How to Breed Angelfish for Profit

Investigate the market. Visit local pet stores and find out if their current suppliers are providing enough angelfish stock of if they would be interested in buying more. Ask the buyers at large departmental stores with tropical fish sections. Search the Internet for information and find out if there is a local angelfish breeder's association. This step will also help you identify the colors that are the rarest and most desired.

Prepare the breeding tank. This should be at least 20 gallons. Angelfish need space to mate. A spawning slate and plants should be placed on the bottom, but gravel is not recommended. You will want the fish to spawn on the slate or a plastic leaf. The bottom of the tank should be painted a dark matte color, and the lights should not be too bright. Sponge filters are ideal to prevent high concentrations of nitrites and ammonia, and the fry cannot get lost under them.

Make certain your tank is set up correctly. Ideally, the water temperature should be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They prefer an acidic pH, but tank-bred angelfish are adaptable and will survive in all except extreme alkaline conditions. In most cases, the pH can be adjusted with chemical water conditioners, but in extreme cases, you may need to use a reverse osmosis filter or de-ionizer to condition the water.

Obtain your breeding stock. It is not always possible to accurately identify males and female angelfish until they are ready to spawn. A proven mated breeding pair may be too old, and a pair that have not previously been together may not be compatible. The best idea is to obtain around ten young fish and wait until they have paired off before moving them into the breeding tank. This usually happens when they are around seven months old.

Place each pair into its own breeding tank. Allow time for the fish to acclimate to their new surroundings and feed them well without over feeding. Angelfish eat all types of food and specialized feed is available at pet stores. Food left in the tank can cause the water to be contaminated so all leftover food should be physically removed.

Move the eggs into a one gallon jar or small tank once the fish have spawned. Angel fish often eat their young and it is safest to allow them to hatch in a separate environment. The water must be kept extremely clean, and a fungicide should be added. Place the spawning slate in the bottom of the jar so the eggs are facing the bottom. Position an airstone close to the eggs. The fry will hatch after 60 hours and should not be fed until they are past the "wriggler" stage and can swim around freely --about five days. Remove the spawning slate as soon as they have hatched.

Transfer the fry into a larger tank once they are seen to be swimming around in a school using a net. This should be around ten gallons, not too large. Prepare the tank well ahead of time and make certain the water is warm enough and contains an active sponge filter. Keep the water exceptionally clean and change it if necessary. Feed them often. Once the fry grow and the tank becomes crowded, move them to bigger tanks or separate them.

Contact pet stores or wholesalers and let them know you will soon have fish to sell. At five to six weeks your fry should be ready. Give the dealers an estimated date of delivery and negotiate a price and terms -- know before you talk to them whether you would be willing to allow the buyer to take the fish on credit and pay you when they are sold, or if you want cash at the time of the sale.