Keeping a group of at least five or six angelfish together is recommended. Angelfish should never be kept alone as they prefer to live in groups. Angelfish require about 10 gallons of water each, so six of them would require around a 60-gallon tank.
If you’re looking to get angelfish and aren’t sure how many you should keep together or how big a tank you need for them, this article is perfect for you. It has everything you may need to know about how many angelfish you should keep together, why, and how big your tank needs to be.
How Many Angelfish Should Be Kept Together In A Tank?
Angelfish may not be schooling fish, but they prefer to live in groups for socialization, comfort, and pairing purposes. That said, giving your angelfish enough space to swim around comfortably is essential.
Angelfish have aggressive or competitive tendencies, and sometimes they may compete for dominance in their group. Being close together in a tank that’s too small can cause them to start fighting because they are cramped.
It’s not a good idea to keep only one angelfish in a tank, as they become bored and indifferent. While an angelfish can survive on its own, being lonely will cause it to be unhappy and make it antisocial.
As long as your tank is big enough, you can increase the number of angelfish to a pretty large group. If you are getting young angelfish, it’s best to get a good mix of males and females so they can pair.
If you start your collection with five or six younger angelfish, you may not need a large tank at first. But as they mature, a larger tank will be necessary to avoid aggressive behavior within the group and to make room for any offspring they may produce.
How Big Should An Angelfish Tank Be?
You may wonder if your tank is big enough for a shoal of angelfish or what size tank you should get for the number of fish you want. There’s a pretty simple rule of thumb for determining how much water is needed per angelfish.
The minimum recommended amount of water per angelfish is 10 gallons, so a group of 6 angelfish will require a minimum of 60 gallons. Using a larger tank – for example, an 80-gallon tank – will give your angelfish more room for exploration and lower the chance of aggression.
Some species of angelfish can grow to six or seven inches long and up to thirteen inches tall from fin to fin, so not only does the size of your tank matter but also its shape. A taller tank is better for angelfish due to their height and gives them room to swim around vertically and horizontally.
When a group of young angelfish to a tank, it’s important to remember that they still have room to grow. So, while a smaller tank may suit their immediate environmental needs, a larger tank will be necessary as they age.
Angelfish typically reach their full size at a maximum of 1-year-old, so it may be a good idea to ask a specialist or the previous owner how old yours are. If they are between eight months and one year, you don’t have to worry about them outgrowing the tank too much.
While your angelfish may not grow larger, they reach sexual maturity at this age, so look for signs of pregnancy in the females. If your angelfish start reproducing, you’ll need to consider moving them to another tank as they are protective and may get aggressive with others in the tank.
If you’re thinking of adding more angelfish to your tank, it’s essential to ensure enough room for them to be comfortable. If your fish tank is not large enough for more, then upsizing the tank, moving your current fish, and introducing the new fish properly at the same time may be the best option.
How Many Species Of Angelfish Can You Keep Together
Various species of angelfish have unique traits that differentiate them from each other, though their behaviors are relatively similar due to them being from the cichlid family. This means that different species of angelfish can live together under the right conditions.
Angelfish are predator fish that will go after any fish that can fit into their mouths. This can make it challenging to find suitable tankmates with whom to socialize.
However, due to their similar nature, angelfish make the perfect tankmates for other angelfish. You can have a shoal of different species of angelfish living together in one tank.
Angelfish live comfortably with other angelfish and can even mate with other types of angelfish. The offspring of angelfish of different species have unique patterns and coloring.
Angelfish can be aggressive in a new environment or when new angelfish are introduced to the tank, but they are unlikely to kill each other. The aggression is typically to assert dominance or in response to a provocation.
It’s important, however, to ensure that the angelfish have ample room to move around, as some species of angelfish are larger than others. For larger angelfish species, the shape of your tank is more important than for smaller species.
There are many angelfish species out there, and it’s a good idea to research what types of angelfish would suit your aquarium. Alternatively, you can research the species of angelfish you want to keep together and get a tank that provides the ideal amount of space for them to thrive.
Conclusion
Angelfish come in varying sizes, but the rule of thumb is to provide at least 10 gallons of water for each one. It’s recommended to keep angelfish in groups of six or more to prevent them from getting lonely as they are social fish.
You can also keep different species of angelfish in the same tank, and they will co-exist and even mate. When adding young angelfish, remember that you may need a bigger tank when they mature. It may be necessary to move a pregnant angelfish and their mate to a new tank to prevent protective aggression.