Angelfish

Angelfish

Angelfish belong to the Cichlid family. For a cichlid, the Angelfish does have an abnormally shaped body. They look a bit like a half-moon. The genus name Pterophyllum means “Fins like a leaf”; they look a bit similar to a leaf.

With extended dorsal and pectoral fins, an Angelfish is taller than it is long. Depending on the species, they grow to a maximum height of about 25 centimeters!

How do you tell the difference between male and female in Angelfish?

The difference between male and female is barely visible in Angelfish. The intensity of the color of the stripes does not always say anything about the gender. The difference is only clearly visible during egg laying. In the female, the ovipositor then comes out. This whitish protrusion with which the eggs are laid is located just in front of the anal fin.

How old can an Angelfish live?

With good care and little stress, an Angelfish in the aquarium can reach an age of about 8 to 12 years. They don’t reach this age in the wild.

My Angelfish are kissing, are they in love?

Angelfish that face each other and hold each other with their lips are unfortunately not in love. They show who the dominant fish is.

Angelfish species and variants

Officially there are only 3 species of angelfish:

​Pterophyllum scalare​
​Pterophyllum altum​
​Pterophyllum leopoldi​

There are more names in circulation, but officially they are synonyms for one of these three species. Perhaps more official species will be described in later descriptions.

Breeding variants

Many varieties have been developed through selective breeding. These are almost always variants of Pterophyllum scalare because this species is the easiest to keep and breed.

To obtain certain characteristics, such as more black or certain spots, fish that have more of these characteristics are bred together. Entire breeding lines are often set up for this purpose. One of the ways is by crossing parents back with their own children (inbreeding). This strengthens a characteristic. Unfortunately, inbreeding often unintentionally causes the offspring to be weaker than the original forms.

Different cultivation variants

Dwarf Angelfish

Occasionally Dwarf Angelfish are offered in the store. Let’s be honest about what we sell. Dwarf Angelfish do not exist. Sometimes there are some fish that lag behind in growth. The weak ones cannot take care of themselves properly and were therefore the last to get to the food. These fish do not survive in the wild. A good breeder will not sell weak specimens…so you are not buying a Dwarf Angelfish but a weak fish with problems. My advice…don’t buy them and go for a “normal Angelfish” and provide the right conditions.

Albino Angelfish

Albino Angelfish

The Angelfish with the least color is the Albino Angelfish. Due to the lack of pigment, they are mainly colored white/pink. The eyes do appear red. Albino variants occur in the wild but usually do not live long. They are deliberately bred in the aquarium. This does not make the Albino Angelfish stronger and is very susceptible to diseases. Of all types, this variant ages the least. ​

Black Angelfish

Black Angelfish

The Black Angelfish was made by selecting specimens that had a little more black on the body. By repeatedly backcrossing these specimens, they have developed a variant that has almost completely lost its stripes. Depending on the extent to which the fish has turned black, they have been given the name Black Lace, Black, Double Black or Double Dark per grade.

Zebra Angelfish

The Zebra Angelfish has developed more stripes than the original wild form. Depending on the variant, they have four to six vertical stripes. That includes the line that runs through the eye.

Angelfish are carnivorous. They like to hunt for Daphnia, mosquito larvae, tubifex or brine shrimp. They also like to eat frozen food. Defrost the frozen food and rinse away the thaw water if necessary to prevent contamination of the aquarium water.

In addition to live or frozen food, flake food or small granules are suitable. Make sure you alternate this so that they stay healthy.

Do not feed more than the fish can eat in a few minutes. Feed that is left for too long contaminates the water.

Little fish

Please note that the Angelfish is a Cichlid. In the wild they feed not only on insects, larvae and invertebrates, but also on small and young fish! Keep in mind! Fish that are too small can be mistaken for food.

How do you store fish food?

Fish food such as flake food and granules has the longest shelf life if it is stored in a cool and dark place. So do not place it on the warm hood of the aquarium, but at the bottom of the aquarium cabinet.

Newly hatched brine shrimp nauplii quickly lose their nutritional value. It is best to give this as quickly as possible. You can store white and black mosquito larvae (in unopened packaging) in the refrigerator. Tubifex stays good for a while between some damp newspapers.

The Aquarium

Angelfish grow quite tall and of course need some space to swim. In addition, these are also fish that are best kept in a school of at least 5. Therefore, only keep angelfish if you can offer them the space they need. Consider an aquarium of 150 centimeters wide and a water height of at least 50 centimeters.

Author

John de Lange

Copyright images

CK Yeo
Tarzan 78