Large Flame Angel

[Sonicblast12]

One thing I can't really find while searching old threads...what is "normal" behavior for a pair of angels? Still a good deal of chasing here...

 

[Sonicblast12]

Maybe this is just my imagination, but it seems like the larger flame is becoming more male and the smaller more female.

What I mean by that, the male's blue has deepened and traced it's way farther up the body and the fins come to sharp points. The female's blue has receded and the fins have more of a rounded look to them, they had more of a sharp look before I added the male. And looking back at the pictures, you can really see the black stripes on the female are not nearly as bold as they were.

Cool.

Flash didn't go off and I got this picture as a result. I like it.

 

[Sonicblast12]

A couple weeks later and things are still going ok. The smaller flame gets chased enough to have some minor tearing in her fins, but she doesn't seem concerned about it as she follows the male and picks on rock. Both eating NLS pellets and acclimating well to aquarium life.

Will there always be some level of aggression, or will that eventually stop? After about a month together I feel like the worst is behind them, but I've never paired angels before.

 

[Sonicblast12]

Little girl looked a little ragged today, isn't really getting a chance to heal. A substantial bite out of the tail fin was the last straw, out came the eggcrate.

Hoped it wouldn't come to that, but I was prepared for it. Big isn't happy, pacing back and forth trying to find a way to the other side.

 

[Sonicblast12]

I had 2nd thoughts about my tactics. I had the smaller flame behind the eggcrate while the large flame had the run of the rest of the tank. The more I thought about it, the more I thought they should be reversed.

Removed the eggcrate to see how things would go, results were predictable since she was now on his side of the tank.

So I put the eggcrate back so he is in time out while she has the run of the tank. I think this will work better.

 

[wencels]

Just curious but what are they going into after the QT? Maybe that will help with the aggression. I've never tried two pygmies in the same tank, good luck I hope they can get along.

 

[humaguy]

make sure your lights are on a timer...my flame pair used to spawn after the white lights went off and while the actinics and moon lights were on...after the actinics went off they would calm down but would still swim in spirals towards the top of the tank...

 

[Sonicblast12]

The flame tank my only tank without two stage lighting. I suppose that couldn't hurt.

I was thinking about getting an undersized strip for the tank with actinic lighting and just leaving it on 24/7. Looks cool in the kitchen...dark blue shimmer.

I don't think the undulated trig would mind me borrowing one of her lights and trying it out.

Edit: Well that was interesting.

I removed the eggcrate earlier in the day to clean the tank and never replaced it just to see how things would go, the angels pretty much ignored each other all day. As soon as it went to actinic only...attempted murder. Biting and tearing. Yikes.

Eggcrate back in. That big flame may be destined for my aggressive system.