# How old are angels when they start to breed?



## sharon (Oct 2, 2006)

Hello everyone...
I have 10 little angel babies they are 14 weeks old now..and i have noticed two of them rubbing on the weeds and pushing away the others...making fast movements towards them...is this just playing out or are they really getting ready to do something.. I cant see it..but not sure ..so why not ask right??

and if they are getting ready to breed should i move them into their own tank??


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## Brian (Mar 14, 2006)

What size tank are they in?

Angels don't spawn until they are about a year old.


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## sharon (Oct 2, 2006)

Hello!
They are in a 50gallon...
and i didnt think they could spawn but when i seen that...it made me think again..Maybe they are doing the wild thing..lol
Thanks!!


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## nightowl1350 (Mar 19, 2006)

Angels have been know to spawn at about 6 months old, but the norm is 8 to 10 months.

I think yours are way too young. Just to be sure check that they are not rubbing their gills on the plants....could be gill fulkes.


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## sharon (Oct 2, 2006)

hi nightowl..
I checked to see if they were rubbing their gills already..and for sure they are not doing that...it is only two of them that are doing this..the one goes right up or around..then the smaller one will come along and do the same ...I didnt think they could be spawning ..but maybe they are role playing...not sure ..but i know they are not sick with anything...and ontop of this the two that are doing this.. will not let the others go by where they have been doing this..(play)So not sure whats going on but its pretty fun to watch..
anyways thanks to everyone...


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## nightowl1350 (Mar 19, 2006)

Have you had them for 14 weeks, and if so were they quarter or larger (not including fins) when you got them? If that is the case they could be 6 months old and pairing up  How big are their bodies now?

In any case, a breeding pair will clean a flat surface (including plants) with their mouth for a min of a few days and you will see a breeding tube (females will show first and is much thicker than the males) for a few days before they spawn.

If you have a pair you will need to put them in a tank of their own (min 20g).

How big is the tank you have the 10 angels in? As adults each fish will need about 10g.


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## sharon (Oct 2, 2006)

Hello again!
No i didnt have them for 14 weeks...I had them for 3 weeks now...and they are 14 weeks old..I got them from a well known breeder here in sudbury..also they are in a 50 gallon tank..right now ...but as they pair up i'll be putting one pair to 20 gallons or bigger..
I know about the size of tanks I need for them..I checked this all out before I got them...I just wanted to know why the two and only two..were doing this rubbing up on stuff in the tank...otherwise..all are very healthy and growing great...


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## nightowl1350 (Mar 19, 2006)

I just wanted to be sure on their age  Not breeding behaviour yet, but it could be the start of a pair foruming......like I said if they are "cleaning" an area with their mouths watch for tubes. With 10 angels you shoud get min of 2 pairs that form, unless you can only pick female angels like I do  Lucky I have a friend who gives me her males  when they start to fight with eachother.

Good luck with them.


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## sharon (Oct 2, 2006)

yes! I know you wanted to make sure of thier age,makesure I didnt have to small of a tank e.g.... it really does'nt matter to me .if they breed or not..Just happy I have angelfish now...They are amazing ..I can sit there forever watching them...


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## nightowl1350 (Mar 19, 2006)

If you get a pair and they spawn.....you will be sooooo hooked on them. I love my angels, don't really have room now to breed them, but I still steal a spawn every now and then.

After about 3 weeks they start to change from guppy looking fry to tiny, perfect angels. It is even better if the pair will raise them.....the small dots in the tank with the huge parents moving them around in a small cloud would be awesome, but my pairs all eat the eggs I don't hatch out.

Keep us posted on how yours do


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Oohh man... I just adore my old angel.. 

I am afraid to even try breeding cause i know i would love it.

I didnt know you had to pair them off! Interesting! 
Sharon, good luck with them!


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## sharon (Oct 2, 2006)

Hey ...Thanks nightowl for everything..I just got done talking with the breeder of my angels and he said they are starting to pair off...OH MY!!(my babies are growing up)lol..
and for as being hooked on angels ..I am now..and if and when they start to spawn ..I dont know what I am going to do..guess make more room in the house.. by moving my hubby out to the dog house..haha and maybe put a few more tanks in my kids room.. ummm oh I know!! I need a bigger house..
But for real I found it so hard to sell or even give my guppies away..They were all so cute to me and I wanted to keep them all...
So I really dont know .what I am going to be like if the angels start to breed..
Guess I'll just see when it comes to that..for now I am enjoying every min with them...
and I'll keep you guys posted or them and get some nice pictures up..


