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Angelfish
Tank Size for Angelfish:
Size is relatively unimportant. Fish per gallon is critical. This figure varies depending on several factors. Obviously size has a lot to do with carrying capacity. Other variables that affect this include, pH, temperature, feeding practices, water changing volume, water changing frequency, strain of angelfish being kept and the overall quality of angelfish you desire to raise or maintain. Keep in mind, the number of fish per gallon a tank can handle, will vary immensely from one situation to another. The following would be a very general guideline.
Nickel size bodies 1 fish per gallon
Quarter size bodies 1 fish per 2 gallons
Silver dollar size bodies 1 fish per 3 gallons
Stock ready to be paired 1 fish per 5 gallons
Full grown breeding pair 20 gallon tall
Filter
Good biological filtration can be easily obtained a number of ways. Angelfish body shapes are not designed for efficient swimming, therefore gentle filtration is preferred. Lots of water movement will stress them somewhat and cause slower growth due to the increased energy expended to swim against a current. Sponge filters are ideal for hatchery situations where expense is a concern. In show tanks, undergravel filters works well. In a densely populated tank an undersized power filter or canister filter will make a good secondary filter. A very effective secondary filter that will not clog is a fluidized bed filter. We use these in all of our big tanks. In general, the limiting factor for angelfish carrying capacity is not filtration. It is dissolved organics and high bacterial loads that develop from keeping too many fish in a tank, overfeeding or changing too little water. Large, frequent water changes are the easiest way to lower these bacterial levels. Sophisticated systems will sometimes incorporate the use of ozone, foam fractionation and U.V. to accomplish the lowering of these organic and bacterial loads, but most of us will rely upon water changes to accomplish this.
Temperature
Angels have a tolerance to a wide range of temperatures, but immune system response is best at higher temperatures. Therefore, if your husbandry is less than ideal, you will have more problems at lower temperatures. Eighty degrees F. is a good start for a hatchery situation. Mid to upper seventies is good for show tanks. Being a cold blooded animal, angelfish will live longer at lower temps. Higher temperatures will promote faster growth, more frequent breeding, better immune system response and shorter life spans.
Feeding
Feeding is more of an art than a science. No one can tell you exactly how much to put in a tank. The ideal amount will change everyday as the fish grow and will be different with varying maintenance schedules. Good observation is the key. Overfeeding is a bad as underfeeding. Feed a variety of high quality foods and observe the tank closely when feeding. If you want to feed a superior food, try making your own paste foods. We have a great recipe here. Fry - you will find it difficult to raise any number of high quality fish with anything other than live baby brine shrimp for the first 3 weeks of their life. We feed it exclusively for the first 6 weeks. Artemia is critical at this point. Click here for more details on hatching brine shrimp eggs. Introduction of new foods usually requires that it be introduced gradually. Angelfish should be voracious eaters when they are healthy and properly fed.
Culling
Angels are an ornamental fish that have acquired many problems from improper breeding over the years. It is important to cull any fry that are not ideal. Degradation of your strains will happen very quickly without a vigorous program of eliminating flawed fish. It is equally important to not keep any spawns from imperfect adults. As exciting as raising young angelfish can be, it is a great disservice to the fish and the hobby to perpetuate the genes of lower quality fish. For more information on choosing breeding stock see - Breeder Quality Angelfish
Quarantine
Angelfish are affected by viruses, bacteria and parasites, that sometimes have little or no effect on fish other than a few South American cichlids. However, with angelfish some of these can cause death within a day or two, others will simply cause nagging problems that never cease. The only good way to prevent the introduction of these problems is to properly quarantine every fish, plant or other aquatic animal that was obtained from any other source. A single droplet of water from a diseased tank can infect a healthy tank, so the quarantine tank should at least be in a separate room and preferably in a different building, with it's own net, siphon, water bucket, etc. When the quarantined fish look healthy after a few weeks, you will then have to test for hidden diseases that the quarantined fish may be resistant to. The best way to test for this is with a microscope. If you don't have access to one, then next best is to introduce one dispensable fish from a healthy tank into the quarantine tank and wait a couple weeks to see if it gets sick. If it doesn't then there is a fairly good chance that the quarantined fish are safe for introduction to your regular tanks.
