Angelfish
Pterophyllum scalare
Photo: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
A cichlