Do angelfish pairs actually swim together?
- Thread starter djkms
- Start date
LukFox
Active member
Often times the pairs they offer are not even mature pairs, they are just fish that don't kill each other when kept together. You can hope they pair later, but it may not be easy (I see them offering juvenile angels of the same size as a pair, and that can be very tricky ime).
Once paired angels will kind of do their own thing partly, but once they come back together in the tank they are allowed to share the same "personal space." You can tell that fish typically have a bubble around them, but with paired angels they can get right up close to each other without issues. My regal pair hangs out together more than my cherub trio, though. The cherubs frequently touch base with each other, too, and the male pays the girls a lot of attention once it gets late (spawning time). The interaction of a pair is worth it, imo.
Once paired angels will kind of do their own thing partly, but once they come back together in the tank they are allowed to share the same "personal space." You can tell that fish typically have a bubble around them, but with paired angels they can get right up close to each other without issues. My regal pair hangs out together more than my cherub trio, though. The cherubs frequently touch base with each other, too, and the male pays the girls a lot of attention once it gets late (spawning time). The interaction of a pair is worth it, imo.
Angel*Fish
cats and large squashes
I wouldn't get the Potter's unless you keep a cool tank - say around 70 -72.
Yes, you have to be careful, sometimes two males will seem to tolerate each other and they'll be sold as a pair.
Agree about the spawning. They will graze together at times and at other times not. You'll see dominance displays of chasing. Watching them interact when they meet each other in the tank is very interesting.
The male will not let other fish pick on the female and she knows it. When I paired my argi's. The tiny female argi was one of the last fish added to the tank. I made sure to put her in where the male could see her and he immediately took her under his protection and she followed him around a lot until everybody in the tank got used to her or understood -hands off.
If I had to pick only two, I would always opt for a pair rather than two different species, much more interesting.
Yes, you have to be careful, sometimes two males will seem to tolerate each other and they'll be sold as a pair.
Agree about the spawning. They will graze together at times and at other times not. You'll see dominance displays of chasing. Watching them interact when they meet each other in the tank is very interesting.
The male will not let other fish pick on the female and she knows it. When I paired my argi's. The tiny female argi was one of the last fish added to the tank. I made sure to put her in where the male could see her and he immediately took her under his protection and she followed him around a lot until everybody in the tank got used to her or understood -hands off.
If I had to pick only two, I would always opt for a pair rather than two different species, much more interesting.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Even when Angels do "swim together", they can still be six apart. Their space on the reef is much bigger than even the largest home tank. IMO, this is why so many people are disappointed when schooling fish don't school---they do, but we don't have the room. Clowns are the exception. On the reef, they live in, and very close to, an anemone; so they stay close in the tank.
LukFox
Active member
Exactly. The cherubs are all aware of each other but they split up for most of the day. I see the regals together more often to graze or cruise together, but I also see them on separate ends of the aquarium too. Their little interactions are still very fun to watch, but angels won't be joined at the hip.
LargeAngels
Premium Member
IME I would say they don't swim together very often. They tolerate each other. A pair is not as natural for dwarfs as harems are.
Angel*Fish
cats and large squashes
I wouldn't describe my pairs as just tolerating each other at all. To me the behavior seemed very similar as with clowns except they would go off on their own to graze. They certainly did not ignore each other.
Yes, there's no question in my mind that the male protects his female. I had seen it with the flame pair, though there was little aggression toward the female. But that argi was so small, everybody wanted to get in on harassing her and the male wouldn't have it.
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