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Do Angelfish Eat Other Fish?

Do Angelfish Eat Other Fish?

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This post is written to the author's best knowledge and is not intended to be used in place of veterinary advice. In addition, this post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Many people feel that angelfish are among the prettiest fish in the entire world. They’re definitely gorgeous and they can be so fun to watch in a community fish tank.

These fish are pretty popular when it comes to putting together freshwater fish tanks. If you haven’t cared for them yet, then you should know that they’re pretty hardy and they can be a good addition to a community tank.

However, you shouldn’t just add angelfish to a community aquarium without doing the necessary research. As you’re likely aware, you need to look into the compatibility of the various fish to see if there will be any problems.

Some fish might not be able to get along. You wouldn’t want your pretty new fish to get hurt in the new tank, after all.

Of course, you might also be concerned about whether the angelfish will harm any of the fish that are currently in your community tank. Do angelfish eat other fish or are they generally considered to be peaceful?

Keep reading to learn what you need to know about angelfish. You’ll get some advice about good tank mates for angelfish while also learning about certain types of fish that they might eat.

Angelfish Will Definitely Eat Some Other Fish

Angelfish will definitely eat some other fish. However, this can be said of many different fish that you might have in your aquarium.

If you’ve been a fish tank enthusiast for any amount of time, then you probably know that bigger fish tend to eat smaller fish. It’s no different when you’re talking about angelfish.

Putting angelfish in a tank with fish that are visibly much smaller than them will likely be a bad idea. The angelfish would very likely eat the fish in question, and this might cause you some distress.

As always, you need to consider many factors when adding a new fish to a community tank. You need to look up the compatibility of the fish to ensure that everything will be okay if you add it to the tank.

It’s always necessary to research the compatibility of each fish type when you’re keeping many species in one tank. There are so many factors to consider, and it would truly be a bad idea to just put angelfish in a tank and hope for the best.

This situation could be dangerous for the other fish, but it could also be dangerous for the angels. There are many types of fish that are larger and more aggressive than the angels, and this could mean that they will get bullied in the tank.

Angelfish Are Mildly Aggressive

Angelfish are considered to be mildly aggressive fish. They will be territorial at times, and you won’t want to put them in a tank with certain types of fish.

The angelfish will bully some types of fish, and they will also try to eat fish that are small enough to prey on. If a fish is too small, then it’s likely that angelfish will see it as a prey fish.

There are many types of fish that angelfish can get along with, though. You can create a diverse, interesting community tank with angelfish in it.

It’s simply necessary to take the time to put together a list of fish that are compatible. You’ll also need to ensure that the fish that are compatible with the angelfish are also compatible with each other.

Yes, this can be a lot of work, but it should be worth it in the end. Later, you’ll learn a bit about some specific fish and whether angelfish will try to eat them.

For now, it’s important to know that angelfish also have the potential to be aggressive with each other. You can’t talk about angelfish aggression without addressing how angelfish interact with their own species.

Putting two male angelfish in the same tank will likely be a poor choice. Males tend to fight each other over territory, and these fights can get pretty brutal.

If the two male angelfish are kept in a small enough tank, then there is even a chance that they will fight to the death. You don’t want this to happen, and this is why you should avoid putting two males in the same tank.

Multiple male angelfish might be able to occupy the same tank if you take certain precautions. For instance, putting the fish in a very large tank can help since they can stay away from each other.

It can also be useful to have aquatic plants in the tank and other hiding spots. This gives the fish places to hide if things get too wild, and it should lessen the fighting even if it can’t stop it.

Snails

Snails should be safe to keep in a tank with angelfish. Angelfish don’t eat snails because they’re generally too big for them to fit in their mouths.

This doesn’t mean that an angelfish won’t try to nibble on a snail, though. There could be some snails that angelfish will be able to eat, and this means that you’ll want to choose snails that are large enough to avoid being chomped by the angels.

Even the larger snails might get nibbled by the angelfish. There are some reports by people saying that angelfish have eaten the antenna of snails.

Issues such as this shouldn’t be prevalent, though, and most enthusiasts suggest that angelfish and snails can live in harmony. Just ensure that you pick a large enough snail and everything should be good.

Malaysian trumpet snails should be a good choice if you’re looking for a snail that the angelfish won’t be able to eat. Mystery snails, ivory mystery snails, and apple snails should also work nicely.

Tetras

Angelfish will eat some types of tetras. In the wild, angelfish have been known to eat neon tetras, and this means that you probably shouldn’t keep these two types of fish in the same tank.

Sadly, tetras are considered to be easy prey for angelfish. They aren’t as aggressive as the angelfish, and a mature angelfish will certainly see them as prey.

There are situations where tetras and angelfish will get along when they’re young. When an angelfish is in its juvenile stage, it might not see the tetras as prey yet.

As the angelfish grows and matures, it’ll see the tetra as an easy meal. If you care about the tetras and want to keep them alive, then putting them in the tank with angelfish will be a poor idea.

