Angelfish!

Question
Hello Karen!

Thank you so much in advance for your help here!

I have a 55 gallon freshwater fish tank that just finished cycling. I cycled it with a few Danio's. I've been hoping to stock my tank with a few Angelfish but i was wondering if Danio's get along with Angelfish or should i remove them now that they've done their job?

Another Question i have is in regards to Angelfish specifically.

The local pH in my area is really high. 7.6 to 8.0 actually. I know Angelfish prefer more acidic water conditions...  the pH in my tank is 8.0 and I've been reading that to lower pH is do-able but to keep it low is nearly impossible because of buffers and bla bla bla naturally in the water...

Do you have any advice for me?

Is it really impossible to lower pH without potentially causing dangerous fluctuations that could kill my future fishies?

Could Angelfish adapt to a higher pH and do okay?

I'll do whatever i can to accomodate Angelfish! I've been researching various fish species since i set up the tank while waiting for it to cycle and after all my looking i had fallen in love with Angels now it seems i might have to change my plans here!

What other fish do well as tank mates with Angelfish?

Thank you thank you thank you for your time. :-) I hope you can help!

-Melissa


Answer
Hi Melissa,
It seems that most of the time fish can adapt to less than ideal pH levels. I have even read of some people breeding angelfish with a pH of around 8.0. You could try and see how they do and just be sure to maintain your aquarium with regular and frequent water changes. That will help keep the pH  at a more consistent level and sometimes if it remains consistent they will adjust to that and do fine. Try to do regular water changes and remove at least 1/3 of the water at least once a week unless ammonia or nitrites are too high then you would need to do water changes more than once a week. Of course, if you overstock or feed heavily then you would also need to do more frequent water changes. I have also heard that some people have success with peat. You should be able to find it at you fish store. It can be placed in the filter and peat will naturally help to lower pH. Driftwood can also help lower pH but both peat and driftwood can sometimes cause the water to be a little tea colored for a while but is only temporary and won't harm the fish. You can mix reverse osmosis water with your tap water to help with the pH too. There are reverse osmosis units you can buy  but they are sometimes expensive. Most people just buy their water at a fish store that offers it. These are some of the ways to lower pH other than doing water changes and seeing how they adjust.

Angelfish do well with rainbow fish, smaller barbs but not any that are known fin nippers, such as tiger barbs. Platies, swordtales and mollies. Gouramis also seem to get along with angels.The main thing to be aware of is that even though some fish are supposed to be compatable you can still run into personality problems. Also, sometimes it is best to have groups of at least 6 with some fish such as danios and barbs just to be sure that they don't nip any fins. The larger the group the less chance. Also, one other thing I wanted to mention. Sometimes another angelfish is their worst enemy. I have seen my angels shred one male's fins to the point I had to remove him and place him in another tank to try to recover. Just keep an eye on them as they get older since sometimes this will happen.

Wishing you the best!
Hope this has helped,
Karen