# Compatibility with angelfish?



## truman (Jun 16, 2013)

Community tank 55 gallons
Can someone tell me if these fish seem compatible together: 2 angelfish, 1 dwarf gourami, 6 serpae tetras, and one dalmation molly.
Thanks!


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

truman said:


> Community tank 55 gallons
> Can someone tell me if these fish seem compatible together: 2 angelfish, 1 dwarf gourami, 6 serpae tetras, and one dalmation molly.
> Thanks!


Serpae Tetra's can become nippy, and I might select more friendly tetra's such as Bleeding heart,Lemon, Emperor,which are a bit too large to be considered food for adult Angelfish,and much less nippy.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I agree. Never combine Serpae T [or other known nipping fish] with slow, sedate or long-fin fish like angelfish and gourami. This is comparable to waving a red flag in front of a bull.

I would not combine gourami and angelfish because they are so similar in their territorial nature. In a large enough tank, this might work, depending upon the fish themselves and their respective numbers and the environment (aquascape).

The molly needs moderately hard to hard water, the others do not, so knowing the GH and pH would help.

Byron.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Byron said:


> I agree. Never combine Serpae T [or other known nipping fish] with slow, sedate or long-fin fish like angelfish and gourami. This is comparable to waving a red flag in front of a bull.
> 
> I would not combine gourami and angelfish because they are so similar in their territorial nature. In a large enough tank, this might work, depending upon the fish themselves and their respective numbers and the environment (aquascape).
> 
> ...


IDK Byron... I'm successfully keeping 4 angels and 3 guaramis together. They dont bother eachother at all. But I did go absoutely insane when I was ordering plants for the tank lol... It's a 75g though and I do think as they get older eventually I'll need a bigger tank. But I coudn't imagine either of those putting up with nippy fish one bit.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Agent13 said:


> IDK Byron... I'm successfully keeping 4 angels and 3 guaramis together. They dont bother eachother at all. But I did go absoutely insane when I was ordering plants for the tank lol... It's a 75g though and I do think as they get older eventually I'll need a bigger tank. But I coudn't imagine either of those putting up with nippy fish one bit.


The angel/gourami is not easy to second guess; as you can confirm, it sometimes works. Which is why I said might work in large enough tank. I have to be careful advising on fish compatibility because individual fish can be very different from other fish in the same species. I take the approach that pointing out the "probable" is safer than advising against.

It is one thing for someone like us with several tanks [I'm making an assumption that you have more than one tank, I know I do:lol:] to "try" something and have to move this or that fish. But most of our new members likely have one tank running, and when they encounter a "bad fish their choices to rectify things may be very limited...perhaps even to destroying the fish. I thus tend to suggest what is norm for the species as safer.

But as you say, the nippy tankmates is just asking for trouble, no option there.

Byron.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

umm.. Yes a tank or 10 lol or more. Good guess!
I did say the "IDK" part because... well it's working in this house and that tank but it's a gamble. Honestly a few of my tanks are a bit of a gamble in that sense but just wanting to say it's possible. I'm a calculated risk taker :lol: So really all I can say is Those particular fish happened to work out pretty nicely...as in those specific ones I have.


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## FishyFishy89 (Jul 3, 2011)

If the angels are small, you maybe able to combine smaller tetras. They'll grow up not eating them and will thus never have an issue with them. 

Gourmais are hit and miss. Some people never have issues, some people have issues. Be watchful and make sure you're ready to separate if it comes down to it.

Lastly, personally, I like to make sure I have atleast 2 of each fish. I never like have 1 species alone. Other fish require groups of atleast 5 and some fish prefer to be alone. Example, sharks(not the actual shark, but the tropical fish) prefer to be alone. Angels, neons, groumais all prefer to have groups of each other.


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## truman (Jun 16, 2013)

I read some more and I realized the serpae tetras weren't a good idea. I will probably get the bleeding heart tetras instead. Thanks everyone!


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## BlackNeon (Jun 18, 2013)

*Dwarf Gourami-not a good idea*

I had a couple of Marble Angels with whom I had kept some Dwarf Gouramis. The angels got really aggressive with them . I was awestruck by a move which one angel had made- where they manouvered their body in such a way that they swam horizontally under the gourami and then when they got into the right position, they flipped- throwing the Gourami out of the tank , through the gap between the light and the water surface. If I was not present when it happened, it spelt death for the Gourami.

They get along better with Pearl Gouramis- or that is my personal experience.


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