Variations
13 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Angelfish
Tall, elegant cichlids. Adults will eat fish small enough to fit in their mouth, like neon tetras.
- Angelfish eats animals up to about 4 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
- Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
- Angelfish eats animals up to about 4 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
- Angelfish eats animals up to about 4 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
- Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
- Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 24 °C.
354 species in our list are a good match.
Care and water
Behavior
Calm but territorial when paired. Adults eat small fish such as neon tetras.
Food
Flakes, pellets, frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Male or female
Very hard to sex; males have a smaller, pointed genital papilla, usually only visible when spawning.
Health
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Breeding
Egg-layer (substrate spawner) · Moderate
Females lay up to about 1,000 eggs; at 28°C the first larvae hatch after about 2 days, and larvae start feeding on live food 4-5 days after hatching.
Raise 6-8 young fish together and let pairs form. Pairs often claim a spot on their own.
A 30-55 gallon (110-200 L) tall tank, 27-29 C, soft water, with a slate, leaf or PVC pipe as spawning site.
Warm water, a water change with soft water and good food. Pairs clean a flat surface.
100-500 eggs; hatch in 2-3 days, free swim at 5-7 days.
Feed baby brine shrimp from day 5, and then crushed flake and microworms. Remove eggs for artificial hatching if parents eat them.
- Taking too long to separate a bad pair
- Water that is too hard for hatching
- Overfeeding and fouling the fry tank
Where it lives in the wild
Plants that suit it
The story of the angelfish
First imported to Europe (Germany) by C. Ziggelkow of Hamburg in 1909; today most angelfish sold are mass-produced captive-bred colour forms.
The angelfish was described in 1823 from the Amazon and has been a hobby favourite since the early 20th century. Captive breeding has since produced many colour and fin varieties, such as marble, black and veil forms.
First described by Schultze in 1823.
- Angelfish often lay eggs on vertical surfaces like leaves.
- Their tall shape helps them hide among roots and reeds.
- Both parents care for the eggs and fry.
Sources
15 facts checked with sources
- Scientific name
Authority is Schultze in Lichtenstein, 1823 (sometimes written Lichtenstein, 1823). Catalog of Fishes entry not fetched for this species.
FishBase: Pterophyllum scalare, Freshwater angelfish · Wikipedia: Pterophyllum scalare - FamilyFishBase: Pterophyllum scalare
- Size
Seriously Fish gives 15 cm SL; FishBase's biology text gives 15 cm TL, but its species data field says 10.5 cm TL male/unsexed (FishBase is internally inconsistent). Seriously Fish also notes adults reach about 20 cm or more in height, fins included.
Seriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare · FishBase: Pterophyllum scalare - TemperatureSeriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare · FishBase: Pterophyllum scalare
- pH
Seriously Fish 6.0-7.4 (site 7.5 is rounding); FishBase gives a wider 6.0-8.0.
Seriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare · FishBase: Pterophyllum scalare - Hardness
Site range lies inside Seriously Fish's 0-15 dGH and overlaps FishBase's 5-13. The site could widen it to 0-15 if preferred.
Seriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare · FishBase: Pterophyllum scalare - Smallest tankcorrected
Seriously Fish gives the height itself: 100 x 40 x 50 cm = 200,000 cm³ = 200 L, 'the smallest considered'. The tank must be at least 50 cm tall.
Seriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare - Group size
Seriously Fish says 'needs to be in a group' / 'best kept in small groups' but gives no number (it suggests 6 juveniles only for forming a breeding pair). This contradicts a minimum of 1, but no sourced number was found, so value is null. Reviewer should decide (e.g. single, pair, or small group).
Seriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare - Temperament
Judgment call: Seriously Fish describes a 'generally peaceful' community fish that squabbles with its own kind, shows 'some aggression ... from time to time' and eats small tetras. That is consistent with 'semi-aggressive', but a reviewer could argue for 'peaceful'.
Seriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare - Care levelcorrected
Seriously Fish's difficulty rating for this species reads 'Easy'. Colorado State aquarium page adds 'It's easy to breed, and therefore most of them in the trade are captive-bred.' Space (200 L, tall tank) is the main demand.
Seriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare - Where it lives
Site value agrees with FishBase; value gives a fuller sentence. Seriously Fish's range includes the Oyapock and Essequibo drainages (Guianas).
FishBase: Pterophyllum scalare · Seriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare - Male or female
Legacy 'nuchal hump' claim not supported by the sources fetched.
Seriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare - BreedingSeriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare · FishBase: Pterophyllum scalare
- Breedingcorrected
Paper's 'h' is degree-hours (sum of °C per hour); at 28°C, 1288 ÷ 28 ≈ 46 clock hours ≈ 2 days, consistent with the legacy 2-3 days. Legacy 100-500 eggs is a plausible typical clutch but the paper says up to 1000; free-swimming ~5-7 days after spawning is consistent (≈2 days + 4-5 days). Seriously Fish: fry take brine shrimp ~2 days after yolk absorption.
Korzelecka-Orkisz et al. 2012, Early ontogenesis of the angelfish, Neotropical Ichthyology - Storycorrected
Site story is null; compared against legacy. The 1909 date comes via Wikipedia from Riehl & Baensch (secondary hobby reference); primary not fetched. Treat with moderate confidence.
Wikipedia: Pterophyllum scalare (citing Riehl & Baensch, Aquarium Atlas / Akvariets lexikon, 1997) · Seriously Fish: Pterophyllum scalare