Tips on Queen Angelfish Care!

Queen angelfish or Holacanthus ciliaris are members the family Pomacanthidae. In Greek poma means cover and akantha means thorn. Marine angelfish are comprised of seven genera and approximately 86 species. Queen angelfish populate the shallow water reef systems of the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. They are well established off the coastlines of Florida and the Bahamas. Smaller populations exist in the Bermuda triangle and along the eastern shores of South America as far south as Brazil.

Queen angelfish received their royal title from the blue rimmed black speckling found on their heads. This trademark insignia bears a vague resemblance to the shape of a crown. Like all angelfish, the queen has a flat disc shaped body. Juveniles have predominantly dark blue bodies with yellow highlights and vertical striping ranging from light blue to white. Their lips, gill covers and caudal fins are yellow. As the young fish matures its body color will become lighter and the striping will fade away. Adults are blue or bluish green with yellow rimmed scales. Their ventral and pectoral fins are yellow trimmed in and powder neon blue. They have dark blue lips and yellow caudal fins. Queen Angelfish can grow up to 18 inches in length may weight as much as 4 lbs.

This is a large species and will require a large tank. The general rule of thumb is 5 gallons of water for every one inch of fish. In a community environment you will require a minimum 150-200 gallon aquarium. This is a moderately aggressive animal. You will want to house it with similarly larges species who will not tolerate being bullied. This species exhibits territorial behavior toward its own kind in the confines of an aquarium. You can successfully keep and male and female together in the same tank. They are not suitable for marine reef aquariums. Many of the inhabitants typical of reef aquariums are what these fish would consume in their natural habitat.

Queen angels are rated at a moderate to expert aquarist's care level. They are sensitive to anything less than ideal water conditions. They frequently refuse to feed in their new surroundings. Their somewhat specialized diet in nature often leads to illnesses relate to nutritional deficiencies. Queens who make the transition into a life in captivity can easily live for 15 to 20 years.

Queens are omnivorous. Juveniles are cleaner fish whose nutritional intake consists largely of the parasites found on larger fish they tend to in "cleaning stations." An adult's diet consists primarily of sponges and algae. They will also nibble on sea fans, soft coral, and an occasional jellyfish. You may find that you need to purchase live sponges to persuade them to start eating. An abundance of living rock will help in the acclimation process. Aquarists have successfully raised queens on a combination of protein and algae based foods. There are commercially available food products specifically formulated for marine angelfish.

Queen angelfish are closely related to theBermuda blue angelfish, Holacanthus bermudensis. These species have been known to cross inter-species barriers and mate with one another. The natural hybrids produced by this coupling are rarities in the world of saltwater aquatic life.

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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 stand guard over their eggs through the 3-4 day gestation period. Once hatched, both male and female angelfish will herd their young from plant to plant for the next four or five days.

Once the parental cycle has expired, the young fry may appear as a means of nutrition to their parents. It is advisable to remove them from the breeding tank.

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

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Give Your Angels the Right Angelfish Care!

Taking care of angelfish requires some important details about water quality which is the first major step in angelfish care. You must know the right water quality for your angelfish for them to survive. By doing some water test first, this procedure will make sure the safety of your angelfish. Angelfish is a topical fish and most of these topical fishes need water quality to live in. Just make sure that the water quality has the right amount and temperature to avoid any health problems to your angels or worst even death.

You must always check the water quality of the aquarium to make sure that your angels will not die from the wrong temperature of the water. This is one of the main key to successful angelfish care. Water quality will make your angels healthy and lively. High temperature or too much heat of the water and too much coldness of the water can kill your angels. Low temperature can slower down the growth of angelfish as well as the expected life span.

Angelfish care also means proper diet and nutrition. Angels may feed on any frozen, live and any cichlid foods. You may feed them some black worms, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, chopped earthworms, blood worms and some gruppy fry. You can also give your angels some frozen fish food if fresh and live foods are not available. Just remember not to overfeed your angels because this could lead to messy tanks. You may use fish feeder if you wish to monitor the feeding. By giving and providing them the proper angelfish care, you will be very successful in breeding them which will result into more beautiful and healthier fry and from this you can avoid any kinds of infections.

