Help! Angel in danger!

[Lucie]

Hi,
Last week I rescued a black adult angel from Zoe's tank where he was getting picked on (bite marks all over) I had two teenaged angels of my own, peaceful and all. These last few days, the black one seems to have even more bite marks, and my bigger young angel seems to be bulliying him... Should I quarantine him in my 10 g so he heals? Any advice on treating him?

[babblefish1960]

If they aren't going to leave him alone, then they must be separated, they are cichlids, and they will kill him. Sorry to say.

[Lucie]

Should I separate him just while he heals? They might be better with him after?
Why does every angel seem to hate him so much ?

[babblefish1960]

He may well be one of those angels who hated their mother and swims about with a chip on his shoulder and feeling the world owes him, between that attitude and the inferiority complex, coupled with a strong sense of victimhood, they just become perennial targets amongst their peers.

[beowulf]

He may well be one of those angels who hated their mother and swims about with a chip on his shoulder and feeling the world owes him, between that attitude and the inferiority complex, coupled with a strong sense of victimhood, they just become perennial targets amongst their peers.

Sounds like some people I know....

If you really want to keep him, I would make sure there is enough breaks in the tank via plants and rocks etc.  The more visual barriers the less likely he is to be chased none stop.  That being said he might be better off as a lone angel.

[mseguin]

Fish often prey on the weak, so it's possible that if yuo give him some time to heal, then put him back in, all could be copasetic.

[Lucie]

Here's some news about the patient. He seems to be hiding most of the time. The sores, although looking bigger in diameter and light gray, might be possibly in the process of healing, hard to tell. I'll have a good look at him in in the morning, and if worse I'll quarantine him. More tomorrow.

[succinctfish]

Fish dynamics are fascinating.  If your angel is still being tormented, I agree with quarantining and then re -introducing, maybe changing something in the tank around as well just before, move some decorations or add a new plant, just so the beleaguered angel is not the new kid in the class in such a painfully obvious way.  If you move all the desks in the classroom around, and add in the new kid at the same time, everyone's so thrown by the change in environment that it  distracts them away from picking on the new student for awhile.    Things might stabilize, until they start spawning.
How old are your angelfish?  It is possible you already have a pair, who didn't feel the need to advertise it as they were the only angels in the tank.  I had two angels in a tank, added a third, and the new angel was driving one of the originals into a corner the very next day. It answered the lingering question of the gender of one of the two original fish at least.  They can be very cagey, after all they are cichlids.   

[Lucie]

My first two angels were babies born at Zoe's before Christmas (or was it Easter?). They are 1,25" high (body), 3,5-4" high including long fins. The two are from the same parents (one egg batch). How do we sex angels? I read that inbreeding is not good, so I thought that the introduction of a non-related angel would be a good thing. The first angels got along great. I suspect that the peaceful smaller bodied angel, with longerfins, might be a female. The other baby, the aggresssor, would then be a male? Does that mean that the new black one is also a male?
The new one is an adult, body 2" high. He already had sore spots. This morning, in the dark, the angles all swam freely and there didn't seem too be any harassment...
Thanks for the input, everybody... When in quarantine (If I decide to do it, as it seems that it would be a good thing), do I increase Aqua plus and add a bit of salt? Does it feel like burning in the wounds? (it says healing tropical fish on the box)