Breeding Angelfish

Feeding Angelfish

Angelfish are a typical cichlid. The general rule is a variety of high quality fish foods at least a couple times a day. They are voracious feeders and should always act that way unless the aquarium temperature is on the low end of their range.  If they don't eat well, suspect that something may not be right. This is one of the hardest parts of raising angelfish properly, because as stated earlier, they are sensitive to poor water quality, and what is the quickest way to bad water? That's right...over feed them! Now, since you want big robust angelfish, you will usually risk overfeeding in order to be sure they are getting adequate amounts. This makes it essential that you check for and remove any uneaten food approximately 3-5 minutes after feeding. You can see now why we recommend a bare bottom aquarium.

Angelfish are generally not picky eaters. Healthy angelfish will accept most foods when hungry enough and eventually learn to love them. Don't feed your angelfish for a day or two prior to introducing a new food. Then for the first few feedings give them only one or two bites of the new food. This is usually enough to get them to go after it with enthusiasm.

Acquisition of Angelfish Breeding Stock

There are basically two ways, each with a couple of variations, to obtain a pair. First, you can buy a proven angelfish pair or a known male and female, which you can pair up. The second approach would be to buy a dozen or so juvenile angelfish and raise them to breeding size in a large aquarium.

If you take the first approach, be careful. If buying an angelfish pair, ask the age of the fish and be sure they are "proven" to have raised good fry. With this approach be prepared to spend more money. Also expect to make it back quicker if you are selling the offspring. If you are careful with your selection, pleasant results could occur quickly. Remember, your first spawn will probably pay for the pair and still leave you with a nice profit.

The downside is if the fish don't produce good fry, or enough fry, you do not have other angelfish pairs to choose from, as you would if you raised adults from a dozen juveniles. Even so, all is not lost, you can try crossing the pair with other adults to see what changes a different mate could make.

If you decide to buy unproven male and female adult angelfish separately, there is the risk that they are not compatible or that the sex was mis-identified. No matter what anyone may try to tell you, there are no absolutely reliable methods to sex young adult angelfish positively by anatomy (except when breeding tubes are lowered or when an experienced person has examined the breeding tubes with a magnifying glass). Even if they can be sexed, not all male and female angelfish will be compatible. Some older angelfish will have discernable sex characteristics but most people don't want older angelfish.

Unless you really trust your source, you don't really know for sure how old the angelfish is you're getting, and whether they may be past spawning age, or greatly slowing down. If you have more time than money then it may be best to get 10-12 juvenile angelfish to raise and pair off. This will require a smaller initial investment in stock, give you the possibility of several angelfish pairs and allow you greater freedom to try and match up the traits you wish to preserve (you get to pick the best ones).

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