Angelfish Breeding (Pterophylum scalare)

By Joseph J Siegel

August 2001

I have raised them for a few years. This is my experience.

They do well in PH of 6.5 to 7.0 sometimes higher is ok. They seem to adapt well to most water, pH and hardness. The softer the water, the more chances for them to breed.

Raising the water temp from 80 F to 86 F and doing water changes every few days will simulate the rainy season which triggers them to spawn.

If you are going to try breeding keep in group of threes and 90% of the time you will have a pair.

After they have laid their eggs leave them alone the first time. Some will raise their young and do real well.  If you’re lucky, they will care for their eggs and you have it made. If not you will have to remove the eggs and put in a smaller tank with a sponge filter. Add some Methylene Blue to the water, I double of what it says on the bottle to prevent fungus. Try to have the water at the same condition of pH and KH as much as possible. This aids in more fry hatching.

After the fry have hatched do partial water changes daily. This is the tricky part! Not to siphon them from their home! (I have never figured out how not to.)

After they become free swimming start feeding them baby brine shrimp.  You may hatch your own but I found using frozen was just as good and easier for me.  More water changes the faster they grow.

Silvers are the hardiest from my experience but others are fine just not as many young ones. That is probably why silvers are lower price in the LFS.

Amazon plants and lots of floating plants are great for the young ones if they’re in a tank that the parents will raise their young. Otherwise I feel they get in the way.

Use a piece of slate they will lay their eggs on this about 80% of the time. By using the slate you can remove and put in the eggs into the other tank.

Water movement is needed but not too much and if too close to the eggs either.

If you are not in the breeding that is fine just keep them at about 84 degree water and put them in a community tank 90% of the time they have not breed for me this way but the 10% of the time not breed for me this way they have and then I just separate the pair into their own tank and start breeding or sell them as a breeding pair or trade them to the LFS for other things get more for breeder pairs.

This has been my experience only GOOD LUCK and ENJOY the HOBBY.