Angelfish can be raised in water between 4.7 and 8.7 pH, very soft or very hard water. If your water is outside this range and is extremely hard or alkaline, try a de-ionization filter or reverse osmosis (RO) filter. RO filters allow mains water to be converted to the equivalent of distilled water.

Angelfish thrive when their fish tank resembles the natural Angelfish habitat: calm, shallow water with plenty of vertical weed and objects to hide behind such as driftwood. Angels will not tolerate high levels of nitrites and ammonia, so a good filtration system must be installed. Simple aquarium sponge filters will cause little turbulence. Frequent, partial water changes remove excess discarded matter.

Freshwater Aquarium Guide

Ultimate Freshwater Aquarium Guide

The best way to ensure you have a pair is to buy an established pair from a store or local Angelfish breeders; although this will be more expensive, it may save time. Alternately, buy 8 Angelfish and wait for them to pair up, then remove the breeding pair. (8 fish offers 99% probability of yielding 1 pair.)

Don’t expect your Angelfish to breed until they are mature. This will occur when they are around 2 inches in size and around 10-12 months old. Even if you have a proven pair, they may still take time to settle in. House them by themselves in a place where they are less likely to be disturbed. They may spawn soon or it may take a few weeks of heavy feeding and good care. Raising the temperature of the water a few degrees may stimulate them, feeding good quality frozen food, or even placing another Angelfish in an adjacent tank.

To start the Angelfish spawning, keep them in a tank which is large and do not allow it to become overcrowded. Angel fish are tall, so allow at least 16 inches in height. A 10-20 gallon tank will serve. Angelfish prefer good quality water; change it frequently and keep the temperature around 28 degrees celsius. Install a sponge filter for safety; other types may endanger the fry.

Feeding Angelfish consists of giving them a good varied diet: prepared Angel food is a good start. Supplement with meat products such as mosquito larvae, daphnia, beef heart and brine shrimp. Remove surplus food after five minutes to avoid overfeeding.

Angels breed on vertical or near-vertical surfaces, so lean a piece of slate against the side of the fish tank for the Angels to spawn. Leave the tank free of decoration to avoid distraction. Angelfish eggs are deposited in a long line on the spawning slate, ready for the male to fertilize. The eggs will remain clear if they have been fertilized; eggs which grow cloudy have not been fertilized.

Angelfish may eat their own eggs; if this occurs, the slate with the eggs can quickly be transferred to a separate pre-prepared fishtank. However, Angelfish are good parents, so if thay appear to be treating the eggs correctly, leave them alone. This is especially important with new breeding pairs.