# Koi Angelfish



## Steve_WI (Nov 16, 2002)

To my understanding, Koi Angelfish are the same as the other Angelfish varieties in the pet trade. The only thing different about them compared to other Angelfish is their color.

I can't explain why your Angelfish would be pecking at your plants. Maybe their are little organisms that are present and they are eating them. While I dont know if Angelfish eat algae, maybe they are pecking off little bits of it. 

As far as I know, if anyone wanted to put a cichlid into a planted tank, Angelfish are one of the best cichlids that can be housed in one. They dont destroy planted tanks or dig up the substrate like other cichlids do.

Who knows what they are doing. Have you tried feeding them yet?

A good high quality flake food and thawed frozen brine shrimp or better yet live foods are a good diet.


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## SNPiccolo5 (Oct 6, 2002)

Koi angelfish are notoriously more aggressive than your standard wild-type (not wild-blood) silver angelfish. Not all koi angels are though.

I noticed that my silver angelfish tend to nibble at plants, but never approach harming one. My silvers may just do this because they are 50% wild peruvian scalare, since my D/D darks do not do this and they have no wild blood.

Also, make sure you maintain good water quality because the orange crown on a koi angelfish can _permantley_ fade under the certain bad water conditions. A planted tank is ideal for koi angelfish because they have lots of cover (against aggression) and the water quality is maintained so they keep their color. Hope you enjoy your new angelfish!

-Tim


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## EJSwanny (Oct 29, 2002)

After watching these guys the last couple days I have noticed it is just simple nipping. They seem to nip at everything from air bubbles to gravel... They are as curious as my dog. Have to know everything goin on around them. My Molly's just popped out about 20 fry last night and they are keeping my Angelfish busy too... So far I really like these guys. Real fun to watch.


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## SNPiccolo5 (Oct 6, 2002)

Angelfish are big eaters, they will try to eat about anything! If you have some extra livebearer fry, any angelfish will work together to "hunt" the little fry and it really makes the fish active.

-Tim


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

Another thing they might be doing is clearing a leaf for a spawning site. If they are a pair and they specifically are targeting a particular large, broad leaf, they might be getting ready to lay eggs on it. Check the females ovipositor to see if it is protruding. My Angels used to spawn like clockwork every month or so but haven't even tried in almost a year.


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## SNPiccolo5 (Oct 6, 2002)

Getting ready to spawn would be a possibility, and you would get a large assortment of different fry too. Koi anglefish do not breed true, since koi angels are really gold marble blushers (Gm/Gm S/S or Gm/g S/S). Angelfish genetics is really interesting, if you consider that fact that all phenotypes other than wild-type-silver (+/+) are mutations that have occured.

Unless your angels are unusually docile, if they didn't eat the molly fry, then they probably aren't big enough, or mature enough, to spawn. How big are they (nickle, quarter, dollar, adult)?

-Tim


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## Gezza (Mar 6, 2008)

My koi angels also pecked at anything insight and once ate half a neon tetra thinking it was food before spitting it out. It is just the sort of thing they do some fish dig, some fight, these nip at things, including me should I get too close.


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## catfishbum (Feb 27, 2008)

mine spawn every 2 weeks since last february, over a year strait. I raise the fry and give em to petco. But mine nip at everything too, even more so just before spawning.


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## eden_angelfish (Mar 10, 2008)

I breed angels, and have had mixed results in planted tanks. Most don't bother the plants, some nibble at them, and a few make themselves a nice salad while they wait for dinner. The Koi are pretty, but watch your water parameters carefully. The 'blushing' color varieties (referring to the pink spots on the gills--if your fish do not have this at least when small, they are not actually koi) tend to be more delicate than others, and more susceptible to ammonia/nitrite and disease. They also tend to have more issues with not raising their own fry and eating their eggs. But they aren't all that way, there are definitely good strains out there. If you do end up with a mating pair, they may be very aggressive to tankmates, especially when they have eggs. In that case, I would put them in their own tank. Good luck with them, and I hope you get to enjoy them for years!


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2014)

Tim I was under the impression angels must have soft water, could you let me know, as I am about to get some and have been working on soft water


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