REALLY ANGEL

Scientific Names:

Pterophyllum eimekei and/or Pterophyllum scalare.   There has been some controversy about the scientific name of Angelfish. Some experts think that the common aquarium Angelfish may be a hybrid of the two wild species, P. eimekei and P. scalare, listed above. There is at least one more species of wild Angelfish named Pterophyllum altum, and there is at least one report of it hybridizing with the common aquarium Angelfish. 

There are veil tail and regular tail Angelfish varieties and an assortment of different colour varieties. All Angels are wonderful aquarium fish. Although they are a little delicate when small, they grow fast and get stronger. They are not difficult to breed and many aquarists enjoy raising the babies.

Appropriate Home: A large tall aquarium with at least 29 gallons of water, an exterior power filter with a BIO-Wheel, a maximum of 1/4 inch of gravel, and an aquarium heater adjusted to so the water temperature is between 78 and 82 degrees.

Recommended Diet: Floating flake food and freeze dried blood worms, which are actually mosquito larvae. Both of these foods are available in most stores that sell pet fish. Feed Angelfish an occasional treat of live Black Worms and live or frozen brine shrimp.. You can feed your Angelfish a few live Black Worms. The ideal amount seems to be three or four Black Worms every other day. Be sure the worms are very clean and in good condition. Never feed questionable worms to any fish.
The fish, shown just above, is a Silver Veiltail Angel. It lives in Tom's 55-gallon Angelfish Aquarium and seems to be different from most Silver Angels, because it's body and fins are covered with small red markings. As you can see, it has very long branched pelvic fins. It's also very energetic and healthy and is almost certainly a male but has not spawned yet.
This Gold Veiltail Angel also lives in Tom's 55-gallon Angelfish Aquarium, which is shown above.
This Marble Veil Angel lives in the same aquarium. This fish has a beautiful golden glow.
Another beautiful Angel from the same aquarium. All these Angels were obtained from AquariumFish.net and raised in the same 55-gallon aquarium together.
Compatibility: Either one Angel to an aquarium or more than 3. Angels are Cichlids and like most Cichlids, if you keep just 2 or 3 in the same aquarium, the strongest one will make the others miserable. Angels do very well in a group with 6 or more Angels in a large aquarium with at least 50 gallons of water that is at least 18" deep. Here is a list of tropical fish that are usually compatible with Angel Fish: Silver Dollars, Bigger Tetras such as Black Skirts, Serpaes, and Silver Tips, Corydoras Catfish, Livebearers such as Platies, Swordtails, and Mollies, but not Guppies which may be eaten by Angels, and one Plecostomus Catfish. Angelfish are often seen in aquariums with Gouramis, Giant Danios, Rainbows, a group of Bala Sharks, and a group ofClown Loaches. As Angelfish grow larger, they become very efficient at stalking and eating small fish like Guppies and Neon Tetras. So they are not compatible tank mates for these fish.
Angels are susceptible to a disease called Hole in the Head.
Size and Lifespan:  Angelfish can grow to be 12" tall and probably taller. I have seen Angel Fish with bodies 6" in diameter, but it is unusual for them to grow this big. Angelfish are known to have lived for at least 10-years, and with exceptionally good care they can probably live even longer.