Angelfish: photos of fish, keeping, breeding, compatibility, video

Angelfish, or in Latin – Pterophyllum scalare, is a large fish from the cichlid family, with an original appearance, unusual color and excellent appetite. She will not refuse to feast on the smaller inhabitants of the aquarium - fry, shrimp, etc., but such weakness is forgiven for her beauty and interesting behavior. In addition, angelfish are not the most fastidious fish, so they can be found both among experienced aquarists and beginners who are just getting acquainted with the basics of fish breeding.

Keeping angelfish in an aquarium

In a normal natural environment, representatives of this species have a camouflage color - black stripes are located on a silver background. But there are also individuals with changed colors - plain gray, black and other variations.

This variability has proven to be beneficial for aquarists; they actively use this feature to breed angelfish of brighter colors. Today you can already find black, marbled, blue, diamond, spotted (koi) and other fish, as well as representatives of the breed with very original colors, for example, “red devil” or “green angel”.

A feature of all angelfish is a flattened body, but despite the peculiar shape of the body, they are representatives of the same species as discus and cichlids. There are different types of angelfish, which differ not only in the color of their scales, but also in size. The height of the largest individuals reaches 15 cm (the length of these fish is inferior to the height).

The most important condition for keeping these fish is the presence of a spacious aquarium in which they can swim without difficulty. For one fish, a 150-liter tank is enough, but for a pair or group of angelfish, the aquarium should be at least 200 liters.

The average lifespan of aquarium angelfish is 10 years or longer. Angelfish can live in community aquariums, however, due to their gluttony, it is undesirable to add small fish to them, which they will consider as food.

Diseases

These fish, unfortunately, do not have excellent immunity. Diseases in angelfish mainly occur due to dirty objects placed in the aquarium: decor, cleaning tools.

The main problems of fish:

Helminths - the owner notices that the angelfish has a swollen belly despite the standard amount of food it receives.
Protozoa flagellates cause hexamitosis in angelfish, these are ulcers on the scalp. Treatment is specific, preventing the formation of scars from ulcers. Curable in the early stages.
Microspores contribute to the appearance of fin rot.
Bacteria - you can notice that the angelfish has a bulging eye, it eats little, loses weight and constantly tries to hide. These are signs of tuberculosis, or mycobacteriosis. There is no cure for this disease; the aquarium must undergo a complete restart.
Any disorders associated with coordination and body position in space, unfortunately, are incurable.
Rubella is a viral disease that causes red gills, scales and fins.
Branchiomycosis is the disintegration of the gills due to a fungal infection.
Dermatomycosis is a mold fungus.

Despite poor health and susceptibility to a huge number of diseases, angelfish remain one of the most popular fish in aquariums. They are easy to care for, they do not require difficult conditions, but remain the most luxurious, graceful and intelligent inhabitants of aquariums.

Angelfish in their natural habitat

The first description of angelfish was made by researcher Schulze back in 1823. The fish came to Europe in 1920, and already in 1930 it was successfully bred in the USA. Although modern fish of this family are called common, and they are not difficult to find on sale, they differ significantly from their natural relatives.

In nature, angelfish live in South American reservoirs with slow currents. Their homeland is considered to be the central Amazon and its tributaries in Peru, Brazil, and eastern Ecuador. Under natural conditions, angelfish need a pond with a small amount of plants; their food is fry, insects, invertebrates, and vegetation.

To what size and how quickly do angelfish grow?

Angelfish are not the smallest aquarium fish. With proper care, these beauties can be grown to large sizes so that they can fully demonstrate their unearthly beauty.

Aquarium sizes of angelfish

Typically, angelfish reach 26 cm in height and 15 cm in length. These are real sizes that can be obtained in practice without the use of special maintenance methods. They have nothing to do with the record sizes of angelfish, which are simply amazing: in the wild, angelfish can grow up to half a meter in height. Of course, this is impossible in aquarium conditions. The size to which angelfish grow depends on the living conditions of the fish.

Factors influencing the growth of angelfish

First of all, the growth of angelfish depends on its variety. Some easily reach 30 cm in height and 20 cm in length. Pets reach their maximum size in the second third of life, i.e. by about 10 years of age. The growth of angelfish, of course, is affected by the size of the aquarium. In order for the angelfish to grow to its maximum size, it must be kept in a 400-liter aquarium.

Food is of great importance. If fish are underfed or fed low-quality low-protein food, they will not only stop growing, but will also begin to get sick. Therefore, food should be rich in protein. How quickly angelfish grow depends on all this.

