How many Angelfish Should be Kept Together?

Angelfish is the name that hangs on the mouth of every aquarium owner. It is one of the most popular fish species to have in an aquarium.

Their elegant fins are what gather attention. They are also easy to breed and come with a territorial nature. For keeping angelfish in your aquarium you must keep all the conditions precise.

Out of all these, you must know the number of Angelfish that must be kept in a single tank. This comes as a tricky aspect as they are territorial and aggressive but thrive when kept in groups. 

In this article, we will take things out of the woodwork regarding the number of Angelfish to be kept together in a tank. 

How many Angelfish should be kept together? 

Angelfish are territorial and aggressive species of fish. Though it fills us with irony knowing that they do well and have a better life when kept in groups.

So if you are thinking of getting an Angelfish for your tank, you must get 5 or 6 of them for a single tank.

You can keep a group of 5 or 6 Angelfish in an 80-gallon tank. You can add more Angelfish to this group but not too much.

Keeping too many Angelfish in a tank will make it hard for you to maintain them.

If you add one or two Angelfish, remember to increase the size of the tank by 10 gallons per fish.

If you are getting a young and immature group of Angelfish, you can keep 5 or 6 of them in a 55-gallon tank.

Although you must increase the tank size in the coming days as they grow up. As they increase in size, their territorial nature comes into play, and you must provide them with space.

Can I keep a pair of Angelfish in a tank? 

Well, not all of us have large tanks. The issues may be because of inadequate space in your home.

If you wish to keep Angelfish and don’t have the required tank size, don’t worry, you can keep them in pairs.

You can add one or two pairs of Angelfish if you have a smaller tank. Just don’t keep an Angelfish alone in a tank.

How many Angelfish to keep in a Community Tank? 

You might be thinking that keeping Angelfish in a community tank is not ideal owing to their aggressive and territorial nature.

It is safe to say that keeping Angelfish in a community tank is perfectly fine. You only have to have the precise number of fish in the tank.

The number of Angelfish you should keep in a communal tank is determined by the size of the tank.

Even though the tank size is similar, Angelfish’s overall number in a community tank is frequently fewer than their total number in their single particular tank.

In the 80-gallon communal tank, you may have up to 4 Angelfish. Because a community tank contains various fish species, including Angelfish, you must not add too many of them.

As a result, the community tank size determines how many Angelfish should be kept together in a single aquarium.

Tank size for Angelfish 

Tank size is an important aspect in the case of Angelfish. For it is not ideal to keep them alone, and they are territorial.

For a single Angelfish, 10-gallon tank size is the minimum. With this size, a single Angelfish will have enough place to call its territory. 

You are recommended to keep about 5 to 6 Angelfish in a tank of about 80 gallons.

This is if it’s a tank specifically meant for Angelfish. If it’s a community tank you can keep 4 of them in an 80-gallon tank.

But if you don’t have a big tank, you can keep a pair of them. A 20-gallon tank is the minimum tank size you can go for a pair. 

If you want to add more Angelfish to a tank, you must increase the tank size by 10 gallons per fish. Although, don’t overcrowd the tank.

Can I keep a single Angelfish in a tank? 

You must not keep an Angelfish alone in a tank. It can be sensible to keep them alone as they are highly territorial.

So by keeping them in solidarity, you might think they will have their sweet spot where they can live peacefully. But the situation will be entirely different.

Keeping Angelfish only in a tank is detrimental to the species. From the outside, a single surviving Angelfish may appear normal, yet they will be disturbed.

A sole Angelfish is never happy, and they’re more aggressive than the average fish. So it becomes necessary to provide them a companion of their own species.

Even if they are in an community tank they must be kept in pairs. 

Why should you not keep a single Angelfish in a tank? 

By now you already know that Angelfish should not be kept alone in a tank. They require the companionship of their kind. It is not always that an issue keeping a single Angelfish in a community tank. But to be safe its better you keep them in a pair.

