Page 5 - TBAS-October-2020

TBAS October 2020 .................... -5-
of us will rely upon water changes to accomplish this important facet of angelfish
care.
Aquarium Temperature: Angelfish have a tolerance to a wide range of
aquarium temperatures, but immune system response is best at higher temperatures.
Therefore, if your fish husbandry is less than ideal, you will have more problems
at lower temperatures. 80° F is a good start for a hatchery situation. Mid to upper
seventies is fine for show tanks. As a cold blooded animal, angelfish will live longer
at lower temps. Higher temperatures will promote faster growth, more frequent
breeding, better immune system response and shorter life spans.
Feeding Angelfish: Feeding is more of an art, than a science. No one
can tell you exactly how much food to put in an aquarium. The ideal amount will
change everyday as the angelfish grow, and will be different with varying temperature,
pH, maintenance schedules and frequency of feedings. Good observation is the
key. Overfeeding angelfish is worse than underfeeding. Feed a variety of high
quality foods and observe the aquarium and the angelfish closely when feeding.
Angelfish Fry - For the first 3 weeks of their life you will find it difficult to raise any
number of high quality angelfish with anything other than live foods such as live
baby brine shrimp. We feed these exclusively for the first 4-5 weeks. Check this
link for more details on hatching brine shrimp eggs. Introduction of a new fish
food usually requires that it be introduced gradually. Angelfish should be voracious
eaters when they are healthy and properly fed.
Culling Angelfish: Angelfish are an ornamental fish that have acquired
many problems from improper breeding over the years. It is important to cull any
juvenile angelfish that are not ideal. Degradation of your angelfish strains will
happen very quickly without a vigorous program of eliminating flawed angelfish.
It is equally important to not keep any spawns from imperfect adults. As exciting
as raising young angelfish can be, it is a great disservice to the species and the
hobby to perpetuate the genes of lower quality angelfish.
Angelfish Quarantine: Angelfish are affected by viruses, bacteria and
parasites, that sometimes have little or no effect on fish other than a few South
American cichlids. However, with angelfish some of these can cause death within
a day or two. Others will simply cause nagging problems that never cease. The
only good way to prevent the introduction of these problems is to properly quarantine
every fish, plant or other aquatic animal that was obtained from any other source.
A single micro-droplet of water from an aquarium containing a disease, can infect
a healthy aquarium, so the quarantine tank should be in a separate room and
preferably in a different building, with its own net, siphon, water bucket, etc. When the
quarantined fish look healthy after a few weeks, you will then have to test for hidden
diseases that the quarantined fish may be resistant to. The best way to test for
this is with a microscope. If you don’t have access to one, then next best is to
introduce one dispensable fish from a healthy tank into the quarantine tank and

To Table of Contents