# Schooling fish?



## FPiX (Dec 29, 2008)

What types of schooling fish won't fit into adult angelfish's mouths? My angelfish are only quarter-size right now, but am wondering about the long run. The only ones I can think of are Emperors.


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## lotsofish (Feb 28, 2008)

I have a large school of lemon tetras with my angelfish. In the past, I've kept them with serpae tetras, cardinal tetras and black neons.

If you want larger schooling fish, you could try rainbowfish.


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## FPiX (Dec 29, 2008)

lotsofish said:


> I have a large school of lemon tetras with my angelfish. In the past, I've kept them with serpae tetras, cardinal tetras and black neons.
> 
> If you want larger schooling fish, you could try rainbowfish.


Thanks for the quick response! I'll see what I can get :thumb:


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

:lol:

G'day *FPiX*,

This is an old debate here. There is a LFS near me that has a planted display tank that has many species of tetras in it. There is not an Angel on this earth that could eat the rummynose or glowlight tetras in this tank, they are massive. And they used to be mine before I traded them in.

Others to consider could be Bleeding Heart tetras, Black Phantom tetras, Penguin tetras, Diamond tetras, Head and Tail tetras, and a new one I'm on the look out for Broken Line Tetra Hemigrammus ulreyi


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## DiscusQueen (Jul 16, 2007)

Hi... I had a school of 30 rummynoses in with adult angels and adult discus... no issues whatsoever... until I sold the discus and added rescued sevs... then they were caviar :lol: :lol: . They are without a doubt the best schooling fish ever...and I think that as long as you stay away from anything really tiny like guppies and neons you will be fine. I've had angels with cardinals (get them large), rummys, lemons, black phantoms/skirts pristellas and too many others to remember.. the larger bodied ones will all be fine.. at least they should be.. if your tank space permits get enough to really make a school.. Don't know how big your tank is but there is a huge difference between seeing 6 and seeing 15 schooling tetras... Good luck Sue


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## dawgboy311 (Jan 15, 2004)

I like black tetras, and red eye tetras.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

another vote for the bleeding hearts. When full grown, they're pretty big. They also school pretty nicely.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Black tetras are nasty and nippy IMHO!!

Rummynoses are by far the best. My school lives with two giant angels with no issues.

Black phantoms and pristellas are also good.


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

Columbian (AKA Red-Blue) Tetra's have worked out pretty well with our big guys. I've only lost one in a couple months or so, and I think that was disease (I found it under some driftwood).

Even medium sized tetra's tend to disappear. Our red-eyes started disappearing every once and a while, and then they just started getting *lunched*.

-Ryan


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## leopio (Nov 18, 2007)

Hey RyanR how many columbians did you have? what size tank? and did they ever nipp on the angelfish fins? am think about getting 10 to 15 but not sure.


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

We've got about 8 in one tank (with the black belt and severum).... and then I picked up another 10 recently, which need to grow out a bit before I put them in with the chocolate. :lol:

I haven't seen them to be nippy at all. They spend the time doing the typical tetra thing: working on their pecking order.

I'm considering buying up the remaining stock at the LFS (they originally ordered them for me!). They're really pretty fish that get decent sized.

-Ryan


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## KoalaBear (Jan 13, 2009)

I bought some lemons a week or so back for my 75g... They don't school like the tetras I have had in the past. They are currently in the tank with a school of gold tetras and a couple really young blue rams. The golds school fairly well IMO.... And get larger but might be too small for Angels when they are smaller. I have always been a sucker for a large school of either cardinals or rummynose... They school great and bring the color to the tank...


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## Sulander (May 31, 2005)

I've got 13 Buenos Aires Tetras in with my Angels in a 4ft tank. They are too big to get chomped by the Angels and don't nip at Angels fins either. They don't school as well as I would like but when they do it looks great!


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

Buenos Aires Tetras were on my short list.... but all we have locally are albinos. To freaky for me! :lol:

-Ryan


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## leopio (Nov 18, 2007)

am considering adding about 15 columbians and 15 bleeding heart tetra to my 75 gal Long (5ft.) with a pair of geos (Acarichthys heckelii). Just love the way columbians look and how big they get for being a tetra


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## KoalaBear (Jan 13, 2009)

Have you found the Buenos Aires eat your plants? I have heard they will just about any plant... I saw a group shredding hornwort in a tank last week...


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

KoalaBear said:


> I bought some lemons a week or so back for my 75g... They don't school like the tetras I have had in the past. They are currently in the tank with a school of gold tetras and a couple really young blue rams. The golds school fairly well IMO.... And get larger but might be too small for Angels when they are smaller. I have always been a sucker for a large school of either cardinals or rummynose... They school great and bring the color to the tank...


Interesting. My lemons school very well together, much better than the bleeding hearts. I'd love to add more, but I don't know if they're going to get big enough to stay out of hungry severum mouths. I think they just won't get big enough.


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## snakedoc (Jan 3, 2008)

I have a small school of cardinal tetras in with my angels. I have heard people say that this combination will not work, that the angel will eventually eat them but my angel is full size and the tetras are pretty hefty themselves. I have never had a problem with it. The tetras were in the tank first and a decent size when I got the angels (as babies) so that may also have contributed. Beautiful tetras though. Heres a pic.










Rich


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## KoalaBear (Jan 13, 2009)

Some of my lemons are really large so I would think they would be safe... Even my golds are large.

The lemons do stick together but they hang out on the bottom and don't really swim around the tank.

If you were closer I would gladly give you some more. I have a school of 20+ right now.


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## leopio (Nov 18, 2007)

that doesn't look like a full size angel


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## snakedoc (Jan 3, 2008)

You are right, that picture is abut 6 months old, and it probably is not maxed out in size even today. From the tip of the nose to the base of the tail it is about 4 inches. I have seen slightly larger angels. I will try to post another current picture if you like. 
Still I would say that these two species can be kept together without problems. I guess everyone has different experiences and opinions, but that's why forums exist right?


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## DiscusQueen (Jul 16, 2007)

Hi.. I've had rummys with angels that were full grown.. about 8 or 9 inches including their fins.. no problems.. I think a lot depends on the temperment of the fish.. I've also had columbian tetras that were nippy.. sometimes you just have to give it a try and see.. usually if the school is big enough the tetras leave the others alone and if the tetras are big enough everyone else leaves them alone.. Rummys are definitely the best schoolers... I removed my lemons also as they kinda stayed together but didn't really school like the rummys did.Good luck whatever you choose... Sue


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## leopio (Nov 18, 2007)

i agree it all depends on the temperment of each fish


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## Sulander (May 31, 2005)

KoalaBear said:


> Have you found the Buenos Aires eat your plants? I have heard they will just about any plant... I saw a group shredding hornwort in a tank last week...


I've never seen then eat my plants but something is definately shredding my swords and Anubias. Now that you've mentioned it KoalaBear I'd say it must be the Buenos Aires. Jerks :wink:


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