Can angelfish and neon tetras live together in an aquarium? This is a popular question when aquarists want to combine them. This article, Aquatic 247 will cover their temperament and living environment requirements as well as consider whether they can live in harmony or not.
Introduce about angelfish
What is an angelfish?
Angelfish belong to the Cichlidae family. This species can attain a maximum length of 6 inches and a height of 8 inches. They have a rather thin structure, as do other cichlids. These fish come in a range of colors and patterns.
What is the temperament of an angelfish?
Angelfish exhibit aggressive and territorial behavior. They will bite the fins and torment the smaller fish. As a result, you should avoid keeping them with fish with long fins, such as bettas and guppies.
What are the living environment requirements of an angelfish?
Adult fish require a huge tank with a capacity greater than 55 gallons. Larger spaces will reduce their territorial tendency.
Angelfish prefer longking for food at the bottom; thus, smooth-surfaced, medium-grade gravel can be used as substrate in the tank. An aquarium light that resembles the sun may provide illumination for 8 to 10 hours.
Water conditions:
- Water temperature: 78–84°F
- pH: 65–7.1
- Hardness: 3–8°dKH and 15°dGH
What is the diet of an angelfish?
Angelfish are omnivorous. However, they favor a meat-based diet. In the wild, angelfish primarily consume tiny crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates.
We feed angelfish a diet mostly composed of specially made cichlid flakes or pellets, supplemented with plenty of live, frozen, and dried items.
Introduce about neon tetras
What is a neon tetras?
Neon tetras is a scientific Characidae family. The neon tetra is the most well-known and abundant tetra species in the aquarium trade.
The neon tetra’s body is only an inch and a half long. These fish make up for their small stature with their vibrant colors. From the tip of the nose to the adipose fin, the neon tetra is covered in neon green stripes. It is thought that the bright stripe helps them see each other in dark water circumstances.
What is the temperament of neon tetras?
Neon tetras are calm school fish that should be kept in groups of six or more. If you keep neon tetra fish in a tank, you’ll notice that they often swim together in the middle, where they feel most safe.
On the contrary, if you observe them hiding among plants or decorations, it indicates that they are uncomfortable in your tank.
So, this fish should not be housed with larger or dominant fish species, as they may be attacked and depleted.
What are the living environment requirements of neon tetras?
The aquarium should be heavily planted to offer shade and humidity. To resemble a riverbed, use small, dark rocks and pebbles.
You need a tank of at least 10 gallons for a school of at least 6 fish. The size of the tank depends entirely on the number of neon tetras you are planning to keep.
Water conditions:
- Water temperature: 72–78°F
- pH: 6.8 – 7.8
- Hardness: below 10°dGH and 3 – 8°dKH
What is the diet of a neon tetras?
Neon tetras are omnivores. They can feed on algae, bug larvae, and other minute organisms.
Neon Tetras are not picky eaters, so you can feed them flakes, pellets, and live and frozen items to ensure they have a well-balanced diet. Just make sure they’re tiny enough for the fish to eat.
Can tetras live with angelfish?
Can angelfish live with tetras? The answer is yes. Just make sure enough food and a big aquarium for both angelfish and tetras. Here are some detailed guides.
Tank size
Angelfish and Neon Tetras should be kept in tanks no less than 55 gallons. A larger tank will give both species more room to swim and flourish. At the same time, Angelfish’s aggressiveness will be minimized if they have a large tank to move around in.
Water parameters
Neon Angelfish requires different water parameters, so it’s important to find the right balance for both.
Here are some of the points you may consider:
- Water temperature: 75–80°F
- pH: 6.5 – 7.5
- Hardness: 3–8°dKH and 3–10°dGH
To ensure that both species have access to appropriate water conditions, regular water testing and maintenance are required.
Feeding
Angelfish and Neon Tetra need variation in their diet. Make sure there’s enough food for each of you. This will reduce Angelfish interest in Neon Tetras as a food source.
However, you should avoid overfeeding your fish, since this can result in poor water quality and health issues.
Light and decorations
Angelfish and tetras prefer dim light, so, let’s choose light not overly bright. The aquarium should be decorated with many trees, tones, and others to the natural environment and many hiding.
In conclusion
Angelfish and neon tetras can live harmoniously together. Everything will be OK as long as you take some precautions, such as providing them with an appropriate dwelling space and ensuring that your fish are adequately nourished. Similarly, ensure that your neon tetras are good and strong before mixing them with angelfish.
