Do Angelfish Eat Other Fish? A Detailed Look

Angelfish are popular freshwater aquarium fish admired for their unique shape and vibrant colors. Their striking beauty makes them a staple in home aquariums, but their predatory nature means they may see smaller tank mates as food.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: Angelfish can and will eat smaller fish that can fit into their mouths, especially while they are young and still growing.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the angelfish’s diet in detail, discuss what fish they can and cannot eat, go over tips to curb aggressive behavior, and provide key takeaways to help you successfully keep angelfish with other fish.

What Do Angelfish Eat?

Omnivorous Nature

Angelfish are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter. In the wild, angelfish typically feed on small crustaceans, insects, shrimp, worms, algae, and plant debris. Their diverse diet allows them to thrive in their natural habitat.

As juveniles, angelfish are more carnivorous and incorporate more meat into their diet. As they mature, they transition to eating more vegetation and algae.

When kept in an aquarium, angelfish should be fed a varied diet to mimic their natural feeding habits. A high-quality angelfish pellet or flake contains essential proteins, vitamins, and nutrients they need. Supplementing prepared foods with frozen and live foods provides enrichment.

Good frozen food choices include bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia. Live foods like blackworms, brine shrimp, and small ghost shrimp can also be fed. Fresh blanched vegetables like zucchini, spinach, and cucumbers round out a healthy diet.

Angelfish enjoy grazing on plant matter in an aquarium. Providing driftwood, rocks, and aquatic plants for them to pick at satiates this natural urge. They will nibble on soft leaved plants like ambulia, hornwort, and anacharis.

Hardier broadleaf plants like anubias and Java fern hold up well to their grazing. By offering a varied balanced diet, angelfish enthusiasts can keep their fish active and healthy.

Juvenile vs Adult Diets

There are some key differences between juvenile and adult angelfish diets. As mentioned, young angelfish are more carnivorous. They should be fed a diet higher in protein from foods like brine shrimp, microworms, and insect larvae. Their小 mouths can easily consume these tiny live or frozen foods.

As juveniles grow, protein-rich prepared foods designed for small tropical fish can be introduced.

Adult angelfish transition to eating more fibrous vegetation and algae. They still need quality flake or pellet foods as their staple but do not require as much protein. Their larger mouths can nibble on bigger foods like blackworms, ghost shrimp, and vegetables.

Adults also graze more, so including driftwood, rocks, and plants satisfies this urge. Tailoring an angelfish’s diet to its life stage ensures good growth and health.

Will Angelfish Eat Smaller Fish Tank Mates?

Which Fish are at Risk

Angelfish are considered semi-aggressive fish that will eat smaller fish they can fit into their mouths. This predatory nature means tank mates under 3 inches long are at the highest risk of being eaten.

Some examples of small fish that should be avoided include neon tetras, guppies, Endler’s livebearers, white cloud mountain minnows, and juvenile discus.

Larger tetras like black skirt tetras, bleeding heart tetras, Buenos Aires tetras, and Congo tetras that reach 3-4 inches in length can be safely housed with angelfish. Fast-moving fish like zebra danios and giant danios are also unlikely to become a meal due to their speed and agility in avoiding the angelfish.

Aggressive Behavior

Angelfish aggression is closely tied to their feeding instinct. They are naturally equipped to hunt smaller fish that can fit in their mouth. Angelfish often swim in a stealthy, calculated way when stalking potential prey.

Once targeted, they will quickly lunge and gulp the small fish in one sudden motion.

This aggressive behavior is more pronounced when the angelfish are very hungry. Well-fed angelfish that receive a varied diet are less likely to see tank mates as food sources. However, their predatory tendencies often means they are incompatible with fish under 3 inches long regardless of hunger levels.

Impact of Angelfish Size and Age

Larger, mature angelfish over 6 inches long pose the biggest threat to small tank mates. Their bigger mouth allows them to consume larger prey. Adult angelfish are also more adept hunters compared to juvenile fish.