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## moon (Mar 11, 2006)

Sharon
You are well and truly hooked. Soon your tanks will start multiplying and need a fish room in your basement. Angels, Africans, Discus etc.
I know I am a chiclid nut and have been for 30 years.
Good luck with your angels.


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## sharon (Oct 2, 2006)

moon said:


> Sharon
> You are well and truly hooked. Soon your tanks will start multiplying and need a fish room in your basement. Angels, Africans, Discus etc.
> I know I am a chiclid nut and have been for 30 years.
> Good luck with your angels.


Yes I am hooked..Thanks to my aunt ...it all started about four years ago when she gave this 50 gallon tank..with a crazy and unbeliveable mix of fish..
she had koi fish,goldfish,bottom freeders and some guppies and mollies ..yes all in the same tank.. and ontop of that she had a heater in it ..and was always keeped at about 75-80F ...But get this there was like 25 fish all together in it..
So when I agreed to take this tank ..i needed to get other tanks for the guppies,mollies and so on.. and well here i am today with all the fish I have always loved and never knew. I would be the owner of these amazing fish ...
So sometimes I guess when things start off bad ..they end up turning for the best..
P.S I have been talking to my hubby about a fishroom...so i am working at it..


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## nightowl1350 (Mar 19, 2006)

Good thing you are planning ahead.....it is like becoming a parent and planning the nursery  I didn't expand my fishroom till I had full tanks and now I never have empty ones  

Just remember angels will need a small tank to start, but then 35's and larger. A normal spawn is about 300 fry, so you will need many larger tanks.


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## sharon (Oct 2, 2006)

nightowl1350 said:


> Good thing you are planning ahead.....it is like becoming a parent and planning the nursery  I didn't expand my fishroom till I had full tanks and now I never have empty ones
> 
> Just remember angels will need a small tank to start, but then 35's and larger. A normal spawn is about 300 fry, so you will need many larger tanks.


Man do you ever have that right..Becoming a parent..the only thing about having fish is that they dont talk back.. anyhow i'll be ready for my angels when and if they spawn..I started getting more 20 gallons and working on getting more 35's..I just cant wait to see angelfish fry..I bet they are so cute..
By the way things sound i wouldnt mind seeing your fish room..it sounds pretty neat..Thats a dream of mine to have a fish room and hermit crab room..LOL.. 
thanks again for all your very helpful feed back... 
Take care


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## nightowl1350 (Mar 19, 2006)

Sharon

If you are ever down this way I would love a visit....my fish room is not huge, not well organized as many can atest to, but it works for me  I breed a variety of fish, but angels are still the ones I love the best.

If I had a digi cam I would post tons of pics of all the stages of fry. Angels go through many changes from guppy like tiny fry to perfect angels in about 5 weeks. It is awesome to watch and even better if your pair raises them.


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## sharon (Oct 2, 2006)

nightowl1350 said:


> Sharon
> 
> If you are ever down this way I would love a visit....my fish room is not huge, not well organized as many can atest to, but it works for me  I breed a variety of fish, but angels are still the ones I love the best.
> 
> If I had a digi cam I would post tons of pics of all the stages of fry. Angels go through many changes from guppy like tiny fry to perfect angels in about 5 weeks. It is awesome to watch and even better if your pair raises them.


 Hey there! I will take you up.. on your offter sometime..I do go down that way ..every year..My little girl goes to sick kids...So when we do go ,we try to visit some "fun" places...Not that sick kids is bad or anything just a hard place too go to...See all those poor little kids so sick there.. 
anyways sounds like you need a cam..Dont worry I need one too...


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

If you have a pair you will need to put them in a tank of their own (min 20g).

Ummm no you wont.

Angels can spawn and raise in appropriately setup community tanks. You can have 2 pairs in a four foot tank if you arrange it properly.

Don't put angels in a 20G that's just backward and unnecessary


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## sharon (Oct 2, 2006)

Pablo said:


> If you have a pair you will need to put them in a tank of their own (min 20g).
> 
> Ummm no you wont.
> 
> ...


 Hey thanks !I was told they could spawn and raise in a community tank..just wanted to hear it from another person.. so lets just say if i wanted to keep an (angelfish)tank that would be good to?
I know i would need to set up lots of hiding places and maybe even lots of weeds..(plants)


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