Top 10 Things About Freshwater Angelfish. The Best Beginner Fish?
- Jun 29, 2020
- Anshika Mishra
- 3309 0 0
The most basic question when one starts with an aquarium is what is the best beginner fish. Well, there are tons of answers to that question but one of the most gorgeous beginner-fish is the freshwater angelfish. Angelfish are one of the most popular fish in this hobby for many reasons. So, let's explore the 10 things everyone should know about freshwater Angelfishes:
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Where are they form?
Freshwater Angelfishes originated from several rivers throughout South America. But this is really not important because 99% of the Angelfish are actually bred and raised in fish farms throughout the world.
Angels have been one of the most popular fish in the aquarium hobby since people have been keeping fishes in the glass boxes. So, there are farms everywhere that can keep up with breeding them.
One of the coolest things about Angels is that they are relatively easy to breed therefore it's not uncommon for your fish store to have angels that were bred by local breeders. -
Males or Females?
It is nearly impossible to tell the difference between male and female angels. The breeders who have bred angels for their entire life can't even tell. The only way to really tell is to actually watch them in the act of breeding.
The female is the one that lays the eggs. The good thing about the male and the females looking almost identical is that it does not matter which one you get you are going to have an absolutely gorgeous fish, unlike African Cichlids. -
Tank Requirements!
One of the good things about angels is that you don't need a giant tank to keep them. But bigger is always better because it is just the right thing to get your fish the best life possible. You can raise a Great Dane in a one-bedroom apartment and it could live a full life but would it really be the best life?
Fish are not any different thing than any other animal. They just want the room to explore and swim. So, do the right thing and give it to them. But for numbers, a 29-gallon minimum, but a 55-gallon setup does not cost that much money so, it would be better if you get a 55-gallon tank instead. -
How big do they get?
Angels certainly aren't monster fish but they are not exactly small either. One of the coolest things about them is that they grow tall where most fish in this hobby are gonna grow long.
They have a unique arrowhead shape with a really tall dorsal fin and a bunch of other fins hanging low. A full-grown Angel can be up to 6-inches long and 8 to 10-inches tall while also being about three-quarters of an inch thick.
Depending upon which type of angel you get, what size tank they are in, and what you are feeding them; they can certainly be smaller and even bigger than those sizes. Do your job and allow these fishes to reach their full potential.
If you have anyone come up to you and tell you that your fish is only going to grow the size of the tank, never take advice about fish keeping from that person ever again! -
Breeding?
If you want to breed Angel than you're in luck because they are known for being pretty simple to breed. The first thing you'll need is a breeding pair. You can go about one of the two ways. You can buy 6-8 Angels keep them in a tank and take good care of them and they will naturally pair off and that would be how you will get you pair.
Or you can buy a proven breed pair; that's simple. The good thing about buying a bunch and letting them pair off naturally is if you buy 6-8 of them you can end up with multiple pairs out of the group. Depending upon how much breeding you want, this could be a bad thing.
If you choose to buy a proven breeding pair, then that may cost pretty much of money. But if you have the specific type you want to breed or you only want one pair then this is probably way, you want to go.
Angels are vertical egg layers, this means that when a male and female pair-off and decide to go to breed they will clean a spot on a vertical surface. This could be glass, decoration, a piece of wood, or even a leaf that they decide they want to use as their spawning site.
The female will lay the eggs in a vertical straight line and the male will follow and fertilize them. After all, the eggs are laid and fertilized, that's where the cleaning and protection process begins. This is when your sweet little angels will not live up to their name and they'll be fiercely protective and if you have kept another fish in the tank, then you have to keep a very close eye on them.
Angels are not angels when they're protecting eggs!! -
Aggression!
Angels are cichlids but don't let that scare you. A lot of people believe that if a fish is a cichlid, it is automatically going to be mean and want to kill everything else in the tank. For most of the part that's not the case with angels unless they are breeding.
Angels typically get along with other fish in the tank. Angels and Discus have a lot of things in similarity, but this is not one of them. Angels can fight. They don't want to but they will defend themselves if they need to. But again don't let it be something that scares you. Angels typically get along with every fish. They are SWEETHEARTS! -
Water Parameters!
Angels are very hardy and they can tolerate a wide range of water parameters. But for numbers,
Temperature: 78-82 degrees
99% of the angels you'll find in the store are captive-bred, which means they were either bred in tanks or in either farms or someone's basement. And the water in those farms will not most probably match the water in the Amazon, and this is the only water these fishes have ever known, so drastically changing their water to match their Amazon could actually have a negative effect on them.
Talk to the vendor you're purchasing your Angels from. See what their water parameters are, try using that rather than the Amazon. Consistency is key, keeping your water stable rather than fluctuating all over the place while you are keeping to certain constant pH will have you the best results and keeps your fish happy for a long time. -
Tankmates!
Angels really aren't a problem as long as they are not protecting frays in the tank. They really won't bother any of the other fish in the tank. If you are planning of tankmates for your Angels, you would like to go for fishes that are labeled as community fish like Tetras, Barbs, Rainbows, Gouramis.
They also do really well with live bears but you have to understand live bears and always bearing lives which mean there's gonna be tasty little fishes swimming around in the tank with you Angels and if they can fit in their mouth it's gonna be food for them.
Angels are not gonna brother your clean-up crews. Go ahead get your snail, your bristle nose plecos, they are not going to bother any of them.
Stay away from fishes who have a reputation of being fin nippers like Tiger Barb's you don't want these fish to chew your Angel's fins. -
What do they eat?
Angels are omnivores which means that they like both portions filled meat food and they also like food with higher vegetable content.
They are not known to be finicky eater actually its the opposite. There is not much of the food that they don't like; from live foods to frozen food, to pellets and flakes they like it all. One of the coolest things about Angels is that you'll see them on labels all over fish food. And if you see Angels on fish food then you know its safe for your Angel.
The best thing for your Angel is going to be giving them a variety in their diet. It will keep them fat and happy. -
Beginner Fish?
One thing seen regularly is that people have an aquarium in the corner and you can tell that they obviously don't care about that tank and there will be a couple of big beautiful Angelfishes. And that is because Angelfish are very hardy. Of course, they are bulletproof, but they can tolerate a lot of things which make them really great beginner fish.
But don't forget that as a fishkeeper you have the obligation to provide that fish with the best environment possible so that they can thrive and live a long, happy life. The easier the fish is, the easier this is going to be for you if you are new.
Angels are easy to keep, they don't require a gigantic aquarium and they are absolutely gorgeous so this makes them a great beginner fish too!!
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