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Since I will be gone at the time I normally launch my weekly thread, I'll post it early today.

This week’s thread will be about the most popular New World cichlid, the Angelfish. I will be profiling the most common species of angelfish today.

The ‘common’ angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare, Platax scalaris, Pterophyllum eimekei, Zeus scalari) is a very common and very widely kept cichlid from South America. In the wild, they are most often found in still or slow moving waters along the Amazon, and in Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil. They usually live near land, in and among grassy plants. This angelfish is actually imported very rarely, as there are so many captive-bred varieties available nowadays, and it is cheaper to buy these captive specimens.

These angelfish are usually pretty tough and undemanding, as long as certain conditions are met. Angels love well-planted tanks, as plants provide these fish with a sense of security. They should be kept with hardy plants though, as angels have been known to destroy the more delicate ones. Other good hiding places for this cichlid include driftwood and rock formations. Be sure to have some open area for swimming though, if you want to keep these fish happy. Due to their long fins and body shape, angelfish do not appreciate strong current. The water flow in a tank with angelfish should preferably be mild. Soft, acidic water (pH 6.7, dH 9) is preferable, though angels will thrive in all sorts of water conditions.

Angelfish are carnivores, so that should be taken into account when selecting foods for them. They are happy to eat flake foods, but live and frozen foods are greatly beneficial to these cichlids. Brine shrimp, tubifex worms, and bloodworms all make great treats for these fish.

These cichlids reach around 15 cm (6 inches) long, and 23 cm (9 inches) or so in height, when their fins are taken into account. Since angelfish are so tall, they need to be kept in tanks that afford them the room to move around vertically. That being so, I suggest keeping them in no less than a 75 liter (20 gallon) high tank. 110 liters (29 gallons) is much better, though.

Angels are usually good community for community tanks, though some individuals have nasty tempers. Some angels become territorial, and will not coexist with other fish. They are generally peaceful though, and are not bothered too much by active tankmates. However, they are often nipped (sometimes to death) by other fish, such as tiger barbs. Their long fins are great targets for roving mouths, and angels are usually too well-mannered to fight back. Angelfish are often bullied by active (and nippy) schooling fish, so care must be taken to ensure that all tankmates are peaceful. Angels do have their dark side, though. Sometimes, angels will bother other long-finned fish, such as bettas. They get cases of fin envy. I have not witnessed this firsthand though, as I’ve successfully kept an angelfish with a betta. Also, if they are kept in odd numbers, a single angel is often singled out for harassment. For instance, if you take three angelfish home from the store, odds are that one will be beaten up, and possibly killed. For that reason, angelfish should be kept in pairs, or larger even numbers. Sometimes though, an angel will decide that it is dominant, and will lord over any other angels. If that happens to you, consider removing the bossy one. Angels are fine when kept singly, so that is an option as well. There is one more angelfish trait worth mentioning here. They are extremely ~bad~ at eating the fry of other fish. If you want to try to successfully breed other fish in a tank with angels, you’ll have an easy time of it. (I hope nobody misses the sarcasm here, and complains that I’m wrong. Angelfish are in fact very adept at eating fry.)

There is a debate as to whether angelfish will eat small schooling fish, more specifically certain tetra species. They eat small tetras (such as neons) in the wild, but they do not always do this in captivity. Adult angels are certainly large enough to do so, but they sometimes refrain. Why is this? It is my belief (and that of others, too) that small tetras can be safely kept with angelfish. The trick is to buy the tetras first, and let them grow larger. After that, get a juvenile, not adult, angelfish. It will be too small to eat the other fish initially, especially if the tetras were allowed to grow out (as previously suggested). Once the angelfish gets big enough so that it is able to eat the tetras, it usually doesn’t. The reason for this is that the angelfish has been living with the tetras so long, it does not view them as prey. Instead, they are just tankmates, and will not be bothered by the angel. The above is just a theory though. If you want to keep small tetras with angelfish, do so at your own risk.

Trying to figure out if an angelfish is male or female is a very difficult task. There really is no external difference between the sexes. They can only be sexed by taking a look at the fish’s genital tube. They are only visible during and around spawning time, so angels kept by themselves can’t be sexed. The genital papilla (is that right?) of female angels is a little longer than that of males, and the male angel has a more blunt genital tube.

