# Koi Angelfish



## Muirner (Jan 9, 2007)

Ok, so for my birthday my girl got me a fish. The thing is she went to an LFS here in town that I've been to a few times and told them she wanted to get me a fish. So the lady down there (whom I've described my setup to a few times) suggested this fish. Now, here is what i know:
1) It's only 1.5-2" top fin to bottom right now. It will get bigger
2) It's yellow black and white. 

Here is what i need to know.
1) Are they invert safe? Specifically cherry shrimp maybe a dwarf blue crayfish.
2) How big will it get?
3) It always seems to be looking around the tank, seems to be eating something but idk what, off leaves.. Ideas?


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

They get pretty big and the young ones will grow fast. 
They are cichlids and will pick at shrimplets and when bigger will eat or bother adult shirmp
It is probably picking at your shrimplets already.


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## Muirner (Jan 9, 2007)

No shrimp reside in the tank currently for that reason. I was nervous to hear that. And ya know what gets me. The lady KNOWS I want to get inverts. I'm really interested to hear why she chose this fish for my tank?


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Probably based on what the LFS told her, unless you have done something to piss her off. 

My fiance would do that to me sometimes too, pick out a fish she knows I don't like or won't work just to piss me off.


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## dhavoc (Mar 17, 2006)

take it back to the lfs for another fish. i have one in my daughters tank and i feed it wild form cherries. they can be pretty territorial like most ciclids and it picks on the other dither fish i have in the tank with it.


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## cydric (Nov 1, 2006)

It might also be detrimental to your plants like my girlfriend's koi angelfish were:









Look what they did to her h. polysperma 'sunset'. This isn't the only plant they did this to, also snacked on her rotala rotundifolia. (culprit is in the picture)

Oh, and they'll more than likely peck RCS to death in seconds.


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## 29Bubbles (Oct 11, 2006)

My angels also peck at plants, but have not destroyed or even put holes in any (knock on wood). They were raised with plants, so maybe that makes a difference (?). I still have a growing population of RCS in with them as well, however the RCS have tons of java moss to hide in. I think it can depend on the angel's personality as well. I know some people with angels that go after and sometimes try to kill anything/anyfish including their own kind. Others are very docile and pet dog like, begging for food and staring at you until you give in and feed them. 

If you want to take it back, I think you should. Or you could give it a go, grow it out a little and if it starts being naughty take it back to your LFS and get some store credit. 

Good Luck!


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## Muirner (Jan 9, 2007)

So I called the store and talked to them the other day. After some explination that the Koi Angel was nipping at my snails causing them to stay in shell all day, and just looking like things would go bad, I was able to get store credit. I found 2 Harlequin Rasboras in store and picked them up. I'm tempted to go back for a few more because they have colored up great sense they made it to their new home. 

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Just as a note, the store manager (this is a 2 person run store the owner and manager) said she was really sorry. She thought it was for my tank by the description (Big, lots of light, tons of plants, and tons of invested time) and that she was sorry. It's ok, because she traded a $4 fish for 2 $3 fish.


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## yoink (Aug 31, 2005)

Definitly get more rasboras, they are happier with company.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Harlequin Rasboras do much better in larger groups and their color personality changes in the bigger groups too!


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## Kelley (Aug 27, 2006)

Definitely get more of the harlequins! You will love watching them chase each other all over the tank. Great colors. Great little fish!


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## Muirner (Jan 9, 2007)

I got 4 more tonight... I will be looking into more in the close future, but the lady catching them was chasing them with the net, thus stressed fish. I only got 4 due to this tonight. They are smaller then my other 2.

EDIT: So here is a funny thing. So after acclimating the fish in the tank (floating and adding tank water slowly over about an hour easly doubling initial volume) i went to net them an put them in. I put the net in and 2 swam in, so i took them out and put them in the tank... Ok, so the same thing happened with the other 2 but when i put them in the tank, lo and behold one was floating upside down. Wierd? It gets better. So i net it take it and put it in the bag with all intents of photographing it and complaining to the LFS i purchased it from. When the fish was placed in the bag it started to swim around like everything was normal. SO i netted it again, put it in the tank and swoosh, off it went. Just thought i'd say that late night since i'm still up :|


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