Angel fish spawning in my community tank

[zoon]

I have 7 angels, 3 from a breeder, 3 from my LFS and one given to me as she was lonely 🙁 Since number 7 has joined the others, she has paired up with one of my other and they have started spawning. 2 weeks ago, she laid a large batch of eggs with lasted 2 days before they disappeared (eaten I assume). Today, I have spend the morning waching them spawn again. The pair are keeping the other fish away from the eggs, but aren't being too aggressive. I am worried though, that if the eggs survive this time that they will become very aggressive with the fry to protect.

What is the likelihood of this batch hatching out? Would it be better to give this pair a tank of their own to live in or can a breeding pair of angels be kept in a community tank (500L tank)?

 

[Burnleygaz]

I`d be extremley suprised if they make it past the egg stage in a community tank , angels are prone to eating there own eggs at the best of times, they seem to have a "if we cant raise them we won`t let them be caviar for others" mentality 😛

Does your tank get completley dark when the lights go off ? I always found angels tend to need some time to gather there brood in the evening and a tank thats dimly lit at night , or they can be prone to eating the fry in the morning anyway.(i always thought they forgot who they belonged too 😛)

Saying all that , you have a 500l tank , which depending on stocking would be probably big enough to let your spawning pair to have there own little corner anyway , so the agression might not get any worse anyway.

My advice would to be to wait and see , if you want to breed then your best chances of success would be a seperate tank for the pair/manual raising the eggs/fry (but moving them may break the bond anyway), if you dont i`d let nature take its course and just keep a watchful eye on them to see if they start harrasing your other livestock.

Are your sure you have a male and female ?

 

[zoon]

Watching them spawn, they certainly seem to be a male and female - one is laying eggs and the other seems to be fertilising them. I am not bothered about breeding them, but will be bothered if they become aggressive towards my other fish. ATM they are just chasing the other angels to the other end of the tank. Since I have 5ft of tank, it isn't too terrible - not like they are stuck in a tiny corner. Will just watch and wait then 🙂