Angelfish Tank Requirements

Freshwater angelfish, which are native of the Amazon region, can be kept as pets in an aquarium. They are slow swimming and hardly ever get excited or territorial while feeding or spawning. However, there are certain requirements that you need to meet to keep the fish healthy and happy.

  1. Tank Size

    • The size of the aquarium is not as important as the number of fish you keep per gallon of water. You need 1 gallon of water for each angelfish that is the size of a nickel. An angelfish that is as big as a quarter requires 2 gallons of water; a silver dollar-sized angelfish needs 3 gallons of water; and a full-grown angelfish needs 4 gallons of water. If you are breeding angelfish, you need a minimum of 15 gallons of water for each pair.

    Temperature

    • Angelfish can tolerate wide range of temperatures, but their immune systems tends to work better at higher temperatures. Keeping the water temperature at about 80 degrees F will improve the fish's immunity and also promote spawning. If you are not breeding the fish, you can maintain the water temperature between 74 and 78 degrees F. This will slow down their growth but improve their longevity.

    Filtration System

    • Introduce a gentle filtration system that will not stress out the fish. A sponge filter or an under-gravel filtration system is ideal for angelfish tanks. Nonetheless, to maintain the quality of the water and have a clean tank, you still have to change the water of the tank frequently. Change at least 20 percent of the water on a weekly basis. If you are breeding angelfish, change 50 percent of the water daily.

    pH Level

    • Wild angelfish thrive in slightly acidic water, whereas domestically bred angelfish do well in neutral pH water. If you want to breed your angelfish, maintain the water pH between 6.5 and 6.9.

    Live Plants

    • Keep live plants in the tank to keep the water algae-free and increase the level of oxygen in the tank. Plants, such as Amazon sword plants, Java moss, water sprites and Java ferns, can be introduced into the aquarium. These plants will give you a good indication about the quality of water in the tank. If the quality deteriorates, the plants will be affected before the fish, indicating that you need to change the water immediately.