Here are some of the supplies you need for angelfish care:

• Angelfish Flake. This is a balanced mixture of animals and plant ingredients. This is packed with vitamins and minerals that will help keep your angels healthy and vibrant.
  Aquarium Filters. This is a must for every tanks or aquariums to help prevent any ammonia build up and to filter out toxic and dirt.
• Lighting. This is one of the most important parts of your angelfish aquarium. It could bring the display alive and could lighten up the colors and patterns of your angels.
  Aeration Equipment. This is also an essential equipment for your aquarium to help regulate the oxygen cycle.
• Aquarium. Make sure to choose the right and proper size for your fish.
  Water Conditioner. This will help neutralizes the odor and ammonia build up on the water on your aquarium or tank.
• pH Stabilizers. This will helps reach the right level of Ph of your aquarium or tank water.

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Angelfish Diet and Nutrition - Feeding Them Right

With angelfish diet and nutrition, angelfish can survive if you will feed them with flake food only. But when they start to breed, they will need more and varied diets. Live foods such as Black Worms, brine shrimp, Mosquito larvae, earthworms and some ground Guppy fry are just some of their favorites and feed. When you feed them with any of these, you'd notice how eager they are to eat. Just in case, live shrimp or fishes are not available, you may buy some frozen brines shrimp, bloodworms and other frozen angelfish food at any pet shop near your place.
You can feed your newly hatched fry with some fresh brine shrimp with the right amount every day as a start for their angelfish diet and nutrition. Then after that you can now include on their diet some diets of ground and powdered angelfish flake and some dried and grounded bloodworms with some mixture of live fish and some baby brine. Though angelfish prefer dried and flaky food, you can give them frozen one if those are not available. Just do not over feed them to avoid any ammonia build up on your tank.
Other types of dry foods that are excellent and perfect sources of food for angelfish are freeze-dried foods which are favorable to angelfish appetites. These foods are very high in protein and help and will surely make your angles grow strong and healthy and make a nice treat once or twice a week is the ideal feeding time for it. Any fish needs their own diet for it to survive. Free-dried bloodworms are also very nutritious and one of the angels' favorites. Many types of foods come in the pellet form as well and these are also favorable in your angel's part. This is another alternative for angelfish diet and nutrition.
Angel fish are omnivorous but do best on a varied diet which contains plenty of meat. A proper angelfish diet and nutrition consist of a variety on their daily diet which play an important role. They will happily consume some flake food but also benefit from freeze dried foods such as brine shrimp, plankton, tubifex and blood worms. Some owners and breeders recommend giving and feeding them a weekly treat such as black worms. Live food should only be provided and given to your angels if it is from a reliable and known brand name or source, as angel fish can be particularly very fragile to parasites and bacteria which can be introduced in this type of black angelfish food.

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Freshwater Aquarium Fish - Angelfish Care

Anglefish are a stunning freshwater aquarium fish that you can add to your tank. Freshwater angelfish are a type of South American Cichlid. They were first brought into Germany in 1911 and into the US in 1925. A number of kinds have been bred by aquarists, and angelfish have become the most popular freshwater aquarium fish.

However, angelfish are not a resilient fish and they can be aggressive. Many people donít recognize that angelfish are omnivores and will devour tank mates such as Neon Tetras, which they think of as a fantastic delight. The key is simple. If the fish will fit in the angel's mouth, it is not a tank mate; it is dinner. They are also attracted to slow moving, pretty, shiny fish with long fins. They are notorious for nipping at the fins of Bettas.

Since the early 1990's, there has been a marked decline in the robustness of angelfish. So called "angelfish disease" has been a difficult dilemma for freshwater aquarium enthusiasts. If you have had difficulties with angelfish not surviving in your tank, it is probable that you tank is tainted. Tanks can stay infected for months. If you have lost angelfish, you should consult with a professional and decontaminate your tank.

If you have never owned angelfish or you have had success with angels in your freshwater aquarium and you wish to add new angels, it is very important that you set up an isolation tank and isolate your new angelfish. You do not want to bring in a sick fish into your community.
Angelfish are easily stressed. Angels caught in the wild are given strong antibiotics, which can actually enable them to live around ailing fish and bring the sickness they have been contaminated with into your tank. This is another reason an isolation tank for your angelfish is necessary.

Procuring your angelfish from an respectable breeder will also help you to obtain a hardy fish. Tank-raised angelfish are less stressed than wild-caught angelfish because they are used to an aquarium environment. They will be stressed from being moved, but they will not have the additional stress from being caught in the wild, transported from South America and then placed into a tank environment.

