Puffers and Angelfish

[snffls86]

Hello,
I just registered here, so I'm not sure if I am posting this in the right section. I am not a big fish person yet, and do not know much about them, tank mates, etc. The reason is my fiance and I still live in an apartment, and are waiting until we get a house to really start getting into bigger tanks and such. Right now we have a ten gallon tank. I have had two Angelfish that were purchased from ***** (yes, I know.. this is probably a bad choice) for over a year and three months now, and they are still very healthy. They kind of resemble the French Angelfish on this website.. they have the long fins on the top and bottom and such. We recently just purchased a puffer fish from the same ***** and put it into the tank with the Angelfish. At first it seemed scared of the Angelfish, and the two Angelfish never really bothered it, just swam up to it curiously. It has been about a week that they have been tank mates, and since then, I believe the Puffer fish is starting to bully the Angelfish around. Is this common? Like I can tell that the top fins of both my Angelfish are not as tall as they used to be, because when I just sit and watch them sometimes, the Puffer will swim up to one of the two and just kind of nibble on them before the Angelfish swim away. The Angelfish do not appear to be stressed out, or in pain or anything, but how can I tell for sure? Is it okay for them to have their fins cut like that? Should we get another tank for the puffer fish? If so, what are some good tank mates for Puffer fish? I do not want my two Angelfish to die.. so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

[patandlace]

Are they really in a ten (10) gallon tank? Even the small angels shouldn't be kept in anything smaller then a 30 gallon. Large Angels shouldn't be in anything smaller than a 125 (125 is even small) What type of puffer is it? If this is real, you really need to bring these fish back or get a tank that is more than 12 times the size you have. Your fish WILL NOT survive.

 

[slcfish]

I'm going to go out on a very thin limb here...
The behavior you are describing sounds to me like that of freshwater angels and brackish puffers. Sounds like your angels have paired, and IMO it would be unbelieveably rare for that to happen between two saltwater angels in a 10 gallon tank. Freshwater angels pair quite regularly (I've got a mated pair myself).
The so-called freshwater puffers can survive in freshwater but actually prefer brackish conditions. They are notoriously bossy tankmates and they WILL nip the fins and feelers of your angels. But before I go on, let me see if my suspicion is true.
Is this what your angels look like?

If so, you've got yourself some freshwater angels. I would suggest taking either them or the puffer back to the store, as the puffer will probably kill the angels. Puffers have often been described as being jealous of long-flowing fins, and will nip anybody that has them.
Again, big limb I'm going off on here.

 

[snffls86]

patandlance, of course I'm being serious. I wouldn't have posted otherwise.
SLCFish, you've nailed it. Those are exactly what my two angelfish look like, except they are even smaller than that. One is black and white, and the other is almost always white, except it can develop black stripes when near the other angelfish. That is exactly what the puffer fish is doing as well. We're going to get another tank for the puffer fish, but are there any good tank mates for those kind of puffers? Thanks for all the help.

 

[patandlace]

Sorry about that. I assumed since we are on saltwaterfish.com that it was saltwater. There are people that post things like this that are just trying to get others rattled. I had to ask. Again I appoligize for misunderstanding!

 

[slcfish]

SLCFish, you've nailed it. Those are exactly what my two angelfish look like, except they are even smaller than that. One is black and white, and the other is almost always white, except it can develop black stripes when near the other angelfish
A lot of variations in freshwater angels. As you know, they can change the color of their stripes from barely visible to deep black in an instant. They are wonderful fish with a surprising amount of personality. Mine will eat from my hand (not bragging

)
We're going to get another tank for the puffer fish
Good idea.
but are there any good tank mates for those kind of puffers?
Unfortunately, not really. Freshwater/brackish puffers are enormously cute and personable, and also notoriously nippy. They are best kept alone in a species tank.
However, there is one fish you might try. Otocinclus catfish (commonly known as Ottos) can be successfully kept with puffs. Ottos are great algae eaters and do not command enough presence to really bother the puffer. However, if you do get one, buy a couple of rocks and make a small cave in your tank. My otto (Spike) consistenly comes out at about 8:30 pm and stays active until about 8am; the rest of the day I do not see him (and neither would a nippy puffer).
If you bought your puffer at *****, I'm assuming that it is either a figure 8, dwarf, or green spotted. Do as much reading as you can about how to properly raise them to adulthood. Some species will tolerate freshwater as juveniles but must be provided with brackish conditions to thrive in adulthood. Also, some are more prone than others to disease. The more reaearch you do, the more prepared you'll be for these potential challenges.
Good luck!