Stress is a slow killer in the aquarium. Usually, it is one of the most common reasons why many aquarists lose their beautiful angelfish. When I was new, I failed to realize that my angelfish were under stress until it was too late. This causes me to lose many of my fish. However, if you are a little cautious, you can easily treat stress in angelfish.
But how to treat stress in angelfish? Once you notice that your angelfish are in stress, you need to find out the reason behind it. After that, you can just remove the stressor, and your fish will be okay. Generally, some of the ways to treat stress in angelfish are:
- Providing clean and healthy water
- Maintaining ideal water conditions
- Feeding them a nutritious diet
- Providing enough hiding places
- Keeping angelfish with peaceful fish
- Introducing your angelfish to a bigger tank
All these things can undoubtedly help you to treat stress in angelfish. However, sometimes treating stress will not just do; you need to find out the cause and eliminate it. So, in this post, I will discuss with you a lot more things related to stress in angelfish. I hope this post will be helpful to you.
Do Angelfish Suffer From Stress?
Well, while talking about stress, you might assume mental issues. So, you might probably think, why angelfish stress since these fish are brought up by their owners would? Certainly, your angelfish need not worry about anything in your life.
But this is not the case. To your disappointment, angelfish are very sensitive creatures. Thus, these little fish stress a lot. Of course, you will find these fish swimming carefreely in their tank. Stull, angelfish get affected by even the slightest thing, whether it be fluctuation in their environment, frequent water changes, insufficient diet, or anything else.
So, if you think that your angelfish is happy and content, you need to think again. It is quite possible that your angelfish might be going through a tough time. As a result, it is important to know the signs of stress in these fish and how to treat them accordingly.
What Are The Signs Of Stress In Angelfish?
Your angelfish has no way to communicate with you. I always feel that if angelfish could talk like us, I would spend hours talking with them. Also, it will probably be easier to know when these fish are under stress.
Most of the time, aquarists fail to understand the signs of stress in angelfish. And the reason behind this is probably because these fish are very good at hiding their emotions.
But there are a few things you can look out for:
- Your angelfish might stop eating or eat less.
- These might swim erratically or hide more often.
- Angelfish might also develop ulcers or white spots on their body.
- You will notice your angels hiding more.
- These fish just lay at the bottom of the tank
- Your notorious little guy will stop moving
- Presence of clamped or flared fins
Now that you know the signs of stress in angelfish, you probably need to find out why these fish are in stress to treat this issue.
So, what might be the reason behind stressed angelfish?
Why Are Angelfish Under Stress?
Undoubtedly, treating an angelfish is no success without knowing the cause of stress in your fish. As mentioned above, angelfish is a very sensitive fish. Yes, your little guys can be quite hardy and work well in a few rough conditions. There are still some things that can make your babies anxious and stressed.
Generally, some of the reasons why your angelfish might be in stress are:
Overcrowding
There’s no doubt that angelfish are peaceful fish. These little buddies can live happily with much other fish. Besides this, angelfish are also shoaling fish, so these fish need to be in a group of at least six.
But this doesn’t mean that you can add as many fish to your tank. Angelfish are active fish; these fish love to move around the tank and explore things. So, keeping too many fish in a smaller tank can disturb their peace and make them anxious. This can also lead to aggression as well as stress in your angelfish.
Poor Water Quality
Water quality is the most important thing to consider while you keep angelfish. Since most of the time, the angelfish you find in the aquarium trade are freshwater fish, so these are very sensitive to water conditions.
Usually, unclean water contains many toxins like ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, which can be very harmful to your fish. Along with this, poor water quality also decreases the amount of oxygen in their environment. As a result, your angelfish will suffer from stress.
Unstable Water Parameters
Being a freshwater species, angelfish are very particular about their water parameters. Even a little water temperature, pH, or hardness fluctuation can significantly affect their health.
If the water temperature in your tank is too high or low, it can cause stress in your angelfish. Further, improper pH and hardness levels can also damage their gills and make it difficult for them to breathe. As a result, your angelfish will be in stress.
