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Angelfish – Quick Facts

Temperament Semi-aggressive

Lifespan-10 years

Size-6in long and up to 8in tall

Water flow-Slow moving 

Aquarium size-20 gallons, or 10 gallons for each Angelfish. Tall aquariums are preferred to long ones.

Aquarium decor-Well planted, with a large flat rock such as slate for breeding pairs. Fine substrate is preferred to enable safe digging.

Temperature- 75-82°F

PH:-6.0 to 7

Water hardness-Between 5 and 18 dH

Lighting-Full-spectrum UVA/UVB for plants, but plenty of plants to cut the light down within the middle range of the aquarium where Angelfish like to swim. 

Compatible tankmates-Most peaceful and semi-aggressive fish of a similar size 

Available captive-bred?Yes, almost exclusively

Family group- Cichlidae

Close relatives-Cichlids

Feeding Difficulty-Easy to feed

Schooling Fish?-They tend to school loosely, but generally do fine in pairs in the home aquarium 

Diet-Omnivores which eat larvae, insects, crustaceans, and smaller fish as well as some plant material and algae. Live earth worms, tubifex worms, live water fleas, and brine shrimp are excellent options to supplement a flake or pellet diet. Freeze-dried krill and glass worms are also good options.

Setting up an Angelfish Aquarium

     Angelfish grow to be pretty large fish, so it is vital to have a large enough tank to support them. Angelfish that live in undersized aquariums are often unhealthy, unhappy, and aggressive. I would suggest a tank of at least 20 gallons to support a few Angelfish. This is especially important if you plan to keep other tank mates. While they can be great community fish, Angelfish are still in the cichlid family and become territorial if space is limited. It is always better to have more space than not enough space!

Angelfish tend to be pretty hefty eaters, which means a lot of waste in your fish tank. Make sure you have a good filter that can handle these type of fish. While a good hang on back filter will work, I would highly recommend purchasing a canister filter. Canister filters can process a lot more water than HOB filters, and they tend to be a lot more effective for freshwater aquariums.

Substrate

     When setting up your Angelfish aquarium, the first major decision you need to make is the type of substrate you are going to use. If you are new to fishkeeping, I would recommend going with a simple gravel substrate. Though gravel tends to trap a lot of waste, it is extremely easy to clean and doesn’t require a ton of upkeep. It is also fairly cheap to purchase

If you are more experienced with aquariums, adding sand as a substrate can be a beautiful addition. Angelfish are natively found in the Amazon Basin in South America, so naturally they are more familiar with a sandy bottom. Sand will give your tank a more realistic, natural look, but can be more difficult to clean.

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