Freshwater Angelfish

The scientific names of angelfish is Pterophyllum and they are a small genus of freshwater fish that belong to the Cichlidae family, although there is some controversy about the scientific name of angelfish. There are three varieties of freshwater angelfish species. These fish are found in the rivers basins of tropical South America, in the Amazon river basin, Orinoco river basin and Essequibo river basin. Angelfish are laterally compressed, have round bodies and elongated triangular dorsal and anal fins. It is the shape of the body, which helps them to hide among the roots and plants, often on a vertical surface. These fish live on small fish and macro-invertebrates. They lay eggs on a submerged log or a flattened leaf.

Freshwater Angelfish Facts

The life span of angelfish is approximately 10 to 15 years. They are cold-blooded fish and their metabolism is controlled by varying temperature. If the temperatures are high, the metabolism is high, which reduces the life span of these fish. Hence, the life span of the fish often also depends on the temperature of water they live in. The appropriate temperature of water is often 74 degree Celsius to 84 degree Fahrenheit.

The average height of the angelfish is usually 6 inches, but the height of aquarium angelfish is 4 to 6 inches. If you plan on breeding angelfish, you will have to maintain the pH level of water at 6 to 7.5. Read on angelfish breeding. It is difficult to differentiate the sex of the angelfish at any time, apart from breeding time. Normally the female lays about 1000 eggs at a time. The parents are said to protect the eggs carefully and it does not take longer than 24 to 36 hours to hatch the eggs, after they are laid. The young fish stay on the plants they were hatched on for about 4 to 5 days and then are moved to the pits by the parent fish. When they are moved to the pits, they start to have a carnivore diet.

Care

Many people will not believe when they are told that angelfish have more personality than a lot of other species of aquarium fish. They belong to the intelligent lot of fish.

Food and Water
Since angelfish are omnivores, they can be fed with dried food, such as dried tropical flakes; worms, such as blood worms, etc.; brine shrimp or daphnia; or small fish. The water in the aquarium should be medium-hard water. The pH can be neutral to slightly acidic and temperature can range between 74 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit.

Compatibility
Both male and female angelfish look similar to each other, hence it is difficult to differentiate between the sexes. There is an interesting courtship ritual which is followed between these fish. A pair of angelfish lock their mouths together and sometimes may spin around wildly in circles. If they like each other after this courtship ritual, then spawning may occur. Before spawning, the fish clean a leaf or any other flat surface to lay their eggs on. The female fish lays the eggs and it is the duty of the male fish to fertilize the fish. When the baby angelfish are swimming freely, they have to be separated from their parents, as there is a possibility that the parents will eat them.

If you plan to have freshwater angelfish, you will have to look around in pet shops who have them for sale. You may also want to search on the internet to find the right fish for your aquarium. All in all these fish are a treat for the eyes and you can't go wrong having a pair in your aquarium.