Lack Of Hiding Places
As all know, angelfish are very shy and timid fish. In the wild, these fish hide among the plants and roots to avoid predators. Moreover, angelfish feel safe and secure in their hiding places during anxiety and fear. So, if you don’t provide them with enough hiding places in the aquarium, your angels are more likely to stress out.
Besides this, lack of hiding places can also make your angelfish more prone to diseases and infections.
Incompatible Tankmates
Even though angelfish are peaceful creatures, unfortunately, these fish cannot live with every other fish. Usually, these fish don’t do well with aggressive and boisterous fish. Moreover, bigger fish might intimate or bully your angels.
Along with this, angelfish also dislike sharing their space with smaller fish. So, keeping incompatible tankmates with your angelfish will only cause problems and stress them out.
Inadequate Food
While you are new to fish keeping, inadequate food is the most common mistake that you might do. Since angelfish are omnivores, these fish need a diet of plant and meaty foods.
Besides this, you also need to feed them live and frozen food to fulfill their nutritional requirements. Also, your angelfish might need different kinds of diet and in different amounts in various stages of their life. Thus, if you don’t provide them with a well-balanced diet, your angelfish will become malnourished and stressed.
Angelfish Diseases
Last but not the least, diseases are also one of the reasons for stress in angelfish. Usually, when your little guys are sick, these fish becomes more irritated and cranky. Along with this, the immunity of your angelfish also decreases, making them more prone to other diseases.
Therefore, stress can cause and consequence diseases in your angelfish.
As you can see, many reasons can cause stress in your angelfish. But don’t worry; if you provide your angelfish with the proper care and conditions, you can easily prevent stress in your fish.
How To Treat Stress In Angelfish?
Now that you found out your angelfish is actually in stress. And after closed observation, you also came to know the reasons for the stress. So, it’s time to start working on treating that stress. Remember, if not treated properly and in time, stress can lead to serious health problems and even death in angelfish.
Furthermore, here are a few things you can do to help your angelfish relax and reduce their stress levels:
Increase Your Tank Size
One of the most common reasons for stress in angelfish is cramped living quarters. If your tank is too small, your fish will constantly feel like they’re being crowded, and this will lead to stress. The solution here is to increase the size of your tank simply. Even a few extra gallons can make a big difference.
However, it is very important to note that this process should be slow and gradual. You need to give your fish time to adjust to the new living quarters and not shock them with a sudden change.
Monitor And Change Your Water Conditions
Your water parameters play a vital role in the well-being of your angelfish. If you maintain their water parameters as per their need, your little friends will be with you for longer. So, you should always monitor the water in your tank and keep the temperature within 75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit, the hardness between three and eight dKH, and the pH between six and eight.
Besides, water changes are also very important. It helps remove the toxins from the water and provides fresh and clean water for your fish to live in. But do not overdo it. You can just change at least 20-25% of the tank water every week to keep the environment healthy for your angelfish.
Keep Angelfish In Groups
Angelfish are social creatures and prefer to live in groups. Moreover, angelfish are shoaling fish that loves to move around, swim, hunt, and explore in a group. So, if you keep them in groups, they will feel more secure and less stressed.
Besides, it is also important to note that you should keep angelfish of similar size together as they can be aggressive towards each other. So, keep that in mind when you are stocking your tank.
Provide Hiding Places And Live Plants
Your angelfish need hiding places where these can go when they feel threatened or stressed. So, provide them with plenty of caves, rocks, and live plants. This will help reduce their stress levels and make them feel more secure in their environment.
Besides, live plants also help oxygenate the water and provide a natural filtration system for your tank. So, not only do they help reduce stress in fish, but they also maintain water quality.
Give Them A Good Diet
A good diet is very important for the overall health of your angelfish. So, make sure to give them a varied diet that includes all the essential nutrients they need. You can either get commercial foods or prepare their food at home.
Your options for commercial foods are pellets, flakes, freeze-dried, or live foods. As for homemade food, you can give them boiled vegetables or fruits, brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms, etc.
Just ensure that whatever you feed them is properly cooked and of good quality. Otherwise, it can lead to digestive problems and further stress your fish. But, whichever way you choose, just make sure their diet is well-balanced and nutritious.
These are a few things you can do to help reduce stress in your angelfish. So, follow these tips and create a stress-free environment for your little friends.