High-quality nutrition is important for angelfish from childhood. You can feed your fish with special vitamins for healthy and rapid growth.

It is necessary to comply with all conditions of detention - that is, ensure sufficient filtration, aeration, hardness and temperature of the water, and also maintain the correct light regime.

The breed of angelfish is of great importance. By nature, these fish are not very large, and in aquarium conditions (even the best) they will not be able to grow larger than their own norm.

Once again we need to repeat the importance of proper maintenance in childhood. A fish that grew up in a cramped aquarium and was not fed properly will never be able to reach large sizes, even if it was later provided with good food and sufficient water.

By following these simple rules, you can grow beautiful, healthy angelfish in your aquarium, which will delight you for many years.

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Types of angelfish

Today the genus angelfish includes 3 species:

regular;
altum (large, tall);
Leopold.

It is difficult to determine which species is most popular among aquarium fish lovers. Moreover, they are actively crossed, obtaining new subspecies.

Common angelfish

Most of the fish that pet stores offer for sale belong to this species. They have a characteristic appearance - a disc-shaped flat body and sail-like fins. Among other species, common angelfish are considered the most unpretentious in breeding.

Leopold's angelfish

Named after King Leopold III of Belgium, who was fond of zoology. This species is quite rare; its representatives resemble the common angelfish in appearance, but their spots are lighter than those of ordinary ones. There are a couple of black stripes on the body, and one is located on the dorsal fin, but it extends to the body.

Angelfish altum

This is the largest representative of the species, since the height of individuals living in the natural environment reaches half a meter. The areola of the Altum angelfish is limited to the upper section of the Orinoco River, which flows through Venezuela and Colombia.

A distinctive feature of these fish is the presence of a sharp transition between the forehead and mouth, which forms a depression. There are red dots on the fins.

For a long time, it was not possible to breed the altum angelfish in captivity, but today the difficulties have been overcome and you can find on sale not only fry caught in the wild, but also bred by specialists.

General description of angelfish

Ordinary angelfish living in their natural environment body with dark stripes distributed on it. The body is flattened laterally, there are fairly large fins, and the head is pointed. In adults, the caudal fin may be decorated with long, thin rays.

This unusual body shape is the best means of camouflage; the fish can hide unnoticed in roots and plants. Natural color also contributes to concealment. As already noted, angelfish are far from gourmets; while in ambush, they lie in wait for various small animals - from fry to small fish.

Content nuances

What might aquarists encounter if they decide to get themselves such flat fish?

They are considered to be fish of medium complexity, so you should not choose them as the first inhabitants of the aquarium.
Place angelfish in a small artificial pond - they need space.
Fish need stability - water parameters must be constant.
Small fish are not the best neighbors for angelfish; they can suffer from such “beauties”.
But the angelfish themselves can be harmed by Sumatran barbs and thorns; they are bullies and are not averse to tearing off the fins of their flat counterparts.

Feeding angelfish

These inhabitants of the underwater world can eat any food: live, frozen or artificial. You can use frozen flakes as a basis, and give live or frozen tubifex, bloodworms, brine shrimp, and coretra as additional feeding.

People who are far from aquarium hobby may find it strange that angelfish are beggars, and like other pets - cats, dogs, they can beg for food. It is important to remember moderation and not to overfeed these cunning “gluttons”.

Bloodworms are not the best food for these fish; even slight overfeeding leads to intestinal bloating. Therefore, it is advisable to feed the angelfish with branded, high-quality food.

These inhabitants sometimes tear off plants with tender leaves, for example, the top of Eleocharis, or begin to tear off moss from stones and snags. In this case, it is recommended to include food containing spirulina in the scalar menu.

Raising fry

If the fry are not cared for by parents, it is necessary to ensure that the fry do not lie on the bottom. Such “sliders” may die because they are unable to rise to the top on their own and fill the swim bladder with air.

For the first time, the fry have enough ciliates, which actively reproduce in the duckweed. In specialized stores you can easily find dry food for them, but you should not abuse it. It is best for them to use only live food. This will be the impetus for the rapid growth and development of young angelfish.

You can use bloodworms and tubifex for food.

In a month and a half, the young brood will be ready to move into a common aquarium. Reproduction of angelfish at home is not always successful the first time, but with each new attempt this process becomes more exciting.

