you are the boss). I do not recommend 5 gallon tanks, The cost is comparable to a 10 gallon setup and the 10 offers more possibilities. Guppies and cories make a nice yet hardy combination as do some smaller tetras and cories.
Charlie
So, is it possible to keep one in a small tank? Yes. Is it ideal? No. My breeders were treated as farm animals. Even though their health was monitored it was not for their pleasure but for production. The pairs would spawn every two weeks for about 6 months, then stop. To rest them up they were transferred to different large tanks (100+ gallons). A newly formed breeding pair would be moved into the vacated tank to keep breeding going. The original angels would then pair with others and after a couple months be ready again. If not ready in three months, they were sold off.
I think your coworker has something entirely different from this in mind. An angel tank can be pretty but, for a display tank the size required is usually too large for an office (unless you are the boss). I do not recommend 5 gallon tanks, The cost is comparable to a 10 gallon setup and the 10 offers more possibilities. Guppies and cories make a nice yet hardy combination as do some smaller tetras and cories.
Charlie
Angels are not a good choice for a 5 gallon tank, an adult angel will not be comfortable in there considering their shape and size.
a juvenile standard fin angel (mine, for example) can reach 6 inches in height at about 10 months of age. a superveil can hit a foot in height at a year old (which is where mine is heading - almost there). tanks under 30g, or more specifically a 29g which is a tall tank, don't give enough room for fins to spread out properly.