Proper Angelfish Raising

[aquamike]

Hi Guys,

I was wondering what is the best way to grow out juvenile angelfish? They already have between a nickel and quarter sized bodies.

I would like them to grow very large and have great coloring. What ways can acheive this the best and in the shortest amount of time. Diets and temperature i guess would be the biggest difference maker.

Thanks for the suggestions,

Mike

 

[jayjay]

Are these fry you're raising or fish in a main tank?

Temperature - warmer than normal tropical tanks I'd say 28c would be fine for this.
Diet - high in protein, foods I'd use would be things like a good quality pellet, live bloodworm, black worm etc.
Water change - as often as you can
Tank size - if this is your main tank nothing to worry about

What tanks are with them?

 

[thegnu]

obviously very low nitrates is a must, so water changes when needed to keep the nitrates below 20PPM.
pH around pH6-7 KH-5 GH-4
feed little and often 4 times a day, finely cut up frozen bloodworms, live daphnia, BBS

 

[aquamike]

Are these fry you're raising or fish in a main tank?

Temperature - warmer than normal tropical tanks I'd say 28c would be fine for this.
Diet - high in protein, foods I'd use would be things like a good quality pellet, live bloodworm, black worm etc.
Water change - as often as you can
Tank size - if this is your main tank nothing to worry about

What tanks are with them?

These are 12 small angelfish in a 135 gallon tank.

Thanks
Mike

 

[aquamike]

obviously very low nitrates is a must, so water changes when needed to keep the nitrates below 20PPM.
pH around pH6-7 KH-5 GH-4
feed little and often 4 times a day, finely cut up frozen bloodworms, live daphnia, BBS

Is the very low nitrates the key to having great coloring and or growth rate?

I currently do a once a week gravel vac that includes a 25% to 30% water change which generally keeps the nitrates down to 20-30ppm.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Tolak]

Hey Mike. Warmer temperatures make angels grow quicker, but shortens their lifespan. Warmer water increases their metabolism, they eat more, and grow quicker. This is a situation where you would be overfeeding, and tank maintenance must be done accordingly. 25% water changes every other day is good in situations like this, you remove any uneaten food, and keep nitrates as low as possible. Angels can handle temps well into the 90's, but make sure any tankmates can handle this temp, few can. Also make sure their is plenty of aeration, as warmer water holds less O2.

Feed a high protein diet, but be careful of constipation. I find it's best to feed heavier foods earlier in the day, this gives them time to digest when they are active. Live food is great if you can find it, I have a pretty consistent supply of live blackworms that all my angels love. I feed some flake later in the day, or frozen brine shrimp. Frozen brine shrimp is good for cleaning out the digestive system due to having a little more roughage.

For color, get a good color flake that has carotene, I use the AngelsPlus color flake. Spirulina is also a good color enhancer. Try to light with a light that is close to sunlight, you may have a better time finding out about this sort of thing in the planted tank section. I've never experimented with this personally, but I know of a local cichlid breeder who grows out his fish outdoors in tubs during the summer. They get a good amount of sunlight, and have fabulous colors.

 

[aquamike]

Tolak,

Thank you for such detailed advice. I do currently feed occassional live blackworms and angelsplus did send me some color flake with my last order of fish.

I'd love to be able to crank up the temps but i think the tank mates will have a hard time. Their tank mates are sterbia corys, glowlight tetras, and a gold nugget pleco. First i will research whether the tank mates can take increased temperature than if possible i will raise the temps from 78-80 degrees to like 82-84 to see what happens. I'll increase their feedings and do more water changes.

The lighting thing sounds interesting too.

Thanks again,
Mike