Tips on Angelfish Care and Spawning

The angelfish or Pterophyllum Scalare is a part the Cichlidae family more commonly referred to as cichlids. They have long been a favorite of freshwater aquarium keepers worldwide. They are indigenous to the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins of South America.

Angelfish are elegant and graceful creatures. Their unique disk shape undoubtedly contributes to their popularity. They come in a variety of color palettes, from unadorned to striped, marbled, black, golden, or Koi.

Because of their popularity they can be found at virtually any store that sales fish. They are inexpensive to buy and easy to maintain. But don't be fooled by the size of the angelfish you see for sale in the fish store.

Angelfish commonly grow to six inches in diameter. Keep this in mind when deciding whether to purchase one as an addition to your fish tank. They can be kept in an aquarium as small as 10 gallons. But 20 gallons and up is preferable.

Angelfish work well in community fish tanks. But a note of caution should be exercised when selecting their tank-mates. They will eat the smaller fish in the tank. So if you want to keep angle fish in your aquarium avoid mixing them with smaller varieties such as guppies or neon tetras. Aside from their instinctive dietary habits angelfish are non-aggressive. So they should not be housed in the same tank with fin nippers such as tetras or barbs.

Angelfish are omnivores. They can survive just fine on your common variety tropical fish flakes. They will also eat brine shrimp, tubifex worms, bloodworms, plant matter, and of course their smaller tank-mates.

Under premium conditions angel fish have an average life expectancy of 10 years. As native of the Amazon River they prefer slightly acidic water of around pH 6.8 and temperatures between 72-86 degrees Fahrenheit.

Breeding Angelfish

It is difficult to distinguish between male and female angelfish until they are about to mate. A few days before mating angelfishes' reproductive organs will emerge from their bodies near the proximity of their anal region. The Females have what is called an ovipositor which basically amounts to an egg layer. Males will have a narrow tube through which semen is excreted to fertilize the eggs.

Angelfish engage in an interesting courting ritual as a precursor to mating. They will lock their mouths together and spin around wildly. This dizzying foreplay is a good indication that the reproduction cycle is about to commence.

Once the formalities are out of the way, it is time to prepare a proper hatchery. The Angelfish will clean a flat surface on which the eggs will be deposited. After a surface is suitably prepared, the eggs are laid and fertilized.

Unlike many fish pieces of the Amazon River, Angelfish are unlikely to eat their un-hatched eggs. In fact, angel fish are known to Look beyond their eggs for 3-4 days of gestation. After hatching, both male and female angelfish herd their young from plant to plant for the next four or five days.

Once the cycle of parents is over, the young fish appear as a means to feed their parents. You may want to remove from the fish ponds.

Newly hatched fry can be fed liquid fry or rotifers. A good alternative is readily available and inexpensive powdered eggs. Do not feed them.You will make a mess of your breeding tank. After about a week the fry can be fed newly hatched brine shrimp.