This will only lead to the angelfish snacking on the poor fish. Be mindful of this and keep the tetras in a separate aquarium if you wish to care for both tetras and angelfish in your home.

Shrimp

Shrimp are not going to be able to live in the same tank as angelfish. If you’ve been taking care of angelfish, then you should know that angelfish eat shrimp.

When you buy recommended angelfish foods from the pet store, you’ll see that a lot of them use shrimp as the main ingredient. Angelfish eat shrimp pellets, and many people also choose to feed the angels frozen shrimp.

It isn’t unusual at all for people to give live shrimp to fish as food either. If you are trying to raise shrimp in your fish tank, then putting an angelfish in the aquarium with them would be a very odd choice.

Angelfish consider shrimp to be their favorite food for the most part. Choosing to put angelfish in the tank with the shrimp would be like placing a fox in the hen house.

Guppies

Guppies are an interesting topic because they’re considered to be good tank mates for angelfish. However, you’re going to have to approach things in a specific way, or else the angelfish might eat the guppies.

The guppies will be a bit on the small side when it comes to tank mates for the angels. Angelfish could wind up viewing the guppies as prey depending on the situation.

Angelfish enthusiasts have had great luck getting these two fish to coexist in the same tank, though. This is done by introducing the guppies into the tank when the angelfish are in the juvenile stage.

If the angelfish get used to being around guppies at a young age, then they won’t see them as prey fish. This should (theoretically) keep the angelfish from eating the guppies.

Just keep in mind that it isn’t impossible for angelfish to eat guppies. Since it can happen, it’s going to be up to you whether or not you wish to take the risk of adding guppies to a community tank with the angelfish.

Swordtail

Swordtails will not be eaten by angelfish. If you’re looking for a very good tank mate for the angels, then swordtails will fit the bill.

These fish are very peaceful overall, and you shouldn’t have any problem getting the angelfish and the swordtails to get along. The swordtails are able to withstand the mild aggression of the angels without it being a big deal.

Angelfish might eat the babies that these fish produce, but the swordtails eat their own young as well. It’ll likely be a competition to see who eats the young swordtails first.

It’s also great that these fish are relatively easy to care for. They can easily be cared for in the same tank as angelfish, and they’re also hardy enough that they’re good for beginners.

You should really enjoy swordtails for how nice they look, too. They come in many different colors and should add some aesthetic appeal to your community fish tank.

Corydoras Catfish

Corydoras catfish (often just called cory catfish) will be another great tank mate option for angelfish. These fish are large and very peaceful overall.

Angelfish will not be able to eat these fish, and they’re incredibly low-maintenance. If you’re looking for more fish that will be easy to care for, then you’ll love these catfish.

They like to live in groups of three or four. That means that you should purchase at least three of them for your community tank if you plan to move forward with this idea.

You’ll find that the corydoras catfish will just hang out peacefully in the tank. They won’t bother the angelfish and they’ll simply be a great addition to your aquarium.

Dwarf Gouramis

Dwarf gouramis are another popular type of fish that people pick to live alongside angelfish. Angelfish won’t eat these fish, but they may sometimes try to bully them a bit.

So long as your tank isn’t too small, it’s unlikely that you will encounter issues with these fish getting along. The angels can be territorial, but that shouldn’t be an issue unless you’re overcrowding the community tank.

You don’t want to do that because overcrowding the tank can cause stress. This will make all of the fish more likely to get sick.

Generally, dwarf gouramis are some of the best tank mates for angelfish that you can find. You’ll like having them in your tank because they’re peaceful and very colorful.

Ram Cichlids

Ram cichlids won’t be eaten by angelfish either. However, they’re a lot harder to care for than angelfish.

Only pick these fish for your community tank if you’re ready to commit to caring for them. They’re moderately difficult to care for, but it’s not that bad if you’ve been taking care of fish tanks for a while.

You just need to keep the water quality perfect in the tank. This means keeping a close eye on the water parameters and doing weekly water changes to keep things clean.

So long as you’re putting in the effort, these fish can live peacefully alongside the angelfish. They won’t be eaten, and they also won’t be a danger to your angelfish.

Final Thoughts

After learning more about whether angelfish eat other fish, you should feel more comfortable about what you’re getting into. Fish will generally eat fish that are small enough to fit in their mouths.

This is true of pretty much all omnivore and carnivore fish that you might choose for your home aquarium. You’ve learned about some of the fish that the angels will try to eat in a community tank, and you’ve also seen some fish that will be compatible tank mates.

Decide what you want to do and be careful to choose the right fish for the tank. So long as you do your research, you should know that there are many more compatible fish that you can place in a community tank with angelfish.

You’ll be able to put together an aquarium that you will be very satisfied with. Do your best to create the tank of your dreams, but keep the health and safety of all of the fish in mind before making any decisions.

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