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Despite their beauty, angelfish are quite aggressive. You’ve decided you wanted to mix them with neon tetras, but you’ve heard some pretty gruesome tales of angelfish eating the shiny tetras. So, now you’re here and wondering if angelfish can live with neon tetras.
Angelfish can live with neon tetras, but you need to be cautious when mixing them. Ensure that you have at least a school of six neons, plenty of hiding spots for them at night, and are regularly feeding them so they don’t get hungry.
This article will talk about why angelfish can live with neon tetras and why they can’t. Likewise, you’ll learn more about angelfish and neon tetra behaviors, how to prevent angelfish from eating neons, and other fish angelfish and neon tetras can live with.
Why and How Angelfish Can Live With Neon Tetras?
Angelfish can live with neon tetras because neons are excellent community fish that don’t bother the angelfish or spike their aggression levels. They also wouldn’t nip at an angelfish’s fins, so they wouldn’t stress the angelfish.
Both angelfish and neon tetras prefer warm water, so it should be easy for them to live in the same aquarium. Likewise, they eat the same food, such as flake or pellet packages, brine shrimp, and frozen bloodworms.
However, to ensure your angelfish doesn’t eat your neon tetras, keep them regularly fed. Similarly, either place the angelfish in your tank with adult neon tetras at a young age or put adult neon tetras in a tank with an already-established angelfish.
Set aside a “territory” space for your angelfish, too, where it can just hang around. This way, it won’t chase your neons all over the aquarium. It’s also a good idea to place plenty of hiding spots for your neon tetras so your angelfish can’t hunt them at night.
Why and How Angelfish Can’t Live With Neon Tetras?
Angelfish can’t live with neon tetras if the neon tetras are young or sick and weak. Since angelfish are semi-aggressive fish, seeing young or vulnerable neons will encourage them to attack the neons. Young neons can easily fit in an angelfish’s mouth, while weak neons won’t even swim away and just allow the angelfish to nip at it.
Similarly, if your angelfish aren’t well-fed, they’ll be hungry and will hunt for food, which happens to be the shiny neons floating around.
Angelfish and Neon Tetra
Angelfish don’t pick fights, but they’ll eat small creatures floating around when hungry enough. They can get quite territorial, so it’s best to have a small spot they can claim as theirs within the aquarium. Meanwhile, neon tetras eat anything they’re given, but they’re relatively peaceful and prefer to keep amongst themselves within schools and hiding spots.
How Much Should You Feed Angelfish and Neon Tetras?
It’s best to feed angelfish and neon tetras whatever they can consume within 2 to 3 minutes of feeding. You can do this just once a day, but if you’re keeping both angels and neons together, it’s wise to feed them twice a day.
Angels and neons are both omnivores, so they’ll be pretty versatile when it comes to eating. You can give them flakes and pellets or even frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp.
What Is an Optimal Aquarium for Angelfish and Neon Tetras?
An aquarium with a temperature of more than 72° F (22.2° C) and not exceeding 84° F (28.9° C) is suited for angelfish and neon tetras. They love warm water, and they’ll appreciate water with a pH of 6 to 7.
Likewise, it’s best to ensure good filtration and maintenance are done on their aquarium. If you’re looking for a good filter, a recommendation would be the Tetra Multi-Stage Silent Filter. It has a variation meant for tanks 45 to 70 gallons big, which perfectly suits an angelfish aquarium since they need at least 55 gallons of space to grow.
Both angelfish and neon tetras appreciate a gentle water flow and plenty of broad decorations. Large, leafy plants, rocks, driftwood, pebbles, and gravel are great things to have within their aquarium.
Remember to avoid aragonite sand or any substrate with calcium carbonate to ensure stable and optimal water conditions. This substance will raise your aquarium’s pH levels and mess with the temperature as well.
Do I Need a Light for My Angelfish and Neon Tetras’ Aquarium?
You don’t need to get an aquarium light for your neon tetra and angelfish. They’re both active daylight fish, so it’s not necessary to further stimulate them at night.
However, if they’re in a dark area even during the day, you may consider obtaining an aquarium light like the Hygger Auto LED Light. It has variations for aquariums 18 to 55 inches (45.7 to 139.7 centimeters) long, seven colors, and functions automatically.
Why Are My Neon Tetras Dying When the Angelfish Is Not Eating It?
If your angelfish isn’t eating your neon tetras, yet you still find yourself with dead neon tetras, a couple of reasons can explain this:
- First, your neon tetras may have bad genes from inbreeding or just having those genes passed around.
- Second, your neon tetras could be under high stress. High stress could result from anything like incorrect water conditions, unsuitable living space, lack of food, and having no place to rest peacefully.
- Similarly, your neons could also have weakened immunities, among other things.
- Another reason should be your neon tetra caught a disease
How to Prevent Angelfish From Eating Neon Tetras?
To prevent angelfish from eating neon tetras, make sure to place fully grown neons into the aquarium with the angelfish. Alternatively, you can get neons first and then place a young angelfish in the aquarium with them. This will ensure the angel gets used to them and doesn’t act aggressively towards them.
Moreover, always adequately feed your angelfish, so they don’t hunt the neons for food. It’s also best to keep at least six neons in an aquarium, and it’ll be better if you can have more. This will encourage the neon tetras to form schools, which in turn discourages the angelfish from attacking.
Likewise, having plenty of hiding spaces for both the neons and angelfish are essential. The angelfish can use its hiding spot as its territory and stay there, while the neon tetras can hang around the hiding areas for their safety and comfort.
However, if you want a different method of preventing aggressive angelfish from eating neon tetras, try getting a fish tank separator. An example of this is the Toyuto Acrylic Divider, which has a variation for 55 gallons and would be perfect in separating your neons from your angelfish.
Other Fish Angelfish and Neon Tetras Can Live With
Other fish both neon tetras and angelfish can live with include guppies, mollies, loaches, dwarf gourami, platies, and swordtails. All of them are omnivorous, peaceful, and can tolerate the same living conditions neons and angelfish can.
Avoid mixing betta fish, goldfish, and shrimp with angelfish. Betta and angelfish will fight each other, while goldfish and shrimp are food to angelfish. Similarly, aggressive cichlids shouldn’t be with neon tetras because they will attack the neons.
Conclusion
Angelfish and neon tetras can live together. As long as you take certain precautions like having an optimal living space for them and keeping your fish well-fed, everything should be fine. Likewise, always make sure that your neons aren’t young, sick, or weak so you can freely mix them with angelfish.
