# angel behaviors? and help sexing my angels!



## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

i have 2 black angels. i bought them 6 days ago from a self owned petstore. 
the tank that they were in had 3 black angels, 2 that were right next to each toehr swimming together and 1 that was all by itself doing its own thing. i bought the 2 that where swimming next to eachother hopeing that they would maybe be already starting to pair.

so i brought them home, they stayed in like 1/4 of the tank for a day or 2 except when eating, then they went a day or 2 on opposite sides of the tank and i even say angel 2 go by angel 1 and there was a tiny bit of nipping. now they are swimming together like a couple.

im not sure how to sex angels except for the hump males get. and my angels might be to yound to sex but is there any way to tell there sex or age? and when they be at age to be sexed?

and also the picture of the bolivain ram i was wondering if you could tell me if it was a male or female, i think its a female.


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https://flic.kr/p/6872514609
left- angel 1, right- angel 2

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https://flic.kr/p/6872513955
left- angel 1, right- angel 2

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https://flic.kr/p/6872513475
angel 2

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https://flic.kr/p/6872512521
angel 2

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https://flic.kr/p/6872513085
angel 1

ram:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] ... hotostream
also if possible could you answer my question about ram paring, i havent gotten any answers yet thanks


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## strat guy (Dec 5, 2011)

Forget sexing them until they spawn. There's no surefire 100% way to tell until they're spawning. Once they pair up, generally the female's ovipositor will be rounded, the male will have a pointed breeding tube. The nuchal hump, the size of the fish, etc, are not reliable signs of sex.


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

What age do they normal come I to maturity and mate?
And are they to young to even pair up(they aren't exactly young, but not to old), or they at a good size to start looking for a mate?


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## strat guy (Dec 5, 2011)

Well its hard to tell how big they are from the pictures, but its not really size that matters. Angelfish grow at different rates and you can have a spawn of 100 angels and at 3 months have some that are 4" long and some that are still only 1". The genes in the different strains dictate how big they get and how fast they grow. I'm not an expert on all that, if you want some real info, I would suggest finding a forum dedicated to angelfish, there's a few of them out there. Generally they become sexually mature at around 1 year, give or take. You'll know when they're ready to breed when two of them start fighting and going off by themselves in a corner of the tank.

If you're really looking at breeding them, the best way to do it is to get 5 or 6 of them and let them pair off on your own. For all you know, both of your angels could be the same sex. Also, sometimes cichlids get choosey about their mates, and if ones a male and he decides he doesn't like the female, she could get pretty messed up.

How big is your tank? Do you have any other fish in there? Do you have room for some other angels of similar size?


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## aquariam (Feb 11, 2010)

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https://flic.kr/p/6872513955

I'd bet money the fish on the right is female. I reviewed all the pics. 
I'm pretty good with calling angels. It's all in the face. Same as Bolivian Rams.


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## BelieveInBlue (Jul 17, 2011)

aquariam said:


> http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/6872513955/
> 
> I'd bet money the fish on the right is female. I reviewed all the pics.
> I'm pretty good with calling angels. It's all in the face. Same as Bolivian Rams.


Actually, it's all in the vent; until you see the genital pallila, there's no sure way to tell if they're male or female; especially with man-made strains of angels. Not even going to bother with attempting to sex them; just wait for the eggs; they'll spawn soon enough, and once they do, you'll know.


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

i hope these are a male and female couple. but i guess ill just have to wait and see!

angels are able to eat a full grown platty.. right?


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## strat guy (Dec 5, 2011)

Nah, their mouths stay really small. The biggest food they'll go after are feeder guppies and neon tetras. Anything bigger is completely safe. Platy babies in the other hand... toast.


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

Ok good, people on a different website where saying that Angels can eat platties? And I'm like no no no! Lol


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## BelieveInBlue (Jul 17, 2011)

Platys get ~2.5 inches, so no, full grown platies are safe; the ones you usually buy at a fishstore are around 1 inch though, and those may become snacks for large angels.


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

yea! thats what i was saying.


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

So my angels are growing up a bit. HavE gained some weight and are bigger.
But haven't paired up. So I'm guess they never will. I still don't no what the sex is but the bigger one looks like hes getting a bump on his forehead like males get and the other one doesn't have any kind of bump starting. But they do not lip lock like rival males would, the bigger one(male maybe) just nips at the smaller one. The smaller one has places on it body where I think the other angel fish and like got scales off or something.
I'm just not sure what this behavior means and what the normal behavior is with 2 males 2 females and 1M:1F? Could you tell me!
They are in a 38 gal but A's soon A's I sell all my baby black bristlenose plecos I will put them in my 75 gal!


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

hey guys! instead of having 2 black angels i now have 4 angels. (only 1 black angel) and need help telling which kind they are and possibly the sex! thanks

angel 1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]Ã¢â‚¬Â¦ 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]Ã¢â‚¬Â¦
angel 1 and 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]Ã¢â‚¬Â¦
angel 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]Ã¢â‚¬Â¦
angel 3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]Ã¢â‚¬Â¦

thank you!!!

also this coming thursday i will be going to the store and looking at angels and was wondering if by adding another angel or 2, would theyre be any problems doing that?

i had 2 angels(the black and the white) in my tank for a week then bought the other 2 angels and put them in with no problems. now a week later can i do the same thing if i find a angel or 2 that i like?
they all seem pretty happy toether and so far no agression is happening.


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

can anyone tell the sex and species?


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

Do these pictures links even work?


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

pictures don't work


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## PaulineMi (Apr 3, 2008)

jsmeesterr said:


> Do these pictures links even work?


Nope. :-?


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

opps! hopefuly these ones work. i would like sex if possible 
this is a bad picture but... http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] ... hotostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] ... hotostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] ... hotostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] ... otostream- what speices is this angel?
thank youu


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## mok3t (Nov 28, 2008)

Most angels available are going to be Pterophyllum Scalare. You may find leopoldi now and then but they're easily distinguished by the really pointy face. What you have are just different colour strains of scalare.

As mentioned before, sexing abgels on sight alone is tricky. Had some massive forehead males start laying eggs before. Most unsettling.


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

hello. i want to do an update on my 4 angels becuase they are confusing me! lol.
just a review:
so i have 4 angels, 1 black angel, 1 marble angel, 1 gold veil angel, and one "common" angel- like a smokey angel or something.

well my angels are nice size and are defanitly breeding age(*** seen youtube video with angels half the size breeding). 
so, i have a guess on what sex my angels are due to behaivors which would be 3 males and 1 female-which my guess is the smokey mixed angel. who is also the biggest. my marble angel and gold veil angel and smokey mixed angel are almost ALWAYS together. they swim in a tri group with the gold veil and marble tailing the smokey which makes me think that the smokey is a female and the godl veil and marble are males trying to pair with her. the black angel is always by itself but of course is my favorite one! my guess would be that the gold veil and the smokey are going to pair, but why havent they yet?

i was going to wait till my angles pair and then sell the rest, but i will not sell the marble or black angel as they are both my favorite. i do not want the gold viel to be in the pair that i keep because hes ugly. do you think i could sell the gold viel and then maybe add a koi rouhgly the same size and be able to get away with it?

what are your opinions on the sexs due to the behaviors i mentioned?


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

pictures don't work.


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## thefishkeeper (Sep 16, 2011)

no, they do not work


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

that was a long time ago


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## thefishkeeper (Sep 16, 2011)

ya, just noticed now ...i was a little tired


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## jsmeesterr (Nov 28, 2011)

lol it's okay!


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