One of the most popular tropical fish, the angelfish species has been bred over the past sixty years to produce quite a variety in their fins and color. They exhibit several of the traits associated with cichlid species. Keeping them as the single species present in an aquarium allows freshwater angelfishes to demonstrate their behaviors much more readily than in a community aquarium. In an aquarium with other fish, they often appear nervous, which is not helped if their long fins are attacked by other species, most notably tiger barbs.
Freshwater Angelfish Varieties
Popular varieties of freshwater angelfishes include:
- The Silver Angelfish is the most familiar form of the angelfish, with four vertical dark bands. This type most closely resembles the angelfish found in the wild.
- The Black Angelfish is a popular variety, in which the vertical bands are still present but hard to distinguish. A group of Black Angelfishes in a suitable aquarium can be quite attractive.
- The Golden Angelfish has a light coloring which makes large portions of its body almost transparent. Modern breeding trends have been towards brighter yet deeper colors.
- The Marbled Angelfish can be quite striking, the marbling effect breaking up the dark stripes. In addition to the diverse range of marbling exhibited in early specimens, in the past twenty years even more striking varieties have appeared.
Many other varieties have been developed, including veiltail variations. There is also a much larger angelfish which originated in the wild and remains similar to wild varieties today, called the Deep Angelfish. This can grow to almost twice the size of a more normal angelfish and is another very attractive type for keeping in a single-species aquarium.
Freshwater Angelfish Behavior
Angelfishes exhibit many behaviors typical of cichlid fish:
- They deposit their eggs, often on a large leaf or a vertical piece of rock or slate.
- Thereafter, angelfishes are fairly protective of the eggs and resulting fry, though sometimes the parents will eat both. However they usually spawn again fairly quickly and normal parenting duties are resumed.
- Angelfishes are territorial. A grown adult angelfish can become quite aggressive to fish of other species in a community aquarium.
Unlike some cichlids, even when creating spawning pits they are not usually destructive to substrate or plants. In fact, angelfishes prefer to spend time weaving in and out of any substantial plant growth in their aquarium. Plants would be their preferred hiding place in the wild since they are well-suited to moving quickly and smoothly through plants to evade predators.
The Angelfish Aquarium
Freshwater angelfishes thrive in softer, slightly acidic water at temperatures of around eighty degrees fahrenheit. Their eggs will suffer if exposed to too much heat so it is advisable to place any suitable egg-laying surface well away from the aquarium's heat source. Bright lighting is also best avoided as some species' coloration does appear to fade if subjected to too much artificial light. Angelfishes eat both commercial prepared foods and small livefoods. Plants such as echinodorus for spawning or the long trailing leaves of vallisneria for the angelfish to move through are very suitable for this type of aquarium.
