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Okay, I'm not exactly the most experienced poster here, so you might find me making a guide as being somewhat audacious. However, in my defense, I've been raising and angels for much of my life, and I know a thing or two on keeping them in top condition. Without further ado, here's my two cents.

Firstly, Id like to congratulate you on deciding to keep angelfish. They are absolutely stunning fish, and can live up to five years if well kept. Angelfish requirements are not complicated, as they are hardy fish capable of standing a wide range of tank conditions. However, there are certain rules any prospective angelfish owner should be notified about.

AQUARIUM
Angelfish are medium-large cichlids, capable of reaching lengths of 8 from nose to tail, and a height of 12 (possibly more). This being said, angels are best kept in large, deep tanks with as much water coming into contact with the air as possible. Tall hexagonal tanks and the like should be avoided. When fully grown, a single angel may need as many as 15 gallons per fish, and nothing less than 10 will do. In their natural Amazonian habitat, water temperature usually stays in the high 70s (degrees Fahrenheit). In the aquarium, however, angels can tolerate temperature ranging from 70-85. Ideally, one should have the aquarium at about 75-80F. Daytime and nighttime temperature fluctuations should not be a problem for angels (with a heater, these should be minimal)some even consider this to be a healthful practice. Here is S. California, one needs not even keep a heater in a tropical tank during the summer months. If youre using a heater, it should be 5 watts per gallon. Soft water with a pH value of around the 6.5 vicinity is best for angels as, in the wild, decaying plant matter leaks tannins into the water, making for a slightly acidic environment. Decent water quality is needed, as angelfish are fairly susceptible to trailing fungi on their fins. Any fairly good filter with light to medium flow should work, and undergrounds (UGF) operate fine, too. Multiple filters make for the best water quality and are recommended. Natural lighting (better known as sunlight, but not directly overhead for it will rapidly heat up the tank), is your best choice for your angel tank, both for growing plants (more on that later) and keeping your fish nice and active. However, if you do decide to go with artificial lighting, which I admit, looks better, one should always pitch in a little extra for a fluorescent bulb. Not only are they energy efficient, but they also minimize additional heating to the water. In nature, angelfish hide among reeds, weaving in and out, stalking small fish and invertebrates, so, naturally, angelfish prefer planted aquariums. While live plants arent necessary, they are more visually appealing and aid somewhat in chemical/ CO2 cycling. Amazon swords are a standard in almost any tropical tank, this one being no exception, but any tall, leafy vegetation can be used. A common deterrent for potential plant buyers are the tiny pond snails that more often than not come attached to live plants. These little mollusks need not be removed, for they are harmless and will actually, to a certain extent, consume unsightly algal growth. If you really don't want them, there are ways to ensure no snails end up on you plants. While I have heard stories about a lemon juice bath being rather effective (still skeptical about this oneattempt at your own risk), I find a good, old-fashioned rinse and scrub does the trick.

FEEDING
Angelfish are not known to be picky about foods, and will accept almost any kind of prepared food, although occasionally, one might come across a connoisseur in his or her tank. A variety is always appreciated. Being natural predators, angelfish thrive on a high protein diet. Brine shrimp (watch out for salinity in live shrimp), mosquito larvae, tubifex, and daphnia are all very common and easily attainable foods, both live and frozen, which are excellent for feeding angels. Fine seafood such as shrimp and scallops which have been chopped into very fine pieces are particularly relished by angels. Tank raised guppy fry and thoroughly washed fish carcasses clipped to the side of the aquarium are also angelfish favorites, although for the latter, a strong filter is necessary. Feed twice daily.

TANKMATES
Angels are generally peaceful towards other species of fishes, and are thusly suitable for most large community tanks. But, as with all animals, temperament varies with each individual. Some angels are extremely shy, while others are quite aggressive. There is no real cause for alarm, however, for the vast majority of angels are passive fish. Due to their slow swimming nature and their long, flowing fins, angelfish are more likely to be bullied themselves. Any reasonably peaceful fish can be kept with angels, although mixing them with large, fast moving species is generally discouraged, as they tend to out compete and spook the angels. Fish with a reputation for fin nipping should be avoided. As a rule of thumb, anything below an inch in length is not suitable to be kept in an angelfish tank. Because angelfish are cichlids, many beginning aquarists mix angels with other members of the family cichildae. However, the vast majority of cichlids grow far too aggressive to be paired with angels, especially Africans, which is a shame, since many are so marvelously colored. Some suitable cichlidae companions include kribs, rams (individuals can be fairly hostile, so keep an eye on them for a few weeks after adding them), apistogramma sp., keyholes, and festivums, a favorite of angel owners worldwide. Discuses supposedly contract a fatal disease from angels, which, as luck may have it, leaves the angels unharmed. While Ive never personally experienced this, however, its best not to take a chance with fish as pricey as discus. Another serious issue addressed to me by my LFS was the purchasing of pufferfish as angel tank mates. I cannot stress enough how dangerous this is for your angels. Many a newbie will be won over by its admittedly adorable gaze and the slow, ludicrous fashion it swims in. It is easy for one to imagine them as being harmless. But puffers are, in fact, aggressive, fin tearing, scale biting characters only to be kept with larger species with less finnage. Come spawning season, male angels tend to become fairly intolerant of one another, and territorial skirmishes can ensue, sometimes with serious results. For this reason, angels are best kept as a single individual or in schools housed in large tanks, where aggression is divided amongst the many fish.