Basics of keeping and caring for angelfish

With good care, fish of this species can live longer than 10 years without causing any problems. And the owner should take care of the following:

For one angelfish, a 120-liter high aquarium is suitable, and several fish will need a 200-300-liter tank. This is important for the comfort of the wards, especially if they are about to become parents - in a spacious tank they are calmer and eat their own eggs less often;
Warm water is suitable for aquarium angelfish, the ideal temperature of which is 25°-27°C;
the aquarium must be equipped with decor, but it is important to take into account that flat angelfish are able to hide in the most secluded places and there should not be sharp edges anywhere;
due to the fact that these fish can, even without feeling hungry, eat tender greens, it is recommended to plant vegetation with wide, dense leaves - angelfish will not eat them, but use them for other purposes - for laying eggs;
the filter should be set to moderate mode, since angelfish are not adapted to swimming in strong currents. If the fish stays in a large flow of water for a long time, it will experience severe stress and will not be able to grow quickly;
the most suitable apparatus for an aquarium with angelfish is an external filter and water supply through a flute; you can install an internal device, but not forgetting about the spray flow;
per day, at least 20% of the total water exchange is required.

Reproduction process

Unlike most aquarium fish, which spawn in the early morning, angelfish spawn in the evening. The process happens quite quickly. The female spawns eggs onto a favorite object (a cone or a block), and the male follows her and fertilizes the eggs with his milt.

Regardless of whether spawning took place in a general aquarium or in a special spawning tank, it is better to put the cone with fertilized eggs in a separate vessel. Firstly, angelfish are capable of regular breeding every two to three weeks. To do this, you need to install a new cone each time if the previous one is occupied by eggs. The absence of caviar nearby will stimulate them. Secondly, the juveniles can be quickly eaten by the parents or neighbors of the angelfish.

Compatibility with other fish

These fish can live in community aquariums, but we must not forget about their gluttony and some aggressiveness. These fish will not allow small fish, fry, and shrimp to live in peace, constantly hunting for them.

Young angelfish keep in a flock, but adult individuals are divided into pairs, showing pronounced territoriality. These inhabitants are timid, so sudden movements, sounds, and turning on lights make them hide. It is not advisable to house cichlids with the following relatives:

small fish - cardinals, neons, microscopic galaxies, etc.
barbs (with the exception of cherry barbs);
thorns;
tetragonopterus.

All these fish are quite nasty and often eat the long fins of slower, but more luxurious individuals. Angelfish get along well with viviparous representatives of the fish world: swordtails, platies, mollies, and guppies. But then you shouldn’t expect that young animals will appear in the aquarium; the cichlids will “take care” of this. It is desirable that the neighbors of the angelfish have a large or medium size.

Sex differences

It is impossible to distinguish the sex of young individuals; only when they reach maturity do some signs appear. And even then, you can understand that this is a female only during the spawning period, when she develops a thickening in the form of a cone - an ovipositor.

As for indirect signs, they can be deceiving. For example, the male has a wider forehead and is slightly larger than the female. The creation of a pair can be misleading, because if there are no males, two females may unite. Moreover, their behavior will be typical for opposite-sex couples, and it will be possible to understand the catch only when the imitation of spawning does not produce results.

Features of spawning

It often happens that two females form a pair. In this case, they will both lay eggs, and there will be no one to fertilize them. Therefore, before placing a pair in a spawning aquarium, it is important to make sure that you have a truly opposite-sex pair of fish.

Sometimes angelfish suddenly show themselves as caring parents. They protect the eggs and fan them with their fins. If this does not happen, it is better to immediately separate the eggs and parents. In any case, it is recommended to keep the fry in a separate aquarium if it is necessary to maintain their number.

Reproduction of angelfish in aquarium conditions

Angelfish are family fish; they create a monogamous pair and do not change partners. Moreover, they are capable of spawning intensively in a common tank, but in this case it is impossible to ensure that the eggs are preserved.

As a rule, the female lays eggs on vertical surfaces: driftwood, flat sheets, and even the glass of the aquarium. You can equip the container with a special device - a cone, a plastic or ceramic pipe. Like other cichlids, angelfish take care of their offspring. They not only spawn, but also take care of the eggs and continue to do this until the fry swim.

Angelfish choose their own mates, so it is better to purchase several pairs of fish, and as they grow, they will decide on their own. Often the aquarium owner discovers eggs and thus learns about spawning. But if you pay more attention to your charges and watch them, you can see how the couple is preparing for the upcoming reproduction:

they are almost always together;
do not allow other inhabitants of the aquarium to approach;
They guard a secluded place - here the female will lay eggs.

