Tuesday, March 26, 2013

How Small is Too Small?

I've read many articles about the space needed for angelfish. Most recommend five gallons per fish. I suppose that means they need five gallons to get the right amount of oxygen. Because sometimes a sixty gallon aquarium can be too small for only six angels.

I had six angels who reached their juvenile status at about the same time: two koi angels, two rare blue angels (shown at right), and two blue marbles. The koi angels decided they wanted the entire tank to themselves, which is common when they pare off and decide to mate. They terrorized the others into one corner of the tank, where the blue angels were caught between the aggressive blue marbles and the very aggressive koi angels.

They very rarely hurt each other - I keep a constant eye on their fins and look for signs of nipping. But when the infants left for their new home last week and the infant tank was available, I moved the koi angels. Now they can try their luck at laying eggs and raising their young without fear of predators.

And now the blue angels have claimed one end of the sixty gallon tank while the blue marbles are at the other end. Peace at last!