Keeping Angelfish

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Overview:

Angelfish are a favorite of many freshwater fish keepers, and for good reason, too!  There are over 30 different varieties of Angelfish available, ranging in colors and sizes and lengths of fins.  They are a pretty hardy fish and can deal with a variety of water conditions and are even fairly easy to breed when proper care is provided for their environment.  Average lifespan for Angels is between 10-12 years if properly cared for, and can become 6” long and 10” in height.

Ideal Water Conditions:

We recommend keeping Angelfish in a tank with certain attributes to assure their health, livelihood, and possibility for growth.  Here’s the key factors to be aware of:

  • Angelfish are tropical, and prefer temperatures between 78 – 84 degrees
  • While Wild-Caught Angels prefer slightly acidic water (pH below 7.0), most domestically-bred Angelfish do best above 7.0.  Our pH is typically around 7.6 here.

Aquarium Size:

Depending on what size of Angelfish you have, the tolerable quantity changes.  A general rule is to have one gallon per fish for small Angels, but adults may require up to 10 gallons per fish.

Feeding:

Flake foods are a good general choice for Angelfish, and mixing feedings with other options such as frozen foods like Brine Shrimp or Bloodworms can help stimulate the fish’s appetite as well.  Adults should be fed once or twice a day, only about as much as they can consume within a 5-minute period.  Overfeeding can contribute to overeating and therefore ammonia build-up and other stress-related ailments.

Tankmates:

Ideal companions for an Angelfish tank include many other tropical fish varieties.  The main thing to be aware of is to not keep them with very small fish like guppies or small tetras.  Some of the best tankmates include:

  • Mollies, Swordtails, and Platys
  • Barbs (Rosey, Tiger, Odessa)
  • Gouramis
  • Sharks (Rainbow or Redtail)

Plant Additions:

As with any aquarium setup, live plants have many benefits.  They help keep water clean and free of algae as well as help to improve oxygen levels in the aquarium.  Ideal plants for Angelfish tanks have broad leafs and are relatively hardy, such as:

  • Sword Plants (including Amazons, Orientals, Red Flares, etc.)
  • Java Fern
  • Java Moss
  • Water Sprite