There are tons of angelfish variations, because they have been specially bred to obtain different color and fin patterns. Some of the different kinds include, but are not limited to: Silver, koi, marble, black, veil-tail, ghost, golden, and blushing angels. They are cared for the same way, and have similar temperaments.

Here are some photos of this beautiful fish:
Gold-

Koi?

The ‘normal’ variety (I believe) eating some grub.


Beginners often buy angelfish because of their looks. Fortunately, these cichlids are tough enough to withstand being kept by newbies. I had one that survived my first tank, back when I didn’t know about water changes or the needs of schooling fish! They are beautiful and peaceful, and well suited to community tanks. Keep in mind though that these fish have been ‘domesticated’ to the point where they often become inbred. Specimens that are inbred are much less hardy than normal angels, and have all sorts of genetic problems. They often die way before they’ve reached the upper limits of the angelfish lifespan, which is usually above ten years. If you pick up a healthy angelfish though, you will not regret your choice. They are smart, friendly fish that form long-lasting bonds with their owners.

[link=Week One- Betta splendens (Siamese Fighting Fish)]http:// www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/50279.html" style="COLOR: #808080[/link]
[link=Week Two- Carassius auratus (Common Goldfish)]http://fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/50563.html" style="COLOR: #808080[/link]
[link=Week Three- Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Common Pleco)]http:// www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/50899.html" style="COLOR: #808080[/link]
[link=Week Four- Brachydanio rerio (Zebra Danio)]http:// www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/51250.html" style="COLOR: #808080[/link]
[link=Week Five- Colisa lalia (Dwarf Gourami)]http:// www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/51591.html" style="COLOR: #808080[/link]
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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Very good article

Here are some of mine:





This is Ed, named after my dad who always kept angels in his 55g while I was growing up:


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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Nice books.

My Fav is P Altum...But they are hard to find and even harder to get without colmunaris.]:|

Are those your angelfish nick they look pretty healthy if they are. This fish is one of my favorite fish and will always be i currently have 2 of them.

Nice article.

Anglefish are one of my favorite fish.

We used to breed them a while ago.

We then got a bunch of swordtails, and they nipped the angles to death.

It was really sad to see. We seperated them, but it was too late, and 3 angles died. The last 2 were perfectly fine for a month, then one day, they were found dead in the tank. Poor little guys.

These really are great fish. I love their personalities, as well as their good looks .

Here's one of mine. I got him from Inkodinkomalinko, who rescued him from a 3 gallon tank with 12 angels. His fins have gotten better over time, but at first they were a little stunted and bent. I also got a smaller female from Inko. She didn't do as well. Her pectoral fins were almost non-existant, as if they'd been burned off or something. She had trouble swimming, and never really grew. Poor thing.

Janna attached this image:

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

Those are some beautiful angels everyone!! I'm dying to get a pair for my centerpeice fish in my 75g. I really want "gold pearlscales" so if anyone has any pictures of that variety don't hold 'em back!

Great article Sirbooks.
I will add, that in some Angels, the male can "sometimes" be identified by a humped head- my male has quite the "humpy" looking head. Also, the genital pappillae of the male is shorter, and pointy, where the females is longer and blunt or "like a straw or tube".
They have amazing courting and breeding rituals, and will spawn regularly even in a community setting, though it is unlikely the eggs will make it past the first day or two.
I would also like to add, that I have not had ANY luck at all with the little juvenile baby angels quarter size or less. I went through several, all of which came down with spiro-nucleus disease and died. My sister had the same problem with baby angels. It is so unfortunate as they are very very cute and active, however, sometimes breeders dont cull bad stock, and sometimes fish stores buy bad stock. Juveniles can be more susceptible to disease than adult fish.
Perfect Pair

Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
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Yep, love those angels. Mine came from a friend, so they are extra special. They are great fish to keep!

http://www.aquaria.info/modules.php?set_albumName=gunnies&id=Gathering_0704_048_edited&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

Last edited by wesellguns at 24-Dec-2004 20:26

Yup, the one I showed is a male, and you can see he has a little bit of a hump.

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

No Matt, those are not my fish. No pictures exist of the only angel I've ever kept, memories are all that remain. I really liked that angel, it was smart, friendly, and very cool looking. It really made me appreciate South American cichlids, especially the peaceful ones. The next time I buy/recieve a fish tank, I may well include an angel in the stocking list.

Thank you all for the feedback!

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."