Are Angels just weak fish in general?

PuffersKick

New member
This is now the 2nd Emperor Angelfish I've gotten that has gotten sick. And I've taken all the proper precautions. QT, quality feeding, I have 2 UVs on my tank, skimmer, you name it. Despite all this this he still got sick! Every other fish in my tank is fine and my water paramaters are good.

Should I just give up on angelfish, or at least this particular type of angel?
 
In general Angels are actually strong fish.
Most of the P.imperator in the trade are coming mainly from two locations where collecting with cyanide and other chemicals is still widely used, Indonesia and Phillipines.
Im not saying your fish was collected with cyanide, Im saying there's a chance it was, it will be much weaker specimen and prone to all kinds of diseases if it was.

It could have been a perfect specimen as well.
A good skimmer and UV do not guarantee you an ideal water quality+disease free.
The fact that your current fish in the tank are OK, also doesnt mean to say that your tank is disease free.

You said the fish got sick.
What were the sympthoms?
You might have something in your tank that your other fish in the tank got immuned to, and it will attck any other fish, and of course it does not matter if you Q them or not.

More details needed.
 
I agree with Vili_Shark, angels are usually pretty tough with a few exceptions and emps are usually very strong. I totally agree with the whole Indo and Phillipine bad fish link. Most of the angels in the trade come from here, these folks use cyanide, and angels are one of those fishes most likely to have this drug used in their collection. I would pay more for an angel from just about anywhere else. How long has your tank been set up, angels do like a seasoned tank.
 
I work PT at a LFS and I've seen lots come in looking doomed before they even go into the tanks - pale, thin, refusing to eat - and blame their condition on collection or shipping practices. Each time I have seen a healthy specimen, I knew it right away; I think an angel in good shape is unmistakable: they're fat, bold and tough as nails. Once you find one in good condition, I agree, they're strong fish. For me, the trouble was finding those healthy individuals to start with because so many arrive in lousy shape.
 
A lot of times, Ich will exist in a display tank, while the residents eventually develop some immunity to it. New fish introduced will get it due to stress. Your best solution is to isolate all your fish from your display for at least 5 weeks, and house them in a hypo environment. Keeping the display fishless for that time will break the cycle.
 
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