# New 60 Gallon Tank



## vintagetankgirl (Feb 25, 2009)

After nearly three years and one 28 gallon, one 15 gallon and one 10 gallon and one 2 gallon....my girlfriend has given me permission to get a larger tank. I found a 60 gallon on craigslist in will be picking it up this week. Of course now I have to take down the 15, 10 and 2! But this means less work during water changes!

I plan to move my stock around a lot. I currently have 1 Angelfish, 5 Bolivian Rams, and 5 cories in my 28 gallon. 1 Angelfish in the 15 high, and 12 juvenile Bolivian Rams in the 10 (need to be moved in the next few weeks!). The 2 gallon is home to an apple snail. 

So the plan is to move both Angels and all of my male Bolivian Rams to the 60 gallon tank. I will keep the 28 gallon tank for a grow out tank for my Bolivian Rams and to keep my female Bolivians in. 

Here is my dilemma. Should I get more Angelfish? I already know my two don't like each other very much as I've tried keeping them together in the 28 gallon. It is my hope that it was because of the small space. I have read that keeping Angels in groups is better, but I keep getting different opinions on numbers. I've heard no less than 4, but 8 is best and never an odd number (I think this was so no one got left out or something...no idea). I've also read different opinions on the number of Angels I can keep in a 60 gallon tank. Some sites say 6 is best giving each fish 10 gallons each. However Aqadivsor says 4 is the max. 

So what do you guys think? How many angels can I keep in a 60 gallon?

Also how should go about moving things? I plan to buy small quarter sized angelfish and grow them out. The two I have now are both 3 inches not including fins. Should I move the 28 gallon Angelfish to the 60 and grow out the new ones in the 28? Or leave everything like it is now and add the new Angels to the 60? Is this a bad idea since the tank will be newly cycled (it will be fully cycled using a seeded filter and pure ammonia until things balance out)?

I hope this makes some kind of sense!

Thanks for any advise!

DB


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## AvocadoPuffDude (Jan 20, 2011)

The only purpose of keeping angels together in a group (aside from whatever aesthetic reasons you might choose) is to find a breeding pair. They like to choose their own mate, and they basically mate for life. if you get a group of 5 or more angels, chances are eventually 2 of them will pick each other (very easy to tell when they do; they are inseparable, swim everywhere in tandem.) Then, they'll start laying eggs, and the idea is to then get rid of all the other non-breeding angels. In this case, odd or even numbers don't play a part. In schooling or shoaling species, they say an odd number, usually 5 or 7, is best, probably to even out the male/female ratio. But in angels, as I said, you put a large group of them together, you WILL get a breeding pair.
The 2 that are currently picking on each other must be doing so because of territory, so they must be feeling cramped where they are. They can grow quickly when healthy and given enough space. Just an aside, angels are some of the most intelligent of tropical fish, imho. And they are relentless hunters when they see babies (thus the need to remove all the non-breeding angels if you wish any of the babies to survive.)
Whatever new fish you get, I would suggest you add them slowly, not all at once. Get 1 or 2 at first, maybe 3 the next time, but just go slowly, don't add a huge stock of new fish all at one time.
Good luck to you!


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## vintagetankgirl (Feb 25, 2009)

Thanks for responding. I definitely shouldn't want Angelfish babies! But I do...I have had three successful Bolivian Ram fry "births" and was only able to keep one alive by moving the paired mother and father to my 10 gallon. I later removed the adults because of the size of the tank, and I now have around 12 1 inch (some smaller) Bolivian Rams (so cute).

I would LOVE to see this cycle of life with Angelfish, I think they are beautiful and all the color variations astound me. I totally agree with them being smart. Sometimes I swear I see the gears turning when I watch them interact with the other fish. 

As for buying more Angels in a group (4 at once maybe), If I move all the fish from my 28 to the 60 once its cycled, couldn't I add 4 or so Angelfish to the 28 gallon since it is fully cycled and has been running for 3 years this Feb? My plan is to let the new Angelfish grow so they are more similar in size to my current two. 

Also I haven't put my Angels in the same tank since the first and last try of 2010. They spent one week together and the younger one maybe half in inch smaller than my Goldie took a beating so I had to put her back in the 15 high. Now she is 3 inches across not including fins and I hate to see her stuck in such a small tank. A side note, both of my Angels are female as they lay eggs every month or so. 

Does any of this change your advise? Anyone else have something to add?

Thanks again!


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