angelfish questions

[MyraVan]

I have never had cichlids before. I'm slowly stocking a 58g (100cm x 40cm x 70cm) tank. Currently it has in it:

4 rosy barbs
6 blue tetras
1 bristlenose pleco

I plan to add later

5 very small angelfish, which I will (hopefully) keep in there their whole lives
some kind of bottomfeeder

So I have some questions. First, what's a good bottomfeeder? My main choices are cories and loaches, specifically polka-dot loaches, B. kubotai (which are supposedly about the most mild-mannaered Botias you can find). I would get at least 6 of each, whichever I get. Which do you think make the best companions for angels? I have heard from one person who has kept both that she found loaches make better companions, since they seem to understand the concept of territoriality, while the cories never did and consequently got rammed occasionally. Angelfishamy said she had some problems with two clown loaches in with angels, but I wonder if that might be attributable to her having only two loaches; like many schooling fish they are probably better behaved in groups.

Secondly, about this pairing business. I really don't want angelfish babies, I just want big (they will get big eventually, although I will buy them very small) adults cruising the tank and looking cool. I have been told that 5 is a good number of angels for this tank, but if they pair off I could have trouble. Is pairing off inevitable? I know that if you want angels to breed it's best to keep them in soft water. Well, our tap water here is very hard (comes from wells in limestone) with a pH of 7.8. Perhaps this would inhibit pair formation?

[Franman]

I'va had angels for a long time. I bred them too. Now I moved on to discus. About your first question. I had coridoras with my angels and I never had problems my angel even bred around them. Just keep more than 3 to make the chaces of geting piked on less. About you second question if they breed be happy, your fish are in good shape.
Just keep the pair in the tank. Since its a tank with lots of fish the parents will probably not feel safe and eat them shortly after laying or the other fish in the tank. 7.8 is high your fish mite get sick in that ph. Lower it to 7.0 they'll be ok and problably wont breed.

[emc7]

If your tetras are happy, don't mess with the pH. If you have a male and female angel, you will prob. eventually have a pair. Most likely the barbs will eat the angel babies. Hard water might keep eggs from hatching, but won't stop pair forming. If the pair get mean and start killing other fish, trade them (angel pairs are always in demand). To get angels to grow, keep the temperature up (80-82), feed protein, and change a lot of water.

[JustOneMore20]

Its my experience that if the Angels don't pair off and you end up keeping a few, they probably won't get along. Maybe I just had cranky Angels though. I'm left with one because the 3 I tried keeping together before did not get along.

I'd be sure to up the number of Rosey Barbs before adding the Angels. I'm not sure how nippy they are, but alot of Barbs have that reputation and its better to be safe than sorry IMO. I'd add atleast a few more.

I'd start with 4-5 Angels and if they are getting along, maybe keep 2-3 of them once they get bigger. You may end up having 2 of the same sex that get along really well and you are able to keep them together. Or you may have cranky Angels that don't ever get along once they mature some. You won't know until you try though.

Cories are excellent tankmates for Angels. I think that with the Blue Tetras, which I've heard are pretty active, you'll have enough activity in the tank and I wouldn't chance more stress on the Angels by adding loaches (which are also balls of energy). It wouldn't do much harm to have the loaches instead though, but I think Cories would be the better choice.

I've heard Angels will breed in all different pH levels, so by having the pH higher, it may not affect them forming a pair.

[Betta1]

Another vote for cories, I've got 3 leucomelas and 1 albino and if I had a 55g I'd have a huge school of them (preferably the same kind as the albino doesn't school with the rest). For now I've got 4 angels and though they're still rather young they get along very well with eachother and with the other tank inhabitants. I know some day my neons will dissappear once they fit in the angels mouth but that won't be for a while. I don't watch this tank much any more so I don't have much input for fish interaction, that is until I redo this tank =D

[Scootydoo]

3 panda cories would be great. And watch those angels they might make snacks of your smaller fish ie blue tetras, my angels are pretty mean.

[Damon]

While rosey barbs are not aggressive at all, a pair of angels (which you will most likely get if you start with 5) could lead to problems. A mated pair will get territorial. Keeping non mated pairs will most likely result in death in a tank that size with the barbs in it. And I don't see the need for a bottom dweller. And angels eat tetras. Just a fact of life in the wild.