# Angels and Cardinals



## Martin in Holland (6 Apr 2014)

I am thinking of getting some Angels for my 300 liter tank, but I already have Cardinals. Would the Angels eat my Cardinals? I recall reading somewhere that they eat them at night when the Cardinals are sleeping.....???...Don't Angels sleep?


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## nickmcmechan (6 Apr 2014)

I don't have experience but have read elsewhere that fully grown adult angels may eat sub adult cardinal, but the effect is reduced if the angels are young in the tank with the cardinals and grow with them

Wild caught angels may already have the appetite I supposse


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## Maurits (6 Apr 2014)

An angel fish will eat everything that swims and that suitable for his mouth. So it's pending on the size of your cardinals


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## bogwood (6 Apr 2014)

I remember reading,  that in the wild one of their natural foods is neon, and cardinal tetras.
From my own experience, i agree with 'mauritis' , anything they can fit in their mouths.


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## harryH (6 Apr 2014)

I have seen Angels kept with Cardinals but it can't be good practice as when the Angel grows it will readily take small fish.

My opinion is that Angels are best in a species tank or kept with larger fishes that are not too boisterous.

Harry.


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## Tim Harrison (6 Apr 2014)

Sounds like the title of a Dan Brown novel...


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## Edvet (7 Apr 2014)

I've had  them together, if both are added young, or when the tetra's are adult it will work. (recently fairly young angels diminished  a group of young N.mortemthaleri's, a few a i added later when they where adult aren't touched)


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## dw1305 (7 Apr 2014)

Hi all, 





Edvet said:


> recently fairly young angels diminished a group of young N.mortemthaleri


 That's an expensive snack. 

cheers Darrel


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## Rasbora (7 Apr 2014)

One of the earliest lessons I learned in fish keeping was that big angels and small cardinals ... shouldn't be mixed.
Adult cardinals will be fine with angels however.


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## roadmaster (7 Apr 2014)

Angelfish can get as big as a man's hand with finger's out stretched.
Not much of a stretch for  one to realize that they would take a small tetra juvie,or adult size.
My own expieriences  lead me to place Angelfish with larger bodied tetra's like Bleeding heart,Colombian's.


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## Edvet (7 Apr 2014)

dw1305 said:


> That's an expensive snack


I miscalculated, thought the angels were to small still


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## Martin in Holland (8 Apr 2014)

I'd better go for Pearl Gourami instead of Angels...I just liked to be able to say that I have Angels and Cardinals


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## jamesmc (22 Apr 2014)

Currently have both and doing well lost 1 or 2 in the passd 6 months or so :/ but to be expected have seen fully blown angel card tanks look stunning


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## Humbert (22 Apr 2014)

Hi.
I've had this combination for the past 3 years - no problems. You can see in my journal that in the current setup I have a rather big angelfish and I can tell you that he doesn't even eat shrimps (anymore ), let alone other fish.
So it definitely can work with angels and tetras - not saying this is the rule, but am saying that it can work. 
I think your surest bet is to get young angelfish and introduce the tetras before or at the same time - mature angelfish and new tetra in aquarium will most likely spell genocide.
And of course, feed your fish plenty of fish food


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## EnderUK (22 Apr 2014)

Martin in China said:


> I'd better go for Pearl Gourami instead of Angels...I just liked to be able to say that I have Angels and Cardinals



I was going to to get two Bolivian Rams, however my female Pearl has convinced the to get her a friend. They can be quite shy for about a month or so but are quite intelligent. Mind dances for me when I put my face up to the glass, however she completely ignores the girlfriend as she knows I'm the one that feeds her 

Saw some adults in the pet store and they do get pretty big.


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## Gas man (21 Jun 2014)

I've kept both angels and cardinals together on numerous occasions with a great deal of success. The angels never touched the tetras.


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## Adam humphries (15 Jul 2014)

My adult angels will take the small cardinals but it's not often I loose a few a yr .but wouldn't change it they look so good together..


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## Michael W (16 Jul 2014)

I used to have my angels for neons and boy do they go on a hunting party, I keep them with rummynoses now. As with most omnivores and carnivorous fish, anything that can fit int their mouths are seen as food.

Angels are awesome fish and in my opinion do best in groups, yes they'll be fine on their own but it is in groups when they shine. Although people often say that the average commercial Angels won't like each other's presence I find that once they establish a rank and order thing will turn out great. People will say that they take a space in the tank each and call it their own but I don't see that happening, mine always swim together. The only time I see aggression is breeding time.

Went off topic but I love Angels


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## sanj (17 Jul 2014)

I didnt read all the replies, but from my own experiance placing juvenile angels in a tank already with an established population of cardinals is probably one of the better ways of introducing them. I never had any predation that I was aware of even when they grew into adults. I assume it is down to association and growing up not viewing them as food. I would not consider adding cardinals to a tank of established mature angelfish though.


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## madlan (17 Jul 2014)

I added 6 leopoldi angels and 50 cardinals to a large tank 3 years ago - still swimming happily.


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## Martin in Holland (18 Jul 2014)

I've got about 50 cardinals now for about 7 month and they grew pretty well, I wait a little while longer to add some juvenile angels (or other bigger fish...I'm open to suggestions)


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## DrRob (18 Jul 2014)

I've used cardinals as dithers for angels for about 25 years on and off (beggars never getting to be choosers). Fully grown I've never seen a P Scalare go for a cardinal, neons however seem just about the right size for a big one. Can't vouch for the others in the family though.

As for behaviour, yes, they most definitely group once a pecking order is established. I can understand what people mean by them taking to their own section of the tank, but that's largely each taking to a hiding place before the order is established or multiple pairs forming territories, which is a bad thing in a tank unless it's huge. Otherwise, yes, they're nocturnal ambush predators largely, or possibly more crepuscular ones, but again that may be aquarium specimens behaviour rather than natural.

You're all tempting me again, my 65 gallon is lacking since my thoricthys sp died recently, so I may source some nice angels again. Will probably need the other half's permission on that one though as it tends to end in 25 tanks in the garage once I start down that line.


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## Martin in Holland (18 Jul 2014)

I just read that angels like to nibble and sometimes even totally demolish some plants, that's not something I am waiting for in my just replanted (dutch style-ish) tank...may have to look for another fish. I had my eyes before on some boeseman rainbow but with an open tank that's not an option either.


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## Martin in Holland (21 Jul 2014)

How about Bleeding Heart Terta (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma) with cardinals and with plant live?...An other fish I am thinking about is an Emperor Tetra ( Nematobrycon palmeri) as tankmates for the cardinals.


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## Michael W (21 Jul 2014)

Can do but, I would be wary of bleeding hearts if you still want to try out Angels, I've had bad experience with a group of 15 attacking my Angels' fins, leading me to re-home the Bleeding Hearts.


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## Martin in Holland (21 Jul 2014)

Michael W said:


> Can do but, I would be wary of bleeding hearts if you still want to try out Angels, I've had bad experience with a group of 15 attacking my Angels' fins, leading me to re-home the Bleeding Hearts.


Thanks for the warning but of course no Angels...My intention is to have a bit bigger fish with my cardinals to have a bit more interest in the tank but not causing danger for cardinals to get eaten or stressed.


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