How to breed Angelfish

How to breed angel fish
Over the past 10 years, people have asked me many questions on "how to breed angelfish?" Anyway, I started to write down questions on how to breed angel fish for the past few years. And just recently, I decided to type them out and let everyone see them.Sometimes the answers may seem very common sense... but that's how to breed angel fish. You see, angelfish aren't complicated. In fact, the more simple you keep your set up, the water changes and feeding, the easier it is going to be for your angelfish.

And you know what? 

Angelfish can breed on their own! You see, sometimes we think we have to do all the work for angelfish to breed.

But angel fish still have their wild instinct. (And lucky for us, it hasn't been bred out of them!) 

So here they are... Questions that people have asked on How to breed angelfish.

For you to enjoy. 

What are the growth stages of Angel Fish?
Egg - 0 to 60 hours
Wigglers - From hatching to free Swimming - Depending on the temperature, this usually occurs on the 7th Day
Fry - From free swimming to taking the form of an Angelfish
Juveniles - When they take on the appearance of an angelfish
Adults - Usually around 9-12 months once they are at breeding stage

How can I tell male angelfish from female angelfish?
There are some subtle differences that an experienced angelfish breeder can use to help identify mature males and females. Some angelfish enthusiasts say that the angle of the anal fin in relation to the belly of the angelfish, will identify the sex. Others say that some male angels may have a hump on the crown and some may be larger than the females. There seems to be too many ways of telling them apart, but none seem to be 100% correct. These differences do not exist on immature angelfish, all of the time. Therefore, the only sure way to tell the difference between mature males from mature females is to examine the breeding tubes during spawning. The female's breeding tube is wider and more blunt than the male's.

Does the pecking order change when a pair is formed?
Normally the pecking order will stay as it is until a pair is formed. Once a male and female form a pair, then it does change everything in the tank. The pair will normally be aggressive in defending their territory. The pecking order will be no more. At this time, it would be good idea to either remove the pair from the tank, or the other fish from it.

Can two different types of angelfish breed?
Yes they can. Whether it is black, koi, golden, silver etc, they will spawn with
any other type of angel. That is how new varieties are created. It will not
matter if they have standard fins, veils or super veils, pearl scales, blushing or not.

I have two angles now, so how do I tell if they are male or female?
Depending on the size of the angelfish now, it may take some time before you can tell their sex. The only real way of telling whether you have a male or female is by waiting for them to spawn. At that time, you will be able to see their breeding tube. The female's tube is blunt and much larger than the male's. Their breeding tubes can be said to be like a pencil. The female has a blunt tube, while the male has something similar to the tip of the pencil, shorter and pointy. During spawning, the female's lower body will thicken as she starts to produce eggs.

Can I get a pair of angels from keeping two angels?
With only two angels it is hard to get a pair. It has been done, but getting five or six angels and growing them up gives you a better chance for a pair. The chances of getting at least one pair from six angelfish is 95%.

I do not want to breed angelfish. What should I do?
If you are keeping your angelfish in a community tank, then another fish will generally eat the eggs when the lights go out. Sometimes, the parents will eat them once it gets dark. If you get parents that are protective enough to hatch their eggs in a community environment, there is still a chance that they do not survive. Breeding angelfish is not rocket science, but it is not that simple either.

What size do you sell baby angels at?
The answer to this will depend on what size the fish store wants to purchase
them at. Some places won't buy them unless they are quarter size in body.
Some will buy them at dime to nickel size. Normally, fish stores will take them when they are nickel size. When they are small, their immune system is still growing. As there is more chance that they may not survive when they are smaller, the fish stores will only buy them when they are a reasonable size.What is reasonable will depend on your fish store.

What can I do to make sure the youngsters grow quickly to their adult size? 

What food should I feed them and how often should they be fed?There are several choices of quality foods. A color and growth flake from Angels Plus is a good choice. Also frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms may help them grow quickly. Depending on the size they are now, you might have to feed them 3 to 4 times a day. The problem with this is that the more you feed them, the more strain you put on your tank when it comes to waste. You will need to make sure you constantly do water changes.

When do angelfish reach adult size?
They normally reach adult size at around 10 to 12 months.

What's the correct size to breed angelfish in?
Generally speaking, a 20 gallon tank is considered to be adequate to breed a pair of angelfish.

What about a fry tank? What's a good size for them?
Again, a 20 gallon tank may be sufficient for fry. In saying this, you need to
make sure that you maintain high water quality. Once they get a little bigger, you will need to get yourself a grow out tank.

What size and how old before angelfish start pairing up?
Angelfish will begin breeding more by age than by size. Depending on the
tank, a pair of angelfish may form around 8 to 12 months. You may find that you get a pair earlier than this, while other times, you may find that they pair up later than 12 months.

How big are angelfish eggs?
They are the size of a pinhead.

What happens during the first week once they laid their eggs?
If the female has deposited her eggs, and the male fertilizes them, the
following should occur;
Day 0: The eggs are spawned in lines.
Day 1: Any infertile eggs will turn white.
Day 2: More eggs may turn white and fall to the bottom of the tank.
Some eggs may have fungus on them, which turns them fuzzy.
Today, wiggling tails may emerge from clear eggs.
Day 3: Tadpole shape forms with large yolk sack, fry remain stuck to
the slate.
Day 4: Small eyes begin to form. The fry will survive on their yoke sacs.
There is no need to feed them yet.
Day 5: Eyes grow larger, yolk sack shrinks. Today, you will need to
start your baby brine shrimp hatchery.
Day 6: Some fry are free swimming.
Day 7: Most of the fry should be free swimming. This is the time to start
feeding them baby brine shrimp.

If the female angelfish has been stressed, is it likely it will lay more eggs?
There may be a chance that it will still spawn, but the healthy and less
stressed an angelfish is, the more chance that they have of spawning.