Angelfish need to be kept in water with a pH range of 6.0 to 8.0, a dH range of 5.0 ñ 13 and water temperature in the low to mid 80's F. They like thick vegetation and room to swim. A 40-gallon tank is pretty much the minimum if it is a community tank; a 60-gallon is better. Not only do the angels need opportunity to swim, but their tank mates need places to get away when the angels become aggressive.

Since angelfish are omnivores, they need to be fed live food as well as flakes. Baby brine shrimp are easy to raise, and provide a needed treat for angels. Another excellent choice are bloodworms.

Angelfish do not do well in isolation. Having a single angelfish in a community tank is a set up for problems. Angelfish have been known in such a situation to kill ALL their fellow fish in the tank. Angels seem happiest with six or more in a community and lots of room.

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Top 10 Angelfish Facts

Here are my top 10 facts about Angelfish:

1. They are one of the most commonly kept freshwater aquarium fish. This is due to their unique shape and color plus their intelligent behaviour. They are believed to recognize their owners.
2. They are thin, with round bodies and elongated triangular dorsal and anal fins. Natural Angelfish have vertical colored stripes to provide camouflage.
3. They are ambush predators and prey on small fish and macroinvertebrates. They should be fed a mixture of flake, frozen and live food.
4. They're eggs are generally laid on a submerged log or a flattened leafs.
5. When mating, they form monogamous pairs. These relationships are long term. If one of the pair are removed or die the remaining fish will often never form another relationship. When they become parents they will watch over the eggs until they are hatched.
6. They originate from the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins in tropical South America.
7. They are best kept in a warm aquarium, ideally around 80°F (27°C). The prefer a pH of below 7.5 but can thrive in a wide range of pH values.
8. They generally reach maturity at around six to twelve months. If the eggs are removed immediately after spawning they can spawn every seven to ten days.
9. It is relatively easy to breed them in an aquarium.
10. Breeding them can make it very difficult to identify their gender until they are ready to breed and also can remove their rearing instinct resulting in them eating their young.

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What Types of Aquarium Angelfish Species Are There

If you want to spice up the look of your aquarium then add an Angelfish. An Angelfish can add color and excitement to any home aquarium and you will never be short on choices as there are more than twenty varieties of Angelfish to choose from.

Varieties of Angelfish

One of the most popular aquarium fish species is the dwarf Angelfish. Because of its small size, the dwarf Angelfish is perfect for a small home aquarium. Here are some types of dwarf Angelfish that you can buy:

- The Coral beauty Angelfish has a red body with bluish-black and orange fins. It is easy to care for and will grow to a maximum size of four inches.

- The Eibli Angelfish has a tan body with vertical brown stripes and very distinctive black blotches that cover the entirety of the back of the fish. It will grow to a length of six inches

- The Flame Angelfish can safely live in a reef tank. This dwarf aquarium Angelfish species is six inches long and has an orange-red body with black strips running from top to bottom.

The Orange-black Angelfish is another popular aquarium fish species. This three-inch long, dark blue fish has a golden blaze that runs from the face down the dorsal fin.

Difficult Dwarf Angelfish To Maintain

There are some Angelfish which are difficult to take care of these are:

- Herald's Angelfish is four inches long and is a buttery lemon yellow, with a brown accent at the eye. The Herald's Angelfish survives mainly on algae so make sure and give it a good spirulina formula.

- The Lemonpeel Angelfish is bright yellow with a dark semicircle near the eye. Provide plenty of shelter for hiding. Best kept in aquariums with ample algae and other live rock growth.

- Barred Angelfish is only four inches long, with black and white vertical strips extending from head to tail.

- Potter's Angelfish is yet another difficult aquarium fish species to own. It is a beautiful fish, with a blue body and reddish fins.

Omnivorous Fish Species

Dwarf Angelfish will thrive in their environment and provide you with many enjoyable hours of fish watching. All dwarf Angelfish are omnivores, eating both animals and vegetables. Macro-algae are their vegetable matter of choice. Dwarf angelfish need an aquarium with plenty of hiding places and prefer a tank with live rock and lots of forage (allow that algae to grow on non-living surfaces). Only one member of a given species should be housed in an aquarium unless that aquarium is VERY large. Dwarf angelfish often display aggression toward other dwarf angelfish-if you are going to house two species in the same aquarium, add them at the same time.

