# Angelfish make noises



## Herky (Apr 23, 2009)

For a little while I just thought I was crazy, but my Angelfish (and presumably all angels) make a noise. They do it a lot too. I can't find any information on its significance or how it happens or why, but it would be an equivalent noise to us clicking our tongues.

I hear them do it about every day now that I put them in a bigger tank and I sit closer to them. They're doing it right now actually. Anyone know why or how they do this?

I assume its a defensive or warning mechanism of some sort, produced by their pharyngeal teeth possibly?


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## mrdemin (Oct 4, 2009)

Hmm, haven't heard mine make any noises!


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## NC Frank (Aug 24, 2009)

Herky said:


> For a little while I just thought I was crazy, but my Angelfish (and presumably all angels) make a noise. They do it a lot too. I can't find any information on its significance or how it happens or why, but it would be an equivalent noise to us clicking our tongues.
> 
> I hear them do it about every day now that I put them in a bigger tank and I sit closer to them. They're doing it right now actually. Anyone know why or how they do this?
> 
> I assume its a defensive or warning mechanism of some sort, produced by their pharyngeal teeth possibly?


I have had angels for 30 years and never heard a noise... 

They do let me pet them though.


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## Herky (Apr 23, 2009)

They do it mostly when they are agitated. I'm not making it up, not hallucinating. I have several people who have also witnessed/heard it. It's pretty neat. I'll have to try and get a video. It's fairly random so it may be difficult. After scouring and scouring the web more I have read on a few sites that they do indeed make a noise with their pharyngeal teeth as I had expected. 

NC Frank- Don't take this the wrong way, but do you sit within a few feet of your aquarium on a daily basis? I ask because, being unemployed/college student and the way I have things set up, I sit in very close proximity to my tank for a majority of every day, the tank less than 3 feet from me. I suspect you haven't heard it if you have a more normal setup than I do hahaha. It would be easy to miss with ambient noise if I were further away, but as I have said...I have 3 others who have seen and heard this behavior with my fish so I don't think I'm completely crazy. A little, sure...but not totally.


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## NC Frank (Aug 24, 2009)

Herky said:


> They do it mostly when they are agitated. I'm not making it up, not hallucinating. I have several people who have also witnessed/heard it. It's pretty neat. I'll have to try and get a video. It's fairly random so it may be difficult. After scouring and scouring the web more I have read on a few sites that they do indeed make a noise with their pharyngeal teeth as I had expected.
> 
> NC Frank- Don't take this the wrong way, but do you sit within a few feet of your aquarium on a daily basis? I ask because, being unemployed/college student and the way I have things set up, I sit in very close proximity to my tank for a majority of every day, the tank less than 3 feet from me. I suspect you haven't heard it if you have a more normal setup than I do hahaha. It would be easy to miss with ambient noise if I were further away, but as I have said...I have 3 others who have seen and heard this behavior with my fish so I don't think I'm completely crazy. A little, sure...but not totally.


I started keeping my own angels when I was 13 (24 years ago) and my father kept them since before I was born. I used to sleep about 3 feet from my favorite angel trio from the time I was 13 until I was in college (black, pearl scale and white yellow marble - had them from quarter size to full grown monsters). I can feed my current angels by hand, pet them, etc. I used to breed angels also. Never heard one make noise. I am not saying that it isn't possible... because nothing surprises me in this hobby. I just find it hard to believe that they could make a noise loud enough for you to hear through the water/glass and above even the most quiet filtration systems with minimal ambient noise. I also do my best to not make my angels agitated. :-D


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## Herky (Apr 23, 2009)

I know...it's very odd. I didn't believe it until I watched/heard it happening. The reason I noticed it is because ever since I moved my angels into this bigger, planted tank, all of my marble angels have been ganging up on my silver angels and keeping them confined to one corner. They attack them relentlessly if the silvers come out, and they do the flashing thing, and make this noise as they I guess try to intimidate the silvers? I think I really need to take the silvers back to the store before they get killed. Sucks since I've raised them since they were the size of my thumbnail and they are now bigger than my hand, but I don't want them to get bullied to death. 

It's definitely an aggression related occurrence I can tell you that much. They were fine in a small tank together...I give them room and it's like world war 3 breaks out in my tank.


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## roroek (Sep 18, 2014)

Hello, I've found exactly the same thing as you!!! When it comes to feeding time my pearl coloured Angel fish makes a clicking noise! I though it was something else to begin with but it's definitely the Angel fish!


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## Rainbowfish87 (Mar 28, 2014)

*Angel's noises?*



Herky said:


> For a little while I just thought I was crazy, but my Angelfish (and presumably all angels) make a noise. They do it a lot too. I can't find any information on its significance or how it happens or why, but it would be an equivalent noise to us clicking our tongues.
> 
> I have had angels since I started in the hobbie and I have never heard anything but I do have friends not one several that have told me abut those noises, so I believe it I just wish I could hear them myself.:neutral:


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## [email protected] (Nov 10, 2019)

Hi I have angels also and you are correct, mine do the same noises it's a low clicking noise it's my male angel that does it when he is aggressive. I thought it was my filter or air pump, but it's not.


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## Mongo4pika (Mar 31, 2020)

Herky said:


> For a little while I just thought I was crazy, but my Angelfish (and presumably all angels) make a noise. They do it a lot too. I can't find any information on its significance or how it happens or why, but it would be an equivalent noise to us clicking our tongues.
> 
> I hear them do it about every day now that I put them in a bigger tank and I sit closer to them. They're doing it right now actually. Anyone know why or how they do this?
> 
> I assume its a defensive or warning mechanism of some sort, produced by their pharyngeal teeth possibly?


My Alpha female does this three times to ward off the other female in the tank from “her man.” Not all the time, but she is a black veil lady, who doesn’t actually like to fight, but will assert her dominance. 😂


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