VARIETIES
All pterophyllum species behave similarly and exhibit similar needs in respect to water quality, tank space, behavior, etc.
P. Scalare- The predominant species of angel in the fish trade. All ornates fall under this category.

P. Eimekei- Synonymous with p. scalare. Once known as the dwarf angel, this variety is uncommon in the trade, and when it makes its appearance, it is often sold for higher-than normal prices by being labeled under the name p. leopoldi. Previously thought to be a different species.

Red Shoulder- Synonymous with p. scalare. This is a wide-bodied angel with a red blotch extending down the length of its back. Previously thought to be a separate species.

Peruvian- Taller angel with a noticeably deeper body and upturned snout. Although listed under the name p. scalare, most ichthyologists now believe it to be an entirely new pterophyllum species. Often sold under the false title of p. altum.

P. Altum- Tall angel with large bodies and very sharp, deep fins. An uncommonly encountered species.

P. Leopoldi- Rarest of all pterophyllum species. A shallower, more robust angel with an evenly inclined snout.

BREEDING
Angelfish are quite easy to mate. First off, one must obtain a breeding pair. There are two feasible routes that one can take in search of a pair. One option is to buy your own angels and hope for a pair off. Breeders, to help pair off the angels, usually buy them in eights, in which a pair is almost guaranteed to form. However, as non-silver (ornate or fancy) angels fetch a demanding price, even for young fish, on can reduce the count down to six. This method is advantageous in that, in all likelihood, one might obtain more than one mating pair. Another option is to buy and/or order fish already paired up for you. Nowadays, with the conveniences of online auctions, forums and the like, breeding pairs are literally just a click away from home. Drawbacks to this particular course of action include but are not limited to several of the following:

one partner may die
the pair may be stressed out by the event and no longer produce eggs
the whole ordeal is quite costly-especially when ordering online

Once paired off, the breeding begins. A foolproof way of telling if your fish are ready to spawn is that the appearance of females ovipositora nub like protrusion located in the genital region of the female, from which eggs are deposited. If you plan on removing the breeding pair to a separate tank, you should take action now. The nursery tank of sorts should not be any less than 25 gallons. Large, broad leafed plants, a clay pot, or a secured pane of glass should be added to the aquarium as prospective spawning surfaces. If these are not included, the pair will most likely spawn on the tank, which is perfectly fine, but is probably harder to manage for the fish. A sponge filter encased in a fry guard or a mesh box should be added to keep the water clean and fungus free. Stringent adherence to a certain hardness and pH is not necessary- angels can spawn in a variety of conditions. The temperature, however, should be at a steady 80F. Gravel is not needed. If your pair has already spawned in your main tank, you can either remove the surface on which the eggs were deposited into the nursery tank, and add the parents, or just add the eggs without the parents. The only additional measure is to attach an aerator or an air stone underneath the eggs, as to keep a steady flow of water running over them. It is imperative that the parents are not disturbed during the incubation/spawning period, as stressed angels will eat their eggs without hesitation. If the parents were not added to the tank, then keep your eye on the eggs, and using an eyedropper, remove the opaque eggs as soon as they appear. Add 10% methylene blue for the general well being of your eggs. When the young angels hatch, they will not be free swimming, and if the parents remain in the tank, will be sheparded into a corner of the aquarium. Once free swimming, the parents can be returned to the main tank, as the fry can now be fed. Daphnia and baby brine shrimp are a must, as young angels will not usually accept prepared fry food. 10%-20% water changes should take place daily or at least every other day.

I will finish the disease section later, as its nearly time for school.






[span class="edited"][Edited by Klee 2004-06-08 00:15][/span]

[span class="edited"][Edited by Klee 2004-07-14 20:28][/span]

Sorry, I got kind of held up. Finals week.

