Keeping angelfish in your community tank can be a very good experience. There are a lot of things you need to make sure of before you move forward with adding angelfish to a community tank, but it can work out nicely.
Many people are drawn to angelfish because of how beautiful they are. It’s also nice that they’re fairly hardy, and this makes them easy enough for beginners to enjoy.
If you wind up liking angelfish, then you might decide that it’d be nice to breed them. Will angelfish breed in a community tank or will it be necessary to set up a breeding tank?
Read on to learn about angelfish breeding in a community tank. This will give you all of the important information that you need to consider.
Angelfish Will Breed in a Community Tank
Yes, angelfish will breed in a community tank, but it won’t be without complications. Many people find that placing angelfish pairs in a community tank will be a much safer option.
However, this doesn’t mean that it’s unusual for angelfish to breed in a community tank. After all, angelfish breed in the wild, and they have to protect the eggs from other fish.
It will wind up being a very similar situation in a fish tank. The angelfish pair will lay the eggs somewhere, fertilize them, and then they will work together to protect them.
Generally, angelfish try to lay the eggs somewhere that they think will be safe. The female fish will look around the tank for a suitable location.
If you have many different aquatic plants in the tank, then there’s a good chance that the fish will lay the eggs on or near the plants. Often, angelfish will stick their eggs right to the side of big leaves.
After the eggs have been fertilized, the male and female will work together to defend the eggs. They keep the eggs clean, provide them with oxygen, and do their best to protect them from threats.
You might notice that the male angelfish will dutifully chase off any fish that tries to get near the eggs. Of course, if the fish tank is crowded with fish, then it’s going to be harder to keep fish from getting close.
If you keep angelfish in a community tank, then you’re likely going to see a pair of angelfish trying to breed at some point. It’s up to you whether you want to keep them in the tank or not.
There could be some problems that will make it hard for the pair to breed successfully in a community tank. Keep reading to learn about some of the potential complications.
The Community Tank Might Increase the Stress Level of the Angelfish
The stress level might be increased if you choose to keep the angelfish in the community tank. Protecting eggs will be a difficult task, but having to do so in an aquarium setting with many other fish can be problematic.
Yes, it isn’t that different from what angelfish do in the wild, but many community tanks are somewhat crowded with fish. If the tank is large, then the angelfish might feel safe enough to do what they need to do, but small tanks can present a real problem when you’ve put too many fish inside.
If the angelfish get too stressed, then they might not do a good job protecting the eggs. There have been many incidents reported by angelfish owners where the angelfish have chosen to eat the eggs instead of protecting them.
Sometimes, when the fish get too stressed, they will panic and decide to eat the eggs. They might think that it’s too dangerous and they won’t be successful anyway.
Angelfish do eat their own eggs for practical reasons sometimes, too. For example, angelfish might choose to eat their own eggs if they need the energy to be able to survive.
So long as you’re feeding them properly, it’s unlikely that this would be the reason. Another reason is that they might want to eat some of the eggs so that it will be easier for them to focus on defending and providing for the remaining eggs.
If the eggs manage to hatch, then a stressed angelfish might even wind up eating the angelfish fry. Under normal circumstances, the parent fish will try to protect the angelfish fry until it reaches the stage where it grows fins.
Why a Breeding Tank Might Be Better
A breeding tank might be a better option. If you’re able to keep angelfish in a breeding tank, then they won’t have to worry about nearly as much.
The parent fish will still be on alert to protect the eggs, but they won’t actually have to worry about other fish coming to try to eat the eggs. This should make it less likely that the angelfish will become stressed and make mistakes.
Also, you’ll be able to better focus on the angelfish to support them. You can even make it easier for the pair to want to breed by controlling the temperature.
In the community tank, you might need to keep the water temperature at a very specific measurement that is fine for all of the fish in the aquarium. It’s said that temperatures of 82 degrees Fahrenheit encourage angelfish to breed, and this will be a good setting for the breeding tank.
In the normal tank, you might have been forced to keep the temperature slightly lower than this. Having the angelfish pair in the breeding tank simply makes more sense in some ways.
When the eggs hatch, you won’t have to worry as much about the angelfish fry being eaten. The angelfish fry will be quite small, and they will have a tough time surviving in some community tanks.
If you’re concerned about the parent fish eating the angelfish fry, then you could remove the parents after they hatched. However, this shouldn’t be necessary if you keep the angelfish from becoming stressed.
What Can Cause Angelfish to Become Stressed?
Many different things can cause angelfish to become stressed. Some things that cause stress will be hard to avoid if you have your fish tank in a bad spot.
For instance, excessive noise can cause fish to become stressed. If your fish tank is close to your television or your stereo system, then this might scare the fish and cause them to experience stress.
Issues with the water parameters will also cause the fish to feel more stressed than usual. Remember to check the pH balance of the water regularly. It’s supposed to remain between 6.8 and 7.8. You also want to keep the water temperature between 76 degrees Fahrenheit and 84 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re caring for angelfish.
If you have children who tap on the glass of the aquarium, then that can cause stress. Turning the lights on and off suddenly can also cause stress issues.
As you can tell, there will be many things to consider when you’re trying to avoid making the angelfish experience stress. If you’re proactive and put the fish tank in a good spot, it should be easier to get better results.
Bully Fish in the Community Tank
Bully fish in the community tank could cause angelfish to feel stressed as well. It could also make it much harder for angelfish to breed and protect their eggs.
When you’re picking out fish for the community tank, it’s imperative to consider what fish you’re putting in the tank. If you have your heart set on including angelfish, then you’ll need to pick fish that are compatible with them.
Many fish such as guppies work very well in community tanks with angelfish. However, there are many other fish that will not do well at all.
Angelfish are considered to be a semi-aggressive species of fish. They will eat fish that are small enough, and they’ll bully some other fish.
You need to put fish in the tank with them that can withstand them. It’s also important not to put fish in there with the angels that will bully them.
Otherwise, you’d wind up having a lot of fighting going on. Fish would be getting injured, and you’d definitely have issues with getting the angelfish to successfully breed.
Be careful and do a bit of research before setting up your community tank. You’ll surely have a much better experience.
Final Thoughts
Now you have learned a lot about angelfish and community tanks. They will breed in community tanks, but it can present problems sometimes.
It might be easier if you put the mating pair in a breeding tank. This will ensure that the angelfish have the best chance of successfully spawning.
Having angelfish breed in a community tank is far from unheard of, though. It happens quite often, and it might go just fine if you picked peaceful fish for the community tank.
Ensure that you take some time to research everything before you put angelfish in a community tank. If you don’t put any thought into the fish that you’re choosing, then you’re likely going to have a bad experience.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.