Frequently Asked Questions about
Angelfish

When will our angelfish start breeding?

Two main factors will determine the onset of breeding. These will include the care they've had while raising them, and the space you give them. With great care and adequate space, angelfish may be capable of breeding at 5 1/2 to 7 months of age. With poor care, it may take much longer or maybe never. Space is very important. No matter how capable angelfish are of spawning, an overcrowded tank will inhibit this. Give them a minimum of 7 gallons per angelfish if you want pairing to take place quickly. Ten gallons would be even better. Some strains will not mature as early, even under the best conditions. This will include Double Dark Black angelfish and most wild and wild crosses.

How long will angelfish continue to breed?

A few factors will come into play here. First, the female is the key in a pair, and each female seems capable of laying a certain number of eggs in her lifetime. If they are laid frequently in large numbers when she is young, then she may run out of mature eggs and quit at a younger age than if she had delayed spawning. In other words, high temperatures will increase the rate eggs are laid and the female angelfish will become infertile at a younger age. Genetics is also an important factor. Some angelfish capable of spawning larger numbers of eggs have acquired this trait through selective breeding. Care is another important factor. Raising angelfish under substandard care will cause females to lose condition and not produce eggs, even when still capable. We've seen female angelfish that spawned until 7- 8 years old and we've also known angelfish to be completely spawned-out at two years of age. Long term, it's important to choose breeder angelfish based on their fecundity. To do this properly takes many breeding pairs to choose from and few aquarists will be able to do this. Fortunately, we have the tank space to do this for you.

What pH should I keep my tank at?

Raising angelfish can be done in a variety of conditions. Although angelfish come from an environment where the water is very soft and acid, our domestic angelfish strains have adapted to a wide range of water types after having been bred in captivity for decades. Breeding angelfish in our tap water has created a fish that does very well and will even breed in a wide range of water conditions. There are very few tap water conditions that they will not be comfortable in. If you are trying to breed angelfish from the wild, they may breed more readily in softer acid water, but you will have to avoid fluctuations in pH and hardness that will most likely stress them. For many years, our angelfish hatchery has been at 8.5 pH and 250 ppm hardness and we have had more than just a little success, not only raising angelfish, but breeding them. Even breeding and raising angelfish from the wild hasn't been too difficult in these conditions. More important than water parameters, are your husbandry practices.

How long will angelfish live?

They are a cold-blooded animal, so their metabolism is controlled by the temperature. High temperature equals high metabolism, and a high metabolism seems to "burn them out" quickly. Consequently, their life span will vary with the temperature they are kept at. Angelfish appear to have a maximum life span in the range of 10-12 years. To achieve this, you will probably have to keep them in the mid seventies. Keep in mind that low temperatures will increase life span, but will also decrease spawning frequency and leave their immune system less responsive.

How many eggs will a female angelfish lay at one time?

This will be determined by genetics and care. There will be some angelfish in every spawn that will grow up to be poor breeders. You must be willing to not breed these fish if you want to avoid taking a step back in this area. The number of eggs per spawn, will also be affected by frequency of spawning. Female angelfish that tend to hold their eggs for longer time periods, will usually lay more eggs at a time. Conversely, an angelfish that lays every 5 days, will probably put down fewer at a time. Feeding, temperature, water changes, etc. will affect the number laid. It's obvious that the best care will produce the largest number. We've seen spawns that approach 2000 eggs, though the average for a females regularly laying with good care, would be in the 400-500 range. There is no lower limit. Pay particular attention to raising angelfish properly and they will reward you with lots of eggs.

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Frequently Asked Questions about angelfish

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