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Angel Fish A Great Addiction To Any Tropical Fish Tank

Angelfish is one of the most striking and beautiful fish. Because of their exceptional beauty they have become the most popular fish among all the fish keepers in the world. Angelfish is a fish which is found in slow flowing river waters of America. It is perhaps the most recognizable beautiful fish available. Angelfish is member of cichlid family and is available in variety of colors like black, silver, gold and a combination of these. They have a highly compressed cylindrical body which distinguishes it from other fishes. With it's elongated and dorsal fins it has become a favorite among fish keepers.

Apart from looks, there are various others factors that favor the angelfish to be one of the top most choices among fish keepers. Angelfish is one of the easiest egg laying fish to breed. It's very easy to feed angelfish, they can live only on flaked food as well but it is always advisable to keep them on varying food. Brine shrimp, black worms, and mosquito larvae are all great foods for angelfish. Frozen blood worms also help keep the diet varied when live food is not available.

To keep angelfish, you need an aquarium of 30 gallons or large depending upon the number and sizes of the fishes. While going in for angel fish tank always keep in mind, that you are having gravel that is at least 1/4 inch thick and aquarium is at least 24 inches deep. The deeper the tank is, larger the angel fish will grow. You will need to keep the water temperature of aquarium around 70-80- Fahrenheit.

Although angelfish is delicate in appearance but they are reasonable hardy species. At times angelfishes are very violent, so while keeping smaller fishes in the tank, take this factor into account.

Apart from all this, angelfishes are supposed to be one of the most intelligent fishes; they always move in pairs and have the ability to recognize the fish keeper. All in all keeping an angelfish tank is a great to addition to the beauty of your home. Angel fish tanks are easy in maintenance and the joy that you will have in keeping all the angelfish is long lasting, so what else are you looking for, go and order an angelfish tank

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Tropical Fish Care

I have written few general tropical fish care tips and secrets for beginners to help them in their tropical fish keeping hobby
Below are 6 top tips for tropical fish care:
1) Tropical Fish Tank Tips
You should try to get the biggest tank you can afford. As a result water temperature will be stable in bigger tank and it will be easier to care for your fishes. It will also give your fishes more water thus keeping them healthier. Besides even if a fish dies it will not affect the others.
2) Tropical Fish Should Have Plenty Of Places To Hide.
Ironically you give them more room to hide and they will hide less. Resulting in lower levels of stress for your tropical fish.
3) Fish Should Be Away From Sunlight.
Your fish should not be close to direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will create major problems in the form of green algae. Direct sunlight will also increase your tanks water temperature. Thus avoid sunlight to help you care better for your Tropical fish.
4) Fish Feeding Care
A good diet is an essential part of Tropical Fish Care. Do not give your tropical fish only flakes. You will see better colors and increased vitality by giving them a variety in their diet. Flakes could be primary diet but try to supplement their diet with other types of food every few days.
To ensure better fish care do not over feed your fish. Instead of giving one big feed you can give two small feedings. When you give your fish food they should be able to finish within a minute or two else you will see flakes settling on the bottom of the tank and that means you have given too much food. Extra feeding will give poor aquarium water quality and will increase stress levels of your fish.
5) Stocking of Tropical Fish
Don't add too many fish to your tank. It's better to add fishes in your tank slowly to help your tank's biological filtration system to work properly.
6) Fish Tank Maintenance Tips and Care
You should be changing water of your tank regularly. Frequent water change is better for Tropical fish care and it will not cause stress and shouldn't interfere with the biological cycle of the tank.

To find out other crucial things you need to do to care for your tropical fish, you should visit this site: http://unique-review.com/tropical-fish-care-secrets-and-tropical-fish-disease/

Bobby Wilson writes articles on different topics that interest him.
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Angelfish Make Great Pets

Fresh water angelfish have been popular fish choices in homes all over the world. The scientific name for angelfish is pterophyllum and it owes its origin to the Greek word "scalare," which literally means "like a flight of stairs." Angelfish are characterized by long fins. Angelfish are believed to have originated in the Amazon region of South America, which is home to a variety of flora and fauna.

Angelfish can live along with live plants in fresh water tanks. The quality of water is in controlled by the water plants. Water plants also help by adding oxygen to the water. Broad-leaved aquatic plants are the best when it comes to water tanks with angelfish. The chemical composition of the water should be neutral or slightly acidic, which allows these plants to thrive, making perfect companions for the angelfish in the water tank.

