# Suddenly Aggressive Male Angel Fish



## PlantedTankLover (Aug 28, 2010)

I have one male angel fish in my 46 gallon planted tank. He has only been aggressive when he was breeding, but his mate has been gone for more then 6 months now. The last 2 weeks or less he has become really aggressive toward the tetras in the tank. He chases anyone that comes near him until they hide. Most of the fish hide except one stupid molly who likes to hang out at the top (the 2nd molly has been MIA for 3 days now...) and my angle has been really picking on him. The other fish that come out mostly stay at the bottom of the tank or very lose to the plants away from the Angle fish that stays front and center. Help?


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## Imi Statue (Apr 6, 2012)

Big Cichlids are not the only fish that can go "Rogue". I have seen this before in mates of a pair that lost one fish, and he had to be removed before killing all tankmates.

Maybe trade him in for another pair?(just bringing in another female might get her killed) How long have you kept him and about what body size was he when you bought him(i.e. body size quarter/half dollar). If he is older and you have no place else for him think about trading or give to a friend with other fish of like minded temperament.


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## PlantedTankLover (Aug 28, 2010)

I've had him since he was half dollar size. He is my fave fish, awesome personality until a few days ago. Maybe New years really made him mad? He looks like he is standing guard right now. Toward the top middle of the tank almost touching the front glass. I'm worried something is wrong with him.


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## Imi Statue (Apr 6, 2012)

hmmm. are you sure it's not a female guarding some eggs up there?


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## PlantedTankLover (Aug 28, 2010)

Also wanted to add, he attacks the glass when any person is close to the tank. Never did this before either.

No this is the male, acting like he did when there was a female in the tank. ( was able to sex them because I caught her laying the eggs and him fertilizing them, eggs did hatch)


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## Imi Statue (Apr 6, 2012)

Never heard of a male angel having guarding behavior without a female around to contrast him. Hard knowing exactly what is going on inside his little mind, but you obviously have only so many options here like remove him or remove the other fish in some way to protect them. 

Also the Molly that is MIA is probably dead if there is not body did it jump ship?


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## PlantedTankLover (Aug 28, 2010)

Nope no body, but with this tank, if anything were to die, it would be eaten within 24 hours. No way for it to jump out the tank is covered, and where the little holes are for the pipes is covered with foil.


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## Imi Statue (Apr 6, 2012)

If you have a divider for the tank that would be one other option, but I just can't see anyway of fixing this without a total reset of all plants wood and so on or just moving something out like the angel.


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## PlantedTankLover (Aug 28, 2010)

I have some egg crate I can use a divider. Do you think I should give him 1/3 of the tank? Maybe a time out will help calm him down?


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## Imi Statue (Apr 6, 2012)

Time out most likely will do nothing more than make him more aggressive until the tank is rearranged.
Yes the eggcrate will work for him but can the other fish get through that size holes is my only concern?

If not then go fot it and divide and conquer, He will work with only a 1/4 of the tank as long as he gets good filtered water.
Short term is divide.
Long term is to get him someone to play with(another LARGER than himself female) or another set of tank mates with more size and aggressiveness to deal with him(dwarf cichlids larger tetras like congos or fast danios come to mind)
If the former, move the arrangements completely around just before adding the new female and himself to the whole tank again so they both have equal footing and this also might help with the other fish getting along with both the"NEW" fish to their domain.


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## PlantedTankLover (Aug 28, 2010)

Last thing I want to do is get him a girlfriend, last time the tank was a war zone. I'm going to wait it out a few more days. I really dont want to get rid of him, too bad he cant go in to my cichlid tank. lol


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## funkman262 (Nov 11, 2010)

I had the same problem when a couple of my angels paired up and started breeding in my 90g heavily planted tank. I think I started with five and the breeding pair eventually killed the other three. They would also attack the glass whenever I got close. Between them and my breeding pair of kribensis, I was scared to stick my arms into the tank whenever I had to trim the plants or do any maintenance within the tank lol. The kribs especially would nip at me and it would feel like I kept sticking my fingers into a computer fan.


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## Imi Statue (Apr 6, 2012)

Ok, well good luck and happy fish keeping!:icon_smil


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## The Dude (Feb 8, 2011)

I had an Angel like that in my 46g about a year ago. He ended up being given to a friend with a 180 gallon tank. He was beautiful, but man what a **** Strange. I've had success with a mated pair in a 29g. They were kicked out of the 75g by the biggest mated pair. These two pair do not pay any attention to any other fish in the tanks


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## Kromlech54 (Jan 10, 2013)

OK so in my opinion you have 1 of a few options. one to simply donate the fish or sell it to either another aquarist or pet shop and get a batch of new ones. two would be to find him a comparably size young breeder angel or an older angelfish from your local classifieds, if you do take this route I would recommend taking the male you have now out of the tank for a couple weeks or even a month if I you would feel better about it, so he will lose his since of the territory he has set up in the current tank he is in and let the new angelfish establish a territory if it is a slightly smaller female so she will be more dominant in your display tank and then reintroduce the male back into the tank when you feel is a good time. three, introduce multiple young breeder size fish into the tank at one time, you may not know this but angelfish are a shoaling fish and will establish a pecking order. obviously your male being already established in the tank will likely be at the top of that pecking order but his need for that shoal being there will be full filled, obviously I don't want you to overstock your tank to get this effect so if it isn't an option it isn't, out of these three options I would say choose the one that is best for you. hopefully this helps.


_Posted from Plantedtank.net App for Android_


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## PlantedTankLover (Aug 28, 2010)

Thank you everyone. I'm looking for a new home for him. :-(


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