Angelfish reach sexual maturity at 8-12 months, and are capable of spawning once a week or a week and a half if their eggs are collected. The female begins the reproductive process first, laying eggs, and the male immediately begins to fertilize them.

The parents provide care for the eggs - fanning them with their fins and eating non-viable eggs. After a few days, the eggs hatch, but the larvae are still attached to surfaces and feed on the contents of the yolk sac.

The fry set off for independent swimming only after 6-7 days. They should be fed with special food, giving it 3-4 times a day in small portions. In some cases, angelfish eat their own eggs. This behavior may be a reaction to stress, more often this happens when they spawn in a common tank or we are talking about young, inexperienced pairs.

Angelfish are original fish that fascinate with their almost crystalline elegance, smooth movements and unusual shapes. Aquarium hobbyists forgive their wards some “sins” of behavior, and these fish have remained at the peak of popularity for many years.

Breeds

There are a great many differences in appearance among angelfish. Some species are representatives of those living in nature, others are the result of the work of breeders. A characteristic feature of natural fish is that most of them have four transverse contrasting stripes.

Koi – These angelfish are similar in color to Japanese koi carp. The colors are based on white, black and orange-red shades. They can be positioned in any way: an orange-black head and a white-spotted body, just chaotically scattered spots, a predominance of black over white and orange, etc. Fish with a small yellow spot are more valuable. The red tint is valued lower. It is impossible to find two identical koi angelfish even in the same brood.

The striped angelfish, zebra angelfish, has a light silver body with bright black stripes running across it. The difference from a regular angelfish is that it has more stripes than four. They are thinner and somewhat more contrasting than the natural look. Even if you cross two zebras, their offspring may contain common angelfish.

Blue angelfish, blue angel - the body has a silver color with a blue tint. This species appeared relatively recently. Those blue-colored angelfish that have few black stripes: one or two are valued higher.

Angelfish is black - has a dark gray body with barely noticeable transverse stripes. The fins can be plain or also striped.

Marbled angelfish - instead of the striped “classic”, aquarists are offered a species with spots. The spots come in different sizes, shapes, and their color is mainly white and black. The pattern is often so thin that the fish looks like a marble stone.

Paraiba angelfish - has a silver body with black stripes: on the dorsal and anal fins, on the eyes, near the caudal fin.
Green angel angelfish is a selective species. Instead of stripes, this fish has transverse elongated spots, and its scales have a green tint. The fins are translucent and also have a green tint. If the light sources are installed correctly, the fish turns emerald.
Red devil angelfish - ideally, this fish should not have any colors on its body other than red. The more black and silver inclusions, the cheaper the fish. The species was bred artificially.

Pink Angelfish, Glo Fish, are the result of genetic engineering, pink-colored fish that turn deep pink to violet when exposed to UV light.

The altum angelfish, high-finned, is a species of fish with particularly prominent fins. Natural angelfish can reach a height of 50 cm in profile. They also need special conditions in the aquarium in order to grow in all their glory. Color: on a light olive background with black contrasting stripes that go from top to bottom. It was Altum that gave the second name to angelfish - angel fish.

Leopard angelfish - a variety similar to the marbled one, but the spots are somewhat larger and similar in shape to the spots of a leopard.

Angelfish Rio Nanay, Peruvian Altum - similar to Altum in size and contrast of stripes. There are usually three or four of them, they are thin, like the shape of the fins. The angelfish appears to be a particularly sophisticated specimen of large size.

White angelfish - has a light silver color without any spots or inclusions. Can be of different sizes with different fin shapes. Especially appreciated by aquarists.

Angelfish manakapuru - has smooth fins. The body color is silver, with dark stripes running across it: several pale and one bright black. The edges of the fins may be colored orange.

Angelfish black velvet - has a completely black color without additional colors and pronounced transverse stripes.

Leopold's angelfish is a natural species and is considered the smallest. Among the features is the body of the fish that is more horizontally elongated. For this she is often called long-nosed. Her fins are not so long, and the vertical stripes do not stand out in contrast.

Diamond angelfish - the whole body has a delicate light silver tint. The fins are translucent, matching the main color. With properly organized lighting, the fish shimmers with the shine of its scales, which is why it got its name.

In addition, there are veiled angelfish - they have especially lush caudal, anal and dorsal fins.

How long do angelfish live in captivity? This genus is considered a long-liver; representatives, even at home, can live more than 10 years.