Ensure The Tank Is Oxygenated
Another important thing you need to do is ensure that the tank is properly oxygenated. This is because angelfish are sensitive to low levels of dissolved oxygen and can get stressed out easily.
So, make sure to install a good quality air pump and regularly check the dissolved oxygen levels in the water. Furthermore, a good filter will also help in keeping the water oxygenated. Your angelfish will definitely be stress-free if their tank has the proper amount of oxygen.
Keep Angelfish With Compatible Tankmates
A wrong tankmate in an angelfish tank can invite a lot of problems and stress. So, you should be very cautious while choosing your tank mates.
Angelfish are naturally peaceful and do well with other peaceful fish like tetras, rasboras, etc. However, these can get aggressive with similar-looking species or if they feel threatened. So, it is best to avoid keeping them with such fish.
You should also avoid keeping angelfish with fish that are much bigger or smaller than their size. This is because the bigger fish can bully them while the smaller fish can get easily eaten by them. So, choose their tankmates wisely. You can go for mollies, platies, barbs, etc., to avoid any stressful situation for your angelfish.
Use Stress Coat To Reduce Stress
If you want to take an extra step to reduce stress in your angelfish, then you can use a product called ‘Stress Coat.’ This is a water conditioner that helps to reduce stress and promotes healing.
You just need to add the recommended amount of this product to the tank water, which will help neutralize chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals. This will make the water safe for your fish and also help reduce stress.
Give Time For Angelfish To Adjust
Any changes in the tank, like adding new plants or fish, can be stressful for your angelfish. So, always give them some time to adjust to the new changes, and do not make too many changes at once.
In addition, always make sure that the new surrounding you have chosen for your angelfish. Angelfish do not like loud noises, excessive light, dark, or too many disturbances. So, make sure the new environment is peaceful and has all the necessary things to keep your angelfish stress-free.
Examine Your Angelfish Regularly
Last but not least, you need to examine your angelfish regularly. This is because they can get stressed out for various reasons like poor water quality, lack of hiding places, incompatible tank mates, and diseases.
When your angelfish are sick, these fish hide a lot, and their appetite also decreases. So, if you notice any such changes in their behavior, it indicates something is wrong.
You should immediately take them to a vet for a checkup. By examining your angelfish regularly, you can identify any problems at an early stage and take measures to fix them. This will help reduce stress and keep your angelfish healthy and happy.
And that’s it! These are a few tips that will help you treat stress in your angelfish. Remember to be patient and consistent with your efforts, and you will surely see results.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take To Treat Stress In Angelfish?
Usually, there is no set time frame for treating stress in Angelfish. The treatment process might take a few days to weeks or even months.
Ideally, you should start treating stress in your angelfish as soon as possible. The sooner you start, the better the chances your fish will recover fully and in lesser time. However, even if you don’t catch the stress early on, it’s still possible to treat it and help your fish feel better. But you must be patient, as the treatment process can take some time.
What Are The Best Ways To Treat Stress In Angelfish?
There are a few different ways to treat stress in your angelfish. One way is to do regular water changes and keep the tank clean. This will help to remove any toxins from the water that might be causing stress.
Another way to treat stress is to add some live plants to the tank. Plants help to oxygenate the water and provide a place for your fish to hide if they feel stressed.
You can also try using a product like Stress Coat, designed to help reduce stress in fish. This can be added to the tank water and help make your fish feel more relaxed.
Finally, one of the best things you can do for stressed fish is to give them time to adjust simply. If you’ve just added new fish to the tank or moved them to a new location, settling in and feeling comfortable can take a while.
What Are The Treatments For Stress In Angelfish?
There are several treatments for stress in Angelfish. Some of the common treatments are as follows:
- Aquarium salt bath
- Frequent water changes
- Use of dechlorinator
- Use of aeration
- Use of stress coat
- Addition of live plants
Wrapping Up
All in all, stress can be a big problem for angelfish. Moreover, stress will slowly lead your angelfish towards death, and you might not know about it too. As an owner, you should be very careful and provide the best possible environment for your angelfish.
However, following the tips above can help your angelfish stay healthy and stress-free. Do you have any other tips for treating stress in fish? Let us know in the comments below!
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