DISEASES
Angelfish, being hardy fish, are not usually susceptible to many of the major ichthyo-diseases. That being said, angels, like any organism, can become sick if placed in unfavorable conditions. The ailments that are listed below should rarely (if at all) be encountered if your aquarium is clean and you have correctly set it up according to your fishs needs.

Exophthalmia
Better known as pop-eye, this disease pops up (no pun intendedseriously ) fairly often in scalares, because of their sensitive eyes. There are numerous causes for this disease, some of them being fungal, bacterial, and stress related. To top it off, most of these are incurable. To avoid this problem all together, one can purchase a UV scanner, which should rid the water of any potentially harmful bacteria/parasites before they infect your fish. Im not positive, but I dont think UV scanners help after the infection has already begun. As a general rule of thumb, one should avoid buying wild-caught fish and invertebrates as often as possible, as pop-eye is usually transmitted through other fish, and more notably, snails. Some breeders have claimed that biweekly water changes and anti-biotic flakes have cleared up symptoms.

Ichthyophthiriasis
Ich (aka the white-spot), most common of all fish diseases, is caused by parasitic protozoan which infect warm and temperate water fishes. As its name suggests, symptoms of this disease are white spots blotting the fins and flank of the fish. The disease has three stagesthe feeding stage, the releasing stage, and the reproducing stage. In the feeding stage, the parasite fastens itself to the host, feeding on its tissue. Next, the parasite falls off the host during the releasing stage. Finally, it multiplies into many free swimming larvae (not really larvae, but I couldnt think of another word), which then search for a new host to feed on. During the free swimming stage, ich parasites are most susceptible to the hundreds of thousands of different ich remedies available at your LFS. Raising the temperature also helps by speeding up the life cycle of the parasite, and consequently shortens the time in which the free swimming larvae can find a host before they die. To avoid this problem all together, one can purchase a UV scanner, which should rid the water of any potentially harmful bacteria/parasites. As stated above, a UV scanner can be purchased ahead of time to completely avoid the disease.


[span class="edited"][Edited by Klee 2004-06-12 16:08][/span]

wow, thank you for that post! it was very helpful!(thanks again for spending your time!

yes u agree, great post. and good timing because i am getting ready to purchase some angel fish in the near future




chris

When you said they are capable of getting 8in did you mean with tail like you said there tails can be quite long~

Excellent work!! You should have more confidence in posting these things!!!

I didn't know that angels are hardy fish.

8 with tail, of course.

Also, angelfish are quite the survivors.

Great guide klee. Angelfish are great fish, and I have had them since I got into the hobby about 8 years ago. Great fish and this fits very well.

The only concern I have is the species because as far I as know, there is still much debate on them. Then only two species that can be "officially" be described are P. scalare and P. altum. All the other species fall under scalare.

Other than that, GREAT article.

P. Leopoldi is classified as a different species and has been for about 20+ years, I believe. The others, such as peruvians and red shoulders, are listed under scalare, as I stated, but there has been a long standing debate on the Scalare species and the many fish listed under this title. As of now, there is little research being done on them, as the fish industry in that region have focus their attentions on a scource of greater income and interest--identifying fancy plecs.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Klee 2004-07-14 20:30][/span]

Klee,
Thanks so much for the information! I currently have 6 koi and 1 sunset blusher baby all in a 55 gal. grow out tank. These are my first angels, and while they are maturing, I am planning their permanent home(s). What do you think about shell dwellers as an addition to the tank? Would they be too small to be safe with the angels? I was looking at multis at the moment.

Actually, a 55 gal could work as a permanent home, so long as you don't add many more fish. As most people on these boards'll tell you, it's just plain wrong to mix african and SA cichlids. While it might work (personally, I'd be more worried about the shellies nipping the angel fins), their preferred water parameters are quite different, and if you want them to look and act their best, it's probably better not keep them together. If you want small, colorful, active fish, go with cardinals or some larger (but not too large) livebearers.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Klee 2004-07-29 00:24][/span]

Thanks for taking the time to write an excellent article. I am wanting to setup a angelfish biotype and always thought that the tall hex tanks were perfect. So before I go and get my tank what type size; measurements would be suitable for a pair of angelfish and a school of bottom feeders. Thanks.


[span class="edited"][Edited by JTF 2004-08-11 05:46][/span]

I'm not good with hexes, so I'd need the dimensions. I'm not sure as to how many bottom dwellers can fit in a hex, as, well, hexes have little bottom room. A BN or an otto would work, or any plec within that size range. Cories like large schools, and are a bit too lively to fit in smaller hex tanks (30+ should be fine). I'd assume a deep 30 gal would be plenty enough room for a pair of angels, anything more and you'd have to upgrade on tank size. Add in a scool of cardinals, and you're set.

Thanks for the post back.