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AngelfishFamily: CichlidaeWFCiam_Cn0937.jpg)
Latest Reader Comment - See More We've had Angel fish for a long time, my brother tried breeding them and never could, my dad tried after my brother and it went worse for him. So I decided to put th... (more) Ramsey Jasper 2008-06-22
Timid, temperamental, and delicate, the Angelfish is familiar to every freshwater aquarist.The Angelfish is a graceful disk shaped cichlid. Though it was named for the marine angelfish, it bears little resemblance to these fish or even to any other fish in the Cichlid family. They are found in nature with black bars on a silver colored body. Some mutations are also found in nature where these fish are without bars, are solid black, and have lace forms. These mutant forms have become fixed forms by captive inbreeding. Today there are many color and finage varieties including the Silver Angelfish, Zebra Angelfish, Marbled Angelfish, Veiltail Angelfish, Blushing Angelfish, and even with much effort, a Gold Angelfish. The Angelfish is considered a community fish, but it is a cichlid and may not be as sociable with smaller fish. They will school peacefully when they are young, but tend to pair off and become more territorial when they are older. Being a bit timid, they can be frightened by shadows and fast movements. They will feel most at home and comfortable in a warmer aquarium that has hardy plants placed around the inside perimeter, has some rocks and roots, and has an open area in the center for swimming.
For more Information on keeping freshwater fish see:
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| Geographic Distribution Pterophyllum scalare |
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| Data provided by FishBase.org |
Distribution:
The Angelfish was described by Schultze in 1823. They inhabit slow moving waters of rivers in South American: the central Amazon River basin and tributaries
to Peru, Brazil, and eastern Ecuador. Though the Angelfish sold today is often referred to as being Pterophyllum scalare, wild specimens vary widely from the long established captive bred varieties.
Status:
This species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.
Description:
The Angelfish are found in nature with black bars on a silver
colored body. The laterally compressed body has a distinctive diamond shape and pointed snout. They have oversized extended dorsal and anal fins, these and the tail fin are long and flowing. In mature fish the tail fin can develop streamers on the outside corners. The pectoral fins are very long and delicate.
Some mutations also found in nature are where these fish
are without bars, in solid blacks, and in lace forms. Today there are many popular varieties available, including:
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Size - Weight:
The Angelfish reaches a length of about 6 inches (15 cm) in length.
Care and feeding:
Since they are omnivorous,
the Angelfish will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods.
To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food or pellet everyday.
Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms as a treat. You
can even feed them lettuce or spinach. Feed mosquito larvae sparingly as
they will tend to overeat it, which could kill them.
A minimum 40 gallon aquarium, though a larger tank would be suggested if keeping several. They need good water movement along with very strong and efficient filtration.
Provide hardy plants placed around the inside perimeter along with some rocks and roots, but keep an open area in the center for swimming. They prefer subdued lighting. These fish do not burrow and will not damage plants as much as other cichlids. Do water changes of 15 to 20% a week depending on bio load. They are subject to diseases that ail all freshwater fish.
Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.
Acceptable Water Conditions:
Hardness: 2-10° dGH
Ph: 6.0 to 7.5
Temp: 75-82° F (24-28° C)
 "Silver" Angelfish Photo © Animal-World |
Social Behaviors:
Though they are considered a community fish, Angelfish will
get territorial as they get older. Being in the cichlid family, smaller
fish do not do well with them. They will pair off, developing a strong
nuclear family, and defend a territory in which to breed. A nice thing
about Angelfish is that they don't burrow or disturb plants!
Sexual Differences:
There are no distinguishable differences except in breeding
season, then the papilla on the male is pointed and on the female is blunt.
The males sometimes make a loud grating sound with their jaws when mating.
Breeding/Reproduction:
Angelfish are egg layers.The female lays up to 1000 eggs
on leaves. If the parents don't eat the eggs, the larvae and fry are carefully
guarded. See the general description of how to breed Cichlids in Breeding
Freshwater Fish.
Availability:
Angelfish are readily available online and in fish stores in many different color and
finage varieties.
Click to see All the comments!
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| Latest Comments |
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| We've had Angel fish for a long time, my brother tried breeding them and never could, my dad tried after my brother and it went worse for him. So I decided to put them in my all plant aquarium... to my surprise they had eggs, on my big leafed plant, I was actually surprised or shocked I guess when I found out that they hatched. Its been 3 or more days since then with several still alive. One angel is a marble the other is a gold. Is that considered rare or normal. I'm guessing normal. Anyways, knock on wood, they survive!! I would like to know how long it takes for the babies to mature enough so we can take the parents out. OR if we should even take them out. Plus I just found out my female peacock was pregnant so it was quite a great week!
2008-06-22 |
| I have one angelfish, his name is Sundance. I think he is the smartest fish I have ever had because whenever I go near the tank he swims right up to the top to get some food. Sadly a week after we got him his buddy died so he is all alone except for some tetras.
2008-05-28 |
| I just bought 2 marbled angelfish yesterday. I paired them with two fancy double tailed goldfish. At first, the goldfish kept chasing my angelfish but on the second day, they're doing pretty good. The goldfish stopped chasing the angelfish and everything was ok except for one thing. As I have observed, my angelfish don't eat much. This is my first time taking care of angelfish and I am not yet familiar on their diet. I wish they would eat more so they would grow faster. I just love watching them moving graciously. My 2 goldfish are their opposite. They are all over the tank. I also enjoy watching them because they are so active. They're really funny. I just hope to
make my angelfish happy in the days to come.
2007-11-03 |
| I had three angels grow large enough to eat house flies from my fingers. They were always hungry and I kept them stuffed. One would lay eggs in my community tank but the eggs never hatched. I miss those angels, they had real personality.
2007-09-12 |
| I owned two angelfish and 4 guppies. Never pair angelfish with guppies. Although angelfish are sometimes aggresive towards other fish, I never would have thought that my guppies would attack my angelfish. Eventually, my angelfish were so badly hurt, they died the night I got them.
2007-07-17 |
| Some of the coolest comments: |
| I am surprised by the responsiveness of my juvenile angelfishes. When I walk past my aquarium they all, but one in particular more, swims back and forth in front of me hoping to be fed, I assume. It steals my heart. The hardest part is trying not to overstuff them, as they are voracious eaters. In my opinion they are not the least bit shy and are not easily startled like other feisty fish. They are gentle fish most of the time and they coexist well with the rest of their tank mates. Be wary of barbs that may attack them and nip their beautiful fins, like my tiger barb which nearly decimated the fins of my marble angel; as a matter of fact he no longer has a tail!- Mirella Aldaba, 22 2006-09-18 |
Author: David Brough. CFS.
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