Angelfish

What are angelfish?

There are two different types of angelfish, those that live in the ocean (saltwater angelfish) and those that live in tropical freshwater environments (freshwater angelfish). The latter belong to a family known as Pterophyllum and they come in a wide variety of colours and patterns. Some of the most popular types of freshwater angelfish are koi angelfish, known for their white, black, and orange colours, and altum angelfish, a very rare species known for their very long dorsal, ventral, and anal fins.

How big do angelfish get?

If they’re properly cared for, angelfish can grow to sizes of ~10cm long and ~15cm tall. As relatively large fish, they need to be kept in large aquariums that will be able to accommodate them as they grow. We recommend aquariums that can hold at least 70L of water for a pair of angelfish, but more volume is always better. It’s also important to consider the height of your aquarium when keeping angelfish. As tall fish, they prefer tall fish tanks that grant them some extra vertical swimming room.

How long do angelfish live for?

On average, angelfish live for 10 years provided they’re looked after correctly and housed in a suitably sized aquarium equipped with a powerful filter. This makes them quite the commitment, so if you’re not prepared to look after them for nearly a decade, we recommend that you consider some shorter lived feature fish, such as bettas or gouramis. To ensure that your angelfish lives a long and happy life, feed it a varied diet of high-quality fish food flakes and pellets, plus some occasional live food, such as bloodworms.

What are the best tankmates for angelfish?

Angelfish are relatively peaceful and will get along with a variety of different fish, particularly those that are similar in size and not small enough to fit in their mouths. For this reason, they make fantastic additions to tropical community aquariums as feature fish. It’s important to note, however, that angelfish can get quite aggressive while breeding. To diffuse aggression between your fish, increase the size of your aquarium and/or live plants and other décor that will break up their lines of sight.

Some of the best tankmates for angelfish include tetras, barbs, corydoras, rasboras, plecos, danios, and livebearers like guppies, mollies, and platies. You can also keep them alongside some invertebrates, like snails, but they will treat shrimps as tasty snacks! We also recommend you avoid keeping them with other large cichlids, such as American cichlids, oscars, and parrot cichlids, as they may fight one another and, in extreme cases, even kill one another.