Disease
The following are the diseases that most commonly infect angelfish.
Angelfish virus
Potentially deadly disease. It is highly infectious. All exposed fish that are not immune will come down with symptoms within 2-3 days of exposure, usually quicker. If you suspect that a quarantined fish has this, you should destroy the fish. The risk is too great to keep such a fish around. There is no medication for this virus. The fish's immune system must be relied upon for the cure. Symptoms: Clamped fins, excess slime, listless with nose pointed up slightly, usually towards the back of the tank. Has an approximately 3 week infectious period. The reason this disease is so undesirable is, if an angelfish survives the virus, it will likely become a carrier, possibly for up to six months. This can put a breeding operation out of business very quickly. These symptoms can also be caused by other infectious diseases which may be secondary or tertiary infections, that are unrelated to the virus. The object is to keep the fish comfortable while giving the immune system time to kick in. Remove any bright lights from the tank and treat with Spectogram.
Flagellates
Protozoans such as these cause persistent trouble in situations where angelfish are stressed. Hexamita is one that is very prevalent. It is thought to be present in all angelfish at least in small numbers, and an outbreak is what you're trying to prevent. It appears to explode in numbers if the fish are too crowded, overfed or being overly stressed by some other situation in the tank. Stressing your fish, is what you need to avoid. Symptoms: If the fish is still eating, they will pass a white, chalky feces. Appetite will decrease. No external symptoms on the fish. Prone to secondary infections of bacteria and other parasites when in this weakened condition. To cure, relieve stress and then raise the tank temperature to 95 F and medicate with Hex-a-mit.
Parasites
The ones that cause the biggest problems with angelfish are a nematode known as Capillaria, and gill flukes. Many others can be present, but these two are the most common. The only way to identify a parasite for sure, is to have a microscope and the know how to examine gill samples, skin scraping, and fecal samples. This is beyond the average aquarist, so I generally recommend a heat treatment to help the fish fend off the parasitic infestation. Try 95 F. for a week if you suspect a parasite. If there is no response within that time, then it is likely something else.
Capillaria symptoms: No appetite. Will commonly mouth food and spit it out. Will get progressively thinner until it dies. Capillaria is a round worm that is hair-like, up to an inch long. Diagnosed by worm eggs in the feces. The egg is oval with a cork-like plug in each end. Severe capillaria infections are almost always accompanied with outbreaks of Hexamita in the infected fish. This makes diagnosis and treatment even more difficult. For gill flukes, treat with Flukes Control or Formalite I. To treat for capillaria, use Discomed or Paragon.
Fish Medicine Cabinet
If you need to order medications after your fish have a problem, it may be too late. It's a good idea to have the basic medications on hand. Keep them stored cool, dry and dark and they will last long past the normal expiration dates. This is what we recommend that you have in your arsenal.
Wound Control - Disinfectant for wounds, scrapes & abrasions.
Broad spectrum Antibiotic - A couple to cover a wider range
Internal parasite eliminator - Paragon and Discomed will cover a wide range of internal parasites.
Hex-a-mit - To combat hexamita and spironucleus, two protozoans that are common problems.
Formalite I - External parasite eliminator
Although there are many other valuable medications, these will cover most of the more common problems.
Temperature
As stated above, high temperatures are useful when treating parasite problems. Beware of people who recommend heat for bacterial or viral infections. Their poor advice will most likely kill your fish. Bacteria and viruses thrive at higher temperatures and multiply at much faster rates. If you suspect an external bacterial problem, treatment is the application of the proper anti-biotic. This can only be determined by culturing the bacteria in an incubator, identifying it, and then testing to see what anti-biotic will kill it. If you can't do that, then try broad spectrum antibiotics such as Spectogram, Myacin or Super Sulpha. If it's an internal bacteria, a fish will have to be sacrificed in order to get a fresh sample of the internal bacteria. Treatment for internal bacteria must be by intramuscular injection or by feeding a medicated food with the proper anti-biotic in it. In some cases a skin-adsorbing antibiotic such as Kanacyn will work. Of course, the fish must be eating well for a medicated food to work.
Angels Plus
Waynes World Angelfish
The Angelfish Micro Hatchery
West Coast Aquatics
Angelfish Breeding
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