Young angelfish under 3 inches in size can safely be kept with small community fish. They lack the size and hunting skills to be a major danger. However, as they grow, tank mates should be monitored and removed if showing signs of aggression.

Angelfish 5-7 inches long are in their prime predatory stage. Special care should be taken to provide properly sized tank mates during this high risk period. Waiting until the angelfish mature before adding small fish can help mitigate loss.

Tips to Keep Angelfish Safely with Other Fish

Choose Tank Mates Wisely

When selecting companions for your angelfish aquarium, it’s essential to choose fish that won’t nip fins or bully the angels (ref 1). Peaceful schooling species like tetras, rasboras, and small catfish make good tank mates as they tend to occupy different areas of the tank.

Avoid keeping angelfish with aggressive fish like tiger barbs, which may nip fins.

Provide Adequate Space

Angelfish need ample room in the aquarium to swim and spread out. As angelfish grow to 6 inches tall in adulthood, the general recommendation is a minimum 29-gallon aquarium for a small group with no other tankmates (ref 2).

The more fish in the tank, the more space needed to prevent aggression over territory.

Give Places to Hide

Aquariums decorated with rocks, driftwood, and robust plants allow timid species to take refuge if chased. Areas of thick vegetation break up sightlines to ease tension. Adding ample décor and keeping lighting low reduces stress.

Feed a Varied Diet

Malnourishment can trigger aggressive behavior in aquarium fish as they compete for food. Feed angelfish 2-3 small meals daily consisting of flakes or pellets with added spirulina, shrimp, veggies, worms to cover nutritional bases (ref 3). Vary diet between frozen, freeze-dried, live foods.

Monitor Aggression Closely

Sometimes, despite best efforts, angels show heightened aggression toward tankmates. Keep a close eye for trouble signs like chasing, lip locking, damaged fins. Be prepared to separate bullies into timeout nets or tanks as needed to protect victims. Never overcrowd an aquarium.

Best and Worst Tank Mates for Angelfish

Best Tank Mates

The best tank mates for angelfish are other peaceful community fish that prefer similar water conditions. Good options include:

• Small tetras like neon tetras, rummynose tetras, cardinal tetras, etc.
• Medium tetras like black skirt tetras, diamond tetras, Congo tetras
• Corydoras catfish and plecostomus algae eaters
• Dwarf gouramis
• Mollies and platies

Angelfish may eat extremely small fish that can fit in their mouths, so avoid pairing them with fish under an inch long. They also prefer to be in groups of 5-7 of their own kind. With plenty of hiding spaces and plants, a large enough tank, monitoring for aggression, and proper ratios, angelfish and compatible community fish can live together harmoniously.

According to AquariumSource.com, a 30 gallon aquarium provides adequate room for an angelfish community tank. With good tank maintenance, these peaceful fish can coexist without issues.

Unsuitable Tank Mates

Fish that should not be housed with angelfish include:

• Large, aggressive fish like oscars and Jack Dempsey cichlids
• Nippy fish like tiger barbs and buenos aires tetras
• Slow moving, fin-nipping fish like goldfish and betas
• Shrimp, snails, crabs – will get eaten

These types of fish may prey on, outcompete, or attack angelfish, especially in smaller tanks. Angelfish also may eat or bully smaller shrimp and snails. They prefer quieter, gentler tank mates instead of “bully” fish.

According to AquaScapingWorld.com, avoiding these types of aggressive fish reduces stress and promotes the healthiest environment possible for angelfish to thrive.

Conclusion

In the proper environment, angelfish can coexist peacefully with select tank mates. Stick to similarly sized, fast-moving fish that inhabit the middle or upper levels of the tank. Avoid small, slow fish that venture near the bottom, prime angelfish hunting grounds.

With plenty of space, nutritious foods, and lots of plants and decor for shelfter, angelfish and other fish can thrive side by side in the same tank.

Providing proper care goes a long way towards curbing aggression. Continuously monitor all tank inhabitants, separate bullies, and be prepared to move vulnerable fish if needed. Take these simple precautions, and your angelfish will leave smaller tank mates alone.