Keeping an Angelfish alone in a tank brings forth the following issues. 

As you already know, Angelfish belongs to the aggressive category of fishes. Although, this aggression can get heightened if they are kept alone.

They won’t take the situation of being alone in a tank quite well. They will begin to feel uneasy, and anxious and take other species of fish as danger.

So out of the instinct of protecting themselves, they will begin attacking other fishes. 

Not just aggressive but the uneasiness and anxiousness brought about by being kept in solidarity may bring forth detrimental behavior in them.

Such as slyness and a decrease in the diet. So all this leads to stress, and we know that stress leads to diseases. 

If kept alone in a tank they won’t be able to mate. When it comes to Angelfish mating, they must locate a species-specific mate in the tank. They can’t locate a breeding mate if they’re kept alone.

They become more hostile as a result of the unsatisfied mating incentive.

Benefits of keeping angelfish in a group 

Always keep Angelfish in a group of about 5 or 6 in an aquarium. They thrive in a group and find comfort in it.

There are a lot of benefits that come from keeping these species of fish in a group. 

• If you keep Angelfish in a group, they will feel assured and safe. Even in a community tank, if they have their kind around, they will feel safe.
• They can even adapt to the aquarium perfectly, if they have their species around. Their aggression also goes down.
• The breeding phase of this species also goes through smoothly when they have their species around them.

So all this adds up to the fact that Angelfish must be kept in a group. 

Tank Mates for Angelfish 

As Angelfishes are aggressive species, it might be hard to pair them up with other species of fish.

But some species serve as perfect tankmates for Angelfish. The best tankmates for Angelfish are Discus fish, Dwarf Cichlid, Molly Fish, Dwarf Gouramis, Small Catfish, Plecos, Tetras, and Cory Catfish.

These species are the best tankmates for Angelfish. Although you must not add an excess of them as it will trigger the territorial nature of Angelfish. 

You must never keep an Angelfish with species such as Convict Cichlid, Oscars, Barbs, bettas, African Cichlids, and South American Cichlids.

Care for Angelfish 

Water Temperature and Water Parameters for Angelfish 

As it is with every fish, you must maintain the water parameters in the tank. These species of fish prefer water temperatures ranging between 78℉ to 86℉.

The pH level of the water must be ranging between 6 to 8. The hardness of the must be around 3 to 8 dKH.

You are required to keep the water parameters always constant. Fluctuations in the water parameters can stress these fish and make them uneasy.

Diet and Feeding of Angelfish 

Angelfish are easy to feed and will eat a variety of floating and sinking fish meals. You can feed them krill flakes, freeze-dried bloodworms, and tubifex worms.

Frozen bloodworms are essential if you wish to fatten up the adults in preparation for breeding.

The best technique to assure rapid development and a high survival percentage for the fry is to hatch out live newborn brine shrimp.

Tank Setup for Angelfish 

Regarding the tank setup, let us begin with the substrate. For Angelfish you can keep a sandy or a fine gravel substrate. Lighting is also required for Angelfish.

You should provide them with 8 to 12 hours of light. The plant is also a necessity for Angelfish.

The plants provide the fish with hiding spots and the females will have the pace to spawn their eggs. Add plants such as Amazon Sword plants, Java fern, and Java Moss. 

You must also do a water change of about 20% to 25% weekly. You must keep the water clean and the condition always good. Keep the water parameters always in the optimal condition and don’t let them fluctuate.

Do all this and the Angelfish will have a healthy and beneficial life.

Conclusion

An Angelfish is a peculiar species. They are aggressive and territorial but are at their best when they live in a group.

You should always keep them in a group of 5 to 6 in an aquarium. If you are not able to maintain them in a group, then go for a pair.

Just don’t ever keep a single Angelfish in a tank.

Also, don’t try to keep 3 of them. Make sure all the tank parameters are in the range of their liking. If you do this they will not have any trouble living in your aquarium.