Angelfish love flake food, though they will thrive with a variety of diets. They can survive on adult brine shrimp, black worms, and even mosquito larvae. You can also give them frozen packages of blood worms or brine shrimp, which are available at stores near you. You can also give them meat, provided you are sure that there is no fat in the serving. Angelfish should be fed a variety of foods that ensure their all-round growth.

The tank size for breeding a pair of angelfish ideally should be around 15 gallons. Once they breed and new family members arrive, you can gradually increase the size of the water tank. A larger tank would in fact ensure a feeling of security, since it ensures that parents aren't apt to eat their own young due to too small of a space.

If you are in the market for angelfish, you can choose from a variety of sub species. Take adequate care to ensure that you don't end up buying fish from a tank with dead fish or any fungus and parasite infestations. One can get extensive information on angelfish from online resources. A visit to your neighborhood aquarium could equip you with the required knowledge, as well.

Angels provides detailed information on Angels, Guardian Angels, Fallen Angels, Gentle Angels and more. Angels is affiliated with Italian Bracelet Charms.

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Angel Fish Care – How To Keep Your Angel Fish In Top Condition

Angel fish (Pterophyllum) are possibly the most distinctive of the cichlid varieties. The most common variety is the Pterophyllum scalare that is silver with black stripes. It has the shape of a discus fish but has elaborate dorsal and anal fins and a long pointed tail that gives it a serene and majestic look as it glides around the tank, possibly like the movement of an angel no doubt. This article will discuss some simple Angel fish facts, like the ideal conditions for the fish and how to care for them.

Angel fish originate from the Amazon river region. This water can vary in quality as it gets closer to the sea and becomes more brackish. However, Angel fish are most suited to acidic water that is found on the flood plains. It is typically slow moving and dense in vegetation. The vegetation eventually rots and creates debris that produces humic acid. This tends to make the water quite acidic or soft. The typical Ph levels would be 5 – 6.5. Water temperatures are also high at around 26-30 degrees Celsius.

Having said this, Angel fish today are so popular that they are mainly bred in captivity and inter-bred. This has made them more flexible to types of water and they can adapt to harder water. It is best to ask about the ideal water conditions for the type of angel fish you buy from the store owner.

Angel fish prefer a habitat that has plenty of plant life and rocks. The plant life should have large surface area leaves as Angel fish like to spawn on plant leaves.

Angel fish are generally carnivorous in the wild. They tend to drift in the upper to surface levels of water picking off young fish and even insects that might settle on the surface. In an aquarium they will eat Angel fish flakes, bloodworm, shrimp and shrimp brine. Due to inter-breeding and eggs being removed from parents some angel fish will eat their young.

With this in mind, Angel fish are generally placid and will live with other fish but it is advisable that the fish are of a size that does not tempt the angel fish to eat them!

Angel Fish diseases are the same as most other cichlid illnesses. Most diseases are introduced by snails that come with plants. It is advisable to check any new plants for snails before putting them into the tank. Another cause of disease is from bad water quality that can lead to stressful fish that can cause illness.

Ich is the most common disease that may affect your fish. The symptoms are tiny white spots on the fish, around the gills and fins. The fish may also start to rub themselves against rocks or wood. Ich is caused by a parasite known as ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a ciliate protozoa. Medicine, in the form of drops, can be purchased to remedy this condition.

Angel Fish will complement any fish tank, they exhibit behaviors that make them fascinating to watch. The tank bred varieties are quite hardy and make it easier to care for them. Having said this you really need to know how to maintain a fish tank and monitor the water quality.

Starting a fish tank ? Find all the products you need at http://www.fishtank-supplies.com . The site has features on the importance of fish tank stands and why you need fish tank gravel . Adrian Whittle writes about keeping both fresh and saltwater fish.

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Add Angelfish to Your Fishtank! Useful Informations and Tips!

Angelfish is a member of the Cichlid family, Angelfish come in many varieties and colors. They can be a little bit fragile when they are young but as they grow older they can be quite hardy. You'll want to keep them in groups of six or more, however, as just two or three is not a good mix and you may find that the stronger one bullies the weaker fish, but if you keep them in large schools they should be fine.

Angelfish are beautiful and graceful - a great addition to any fish tank but you need to be careful that you don't put them in a tank that has fish that they will not get along with. Even though these fish seem peaceful and gentle, they can be mildly aggressive and might tend to eat your smaller fish!

You'll need a large aquarium for these fish, either 29 gallons or larger depending on how many fish total you want to keep. Make sure you have gravel that is at least 1/4" thick. You will have to keep the tank temperature between 70 and 82°F so be sure that you mix your angelfish with other fish that thrive in this temperature. Make sure your aquarium is at least 24 inches deep - the deeper the better and the deeper your fish tank, the larger your fish will grow. Some angel fish have been reported to grow as large as 12 inches.

Angelfish are not that difficult to feed and they don't really require any special food. You can give them the floating flake food that you find in any pet store and may be substituted in some freeze dried blood worms. If you want to give them a treat, try some brine shrimp or live black worms but be sure to select worms that are in good condition. Although the angelfish is mildly aggressive there are many other fish that can get along quite well in the tank with them. Large Tetras (not the tiny neons) and Silver Dollar fish get along great as do Swordtails Mollies and Platies. Avoid putting Guppies in with your Angelfish is the Angels do tend to eat them. Other fish that you can include in the tank include Gouramis, Clown Loaches, Bala Sharks and Giant Danios.

Although easy to care for and rather hardy, Angelfish can become victims to other fish that like to nip at their long fins. In addition to this they can be susceptible to a common fish tank disease called hole in the head disease which manifests itself as a sore on the fishes head and spreads alarmingly eventually killing the fish.

If you treat your angelfish right, don't overcrowd the tank, make sure you do regular maintenance, feed him properly and keep the tank at the right temperature your fish can live for 10 years!

Keep the fishtank at the right temperature and not overcrowd the tank. Angelfish are easy to maintain. If you maintain the tank properly and carefully, Angelfish can live upto 10 years.

Keep reading articles in this blog for more information and tips about breeding Angelfish.

Breeding Angelfish - An Art

Angelfish shoule be kept in a warm aquarium, ideally around 80°F (27°C). They will do best if fed a mixture of flake, frozen and live food. Overfeeding should be avoided. Angelfish will eat even when they do not need. This will lead to a bulidup of fats resulting in inactivity and early death. Angelfish will do best if kept in an acidic environment, pH should be below 7.5. Although most aquarium-bred angelfish can survive in a wide range of pHs, wild-caught angelfish will need water with a pH of at least 6.5. Even though angelfish are a member of the cichlid family they are generally peaceful, however; the general rule "big fish eat little fish" applies. Other aggressive fish should not be kept with angelfish because their flowing fins are vulnerable to fin nipping! Some smaller more aggressive fish may even nip at the fins of these fish.

Angelfish are relatively easy to breed in the aquarium, although one of the results of generations of inbreeding is that many breeds have almost completely lost their rearing instincts resulting in the tendency of the parents to eat their young. In addition, it is very difficult to accurately identify the gender of any individual until they are nearly ready to breed.

Angelfish pairs form long-term relationships where each individual will protect the other from threats and potential suitors. Upon the death or removal of one of the mated pair, some breeders have experienced a total refusal of the other mate to pair up with any other angelfish; others have had more success with subsequent mates. Both parents care for the young.

Depending upon aquarium conditions, P. scalare reaches sexual maturity at the age of six to twelve months or more. In situations where the eggs are removed from the aquarium immediately after spawning, the pair is capable of spawning every seven to ten days. Around the age of approximately three years, spawning frequency will decrease and eventually cease.

When the pair is ready to spawn, they will choose an appropriate medium upon which to lay the eggs and spend one to two days picking off detritus and algae from the surface. This medium may be a broad-leaf plant in the aquarium, a flat surface such as a piece of slate placed vertically in the aquarium, a length of pipe, or even the glass sides of the aquarium.

The female will deposit a line of eggs on the spawning substrate, followed by the male who will fertilize the eggs. This process will repeat itself until there are a total of 100 to up to 1200+ eggs, depending on the size and health of the female fish. The pair will take turns maintaining a high rate of water circulation around the eggs by swimming very close to the eggs and fanning the eggs with their pectoral fins. In a few days, the eggs hatch and the fry remain attached to the spawning substrate. During this period, the fry will not eat and will survive by consuming the remains of their yolk sacs. At one week, the fry will detach and become free-swimming. Successful parents will keep close watch on the eggs until they become free-swimming.

Types of Angelfish - Different Strains

Domestic angelfish have been bred and crossbred for several decades. There are hundreds of mutations of little importance by themselves.

Silver

The most commonly pictured form, this is also referred to as "wild-type", this type of fish does not contain any dominant color genes and at most a single dose of any recessive genes. Has silver body with 4 vertical black stripes. The stripes will fade and darken with mood. (Under stress will fade, darkest when breeding).

Gold

One of the hardiest and most attractive strains. Some will develop an intense orange crown. Gold is a recessive trait, like blue eyes in humans

Zebra

A Silver with extra stripes. A very popular strain.

Black Lace/Zebra Lace

A Silver or Zebra with one copy of the Dark gene. This results in very attractive lacing in the fins. Considered by some to the most attractive of all angelfish varieties.

Smokey

A variety with a dark brownish grey back half and dark dorsal and anal fins.

Chocolate

Homozygous for Smokey with more of the dark pattern. Sometimes only the head is silver.

Halfblack

Silver with a black rear portion. Halfblack can express along with some other color genes, but not all. The pattern may not develop or express if the fish are in stressful conditions.

Sunset Blushing Veil Angelfish - P. scalareSunset Blushing

The Sunset Blushing has two doses of gold and two doses of Stripeless. The upper half of the fish exhibits orange on the good ones. The body is mostly white in color, fins are clear. The amount of orange showing on the fish can vary. On some the body is a pinkish or tangerine color. The term blushing comes from the clear gill plates found on juveniles. You can see the pinkish gill underneath.

Koi Angelfish - P. scalareKoi

The Koi has a double or single dose of Gold Marble with a double dose of Stripeless. They express a variable amount of orange that varies with stress levels. The black marbling varies from 5%-40% coverage.

Leopard

The leopard is a very popular fish when young, having spots over most of their body. Most of these spots grow closer together as an adult so it looks like a chocolate with dots on it. (Smokey x Zebra)

Blue Blushing

This is a wild-type angelfish that has two Stripeless genes. The body is actually grey with a bluish tint under the right light spectrum. An iridescent pigment develops as they age. This iridescence usually appears blue under most lighting.

Silver Gold Marble

A Silver angel with a single Gold Marble gene. This is a co-dominant expression of Silver and Gold Marble, so you see traits of both.

Ghost

A fish that is heterozygous for Stripeless. This results in a mostly silver fish with just a stripe through the eye and tail. Sometimes portions of the body stripes will express.

Gold Marble

A gold angel with black marbling. Depending on whether the Gold Marble is single or double dose, the marbling will range from 5% to 40% coverage.

Marble Angelfish - P. scalareMarble

Marble expresses with much more black pattern than Gold Marble does. The marbling varies from 50% to 95%.

Black Hybrid

Cross a black with a gold, and you get black hybrids. A very vigorous black, that may look brassy when young. Does not breed true.

Gold Pearlscale Angelfish - P. scalarePearlscale

Pearlscale is a scale mutation. The scale have a wrinkled, wavy look that reflect light to create a sparkling effect. Pearl develops slowly, starting at around 9 weeks of age. In can be inhibited by stressful conditions. It is recessive, requiring both parents to contain the allele. It looks best on light colored fish like Gold, Gold Marble, Albino, Silver and Zebra. It's difficult to see on dark fish and blushing angelfish.

Black Ghost

Same description as a Ghost, with a darker appearance due to the Dark gene. Very similar to a Black Lace without complete stripes. Ghosts generally have more iridescence than non-ghosts.

Albino

Albino removes dark pigments in most varieties. Some, like Albino Marble will still have a little black remaining on a percentage of the fish. The eye pupils are pink as in all albino animals. The surrounding iris can be red or yellow depending on the variety of Albino.

What is Angelfish

Angelfish is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae. Science name Pterophyllum. All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon River basin in tropical South America. The three species of Pterophyllum are unusually shaped for cichlids being greatly laterally compressed, with round bodies and elongated triangular-shaped dorsal and anal fins. This body shape allows them to hide among roots and plants, often on a vertical surface. Naturally occurring angelfish are frequently striped longitudinally, colouration which provides additional camouflage. Angelfish are ambush predators and prey on small fish and macroinvertebrates. All Pterophyllum species form monogamous pairs. Eggs are generally laid on a submerged log or a flattened leaf. As is the case for other cichlids, brood care is highly developed.