Are Angelfish Hardy?

Angelfish are a beautiful set of fish that you can use to grace your aquarium. They originate from the tropical part of South America. Angelfish are from the cichlids family, and they can feed on anything that can fit into their mouth.

Are Angelfish Hardy?

Angelfish are relatively hardy if you keep them under the right tank conditions. They can live up to 5 to 10 years when provided with basic amenities like good water and tank conditions. However, they can give an adverse reaction when the conditions are not favorable.

Angelfish are a lovely kind of fish. They beautify the tank and do not give the aquarist much work to do when cleaning the tank.

Angelfish look beautiful with their colorful body, and they have an almost triangular body shape with tall fins. They are slow but graceful swimmers.

Schooling behavior: Most Angelfish are schooling fish and move among quite several fish like six, five, etc. while some others take pleasure in being alone.

Some fish do not need to form a school as they are solitary fish. Unlike these fish, Angelfish form pairs. They form pairs of even numbers.

It is advisable to always put an even number of Angelfish in the tank. The odd one gets picked on and sometimes gets killed. They form cliques and move in pairs.

Growth: Angelfish are rapid growers. They can grow up to 6 to 10 inches in diameter within the range of 18 months. If the Angelfish are well fed, and under adequate water and tank conditions, they can increase more than you expect.

Tolerance: Angelfish are relatively hardy so they can, to a reasonable extent, tolerate harsh water and tank conditions. The only thing is that, when provided with their adequate needs and requirements (tank and water conditions), they tend to live longer.

Maintaining good condition will prevent them from stressing themselves to adapt to harsh conditions. But when provided with strict conditions, their lifespan reduces. They do not live as long as they can.

Compatibility with other fish: Angelfish will not do well with aggressive or territorial fish. They most likely don’t do well with other fish except if the fish are peaceful and submissive type.

Physical Appearance of Angelfish

Unlike some other fish, Angelfish do not grow so big. They can only become as big as a foot in diameter, a feature that is common with saltwater Angelfish.

Angelfish have a characteristic unusual and angular shaped body. They have lovely patterns and bright colors. The saltwater Angelfish have slanted anal and dorsal fish. Their caudal fins are also short, while freshwater Angelfish have vertical and long dorsal fins.

They also have vertical and long anal fins. They have ventral fins that look very much like tendrils. The male Angelfish also have slightly different body shape from the female.

Male Angelfish have a more circular body shape. A slight bump on the crown also characterizes the male Angelfish. The male also has a forked ventral fin while the female does not.

Water Conditions for Angelfish

Just like every other fish, Angelfish have specific water requirements. Meeting these requirements graces the fish more. The water conditions include the temperature, pH of the water, how hard the water is, etc.

Angelfish do well in calm waters. They can’t stay much longer in warm or cold water. The adequate water temperature for Angelfish is between 78°F and 84°F. If you have to exceed this temperature, it shouldn’t be too much.

A varying temperature affects the fish’s health. As a good aquarist, you should always keep check of the temperature and have it in control.

The water should neither be too acidic nor basic. It can, however, be slightly acidic or basic. The pH of the water should be 6.8 to 7.8. This pH indicates that water can only be somewhat acidic, neutral, or slightly basic. You should keep check of the water’s pH as exceeding this pH can be hazardous to the fish’s health.

The water should not be too hard. Angelfish do not like hard water; it affects their health. The adequate hardness of the water for Angelfish should be around 30 and 80 dKH, which is equivalent to 54 to 144 ppm. The hardness of the water is one of the factors every aquarist should consider as the Angelfish’s thriving depends on this.

You should always change the water in the tank regularly. You should change 10% of the water weekly and 25% of the water monthly. It is still advisable to always treat tap water before introducing it to your fish.

You can also make use of an excellent filtration system. The water conditions and the filtration system should be in constant check. If these water conditions are perfect, your Angelfish will surely thrive well.

Tank Conditions for Angelfish

To grow quite big, Angelfish requires large tanks. Besides, they are slow but graceful swimmers, so they need ample space to showcase their swimming skills. They also need adequate space, especially when they are in pairs.

To grow an Angelfish into a large size, you need a tank as large as 55 gallons. Since they have an elongated body shape, a tall aquarium will be suitable for them. They are peaceful fish, so the water flow should be gentle.

You can add some decorations to your tank. It is preferable to have the decorations likened to their natural habitat. You can also add floating objects like leaves on top of the tank to provide shade for them.

Conclusion

Angelfish are very simple and meek. They don’t need many conditions and requirements to thrive as they are relatively hardy. To grow Angelfish, you need to meet the water conditions and tank conditions. Angelfish requires care to live long. You have to satisfy them to get the best of them.

Angelfish need their water clean and well filtered. They also need their water to be in the right acidic or alkaline level. The temperature should also be adequate, and the water should not be too hard.

 

jbarr3tt1979

Hello, I'm Jason. I'm the guy behind HelpUsFish.com. I volunteer at my local fish shop and I created this site to offer tips and advice on the fish I care for.

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