Attempting to raise Angelfish - advice and comments welcome.

I have raised fish off and on for over 40 years but have never tried to breed anything but livebearers. Well I am going to give it a shot a raising Angelfish at least once.

The Angelfish in my 125 gallon have spawned several times over the years but it has always been survival of the fittest in the than so none of the eggs have ever made it. Well last night I decided to see if I could raise at least one batch.

I noticed two of my Angels being little devils and keeping everyone to end of the tank. I went to investigate and low and behold there where eggs all over a live plant leaf. I went out to my fish room and moved some guppy fry out of a 10 gallon tank and did a 100% water change using water from the 125 gallon tank.

Once I got the tank prepared I cut the leaf off the plant and moved it to the 10 gallon tank. This tank is equipped with a small heater and a sponge filter and several yarn mops. The temperature on the parents tank is around 80 degrees and the 10 gallon normally stays around 76 to 78 degrees so I might get a larger adjustable heater today for it so that I can raise the temp just a bit.

I am planning on doing daily water changes of about 50% using water from the 125 gallon tank. I thought about moving the female to the tank but decided that it was just too small for her so if I decide to try this again I will set up a 30 gallon tank for the couple to use.

Any and all advice is welcome because as far as I am concerned I am a beginner in this department. Mollies, Guppies, Endlers, Swordtails and Platys are my specialty but have never tried to raise anything from eggs. I do have a green water jug in the window all the time and I have newly hatched brine shrimp almost every day. I have frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, freeze dried worms and shrimp and several brands of flake food. So I think I am about 80% prepared to feed any fry that might hatch.

 

Good morning,

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Best of luck!

Ken

 

I don't understand why you are doing water changes with water from another tank. Keep the water and tank clean by using fresh water. Using water for a water change from another tank is just adding nitrates to the fry tank. You want to keep the nitrates as low as possible with fresh water. Treated with a chlorine remover if your tap has chlorine in it.

I would remove everything from the tank. There is no need to have anything but the filter and heater in it. Keeping a airstone by the eggs helps with water movement, and that should be enough until the hatch. There is also no reason to keep a adult with them. The may eat the eggs or the fry.

I heard about this awhile ago, and it works for me. I put flake food with freeze dried blood worms in a coffee grinder to make a powder for the fry. I use this as their food source until the are large enough to eat regular food. Its easy to make, and works awesome.


A 10 gallon will work as a grow out for awhile. But you will eventually need a few larger tanks. 20 highs work well for angel grow outs. Depending on how many there are, and how large you want them to get before selling or giving them away, you may need 3 or 4.

 

I was told it was best to use water fron the parents tank for the eggs, is this not true? I will do at least a 50% water change this PM then with fresh water. I use a prep tank for treating my water prior to use. The water in it is normally been there for at least 48 hours. I was told once to not use this water for fry or eggs due to the possibility of it containing bacteria. I do use it for all my tanks, even my fry tanks, what do you think about it for the Angel eggs and fry? Would it be better to draw fresh and treat with Prime?

 

I don't know whether it is true or not. I have never heard that one. Maybe it is true, but I have never had a problem using freshwater. JME.

 

Well my first attempt didn’t good very good. I guess not planning ahead and preparing ahead of time played a role here. I went out and checked on the eggs this morning in the fish room and most of them are covered with a white fungus so I am assuming that none of them will hatch but I will give it at least another 24 hours before I clean the 10 gallon tank back up and convert it back to a Guppy Fry tank.

I am now interested in giving this an honest attempt so I guess it would be a good time to start planning ahead. I am going to see if I can either pick up another 30 gallon tank or convert one of mine to an Angelfish Breeding tank.

The plans will be to set up a bare bottom tank with a sponge filter and a hang on the back filter with some PVC or slate for breeding surfaces. I will use both filters while the pair of adult angels are in the tank but move the HOB filter to another tank once they have laid their eggs. I will also move the pair back to my 125 gallon once they have laid the eggs.

Time to do some research and planning to venture into a side of the hobby I have stayed out of.

 

well, for your next attempt, as it sounds you will try again, and you should! Maybe try fresh water instead of from another tank and use a fungicide safe for unhatched eggs to replace the parents fanning/blowing. I am currently working on a batch of angelfish eggs myself (this is my 4th attempt) and am hoping for sucess!! Good luck with your next try!!!

 

Having a tank prepared ahead of time makes a big difference.

I usually have a heater, sponge filter(that has run in another tank to build beneficial bacteria), depending on the size of the grow out tank a couple of small rocks or objects from an established tank. The reason for this is that the fry will feed off of the microscopic critters(aufwach) growing on the filter as well as the objects from the established tank. If they have algae on them so much the better.
I have not used a fungicide in many years and find I have just as good luck if not better just making sure the water is super clean
I have heard of starting the tank with water from the home tank. This is to keep them from being shocked with a drastic change. I have done both ways fresh/ home tank. BUT if the water from the home tank is initially used at least 25% water change needs to be done each day to ease the eggs /fry into the cleanest water possible.
Hope that wasn't too confusing
Carol

 

So long as there are large daily water changes, it does not matter if you are using tank water or fresh dechlorinated water. The key is to minimize nitrates as much as possible. If the parents tank runs high with nitrates may not work that well.

I have let the parents care for their spawn in an isolated or divided tank; set up a jar inside the parents tank with a sponge top that basically becomes an oversized sponge filter; and have moved the eggs to a small hatching tank.

Like Carol, when moving the eggs to a hatching tank, I do not use fungicides. The key is to remove all white/fungus covered eggs or the entire spawn can be lost.

 

I am going to prepare my 18 gallon self built tank for trying this again. I have a heater for a 20 to 30 gallon aquarium that is adjustable so I can set the temperature at 82 degrees which is what my Angelfish tank is at. I have two sponge filters already in my 30 gallon fry tanks to get the cycle process going. I will also do an instant cycle on the 18 gallon the day before if they lay eggs again real soon but it not I will just use the two sponge filters and place one on each end of the tank. I have an extra air pump, tubing and small air stone in my tackle box of supplies. I am going to leave the tank bottom bare and will leave out all other deco.

I am getting two more brine shrimp hatcheries ready and also a couple of jars of green water. I also might get on line and order some liquid food or some other food for the small fry. I have dealt with livebearers fry for years but never anything that hatches out of an egg so I will get a little better prepared for the next time. I will get me some finely ground to a power flake food ready also.

I found the article that I had read where it stated to use water from the parents tank for the eggs. It was in the September 2011 issue of Aquarium Fish International on page 96 and titled Breeding Freshwater Angelfish by Don Manahay. Here is what he wrote: “After they spawn, I take out the pipe with the eggs attached and put it in a 1 gallon jar. The jar is filled with the breeding tanks water, and I add two drops of methylene blue to keep fungus in check.” It was a good article but the first time I read it I guess I missed the methylene blue being added. I will pick up some the next time I get to my not so local local fish store.

I do want to thank you for your inputs. Without FishLore friends helping out I am sure I would have made a lot of mistakes before I ever got it right. My Angels have laid eggs before but they have always gotten eaten within the first 24 hours or so. I will post again once I get some eggs to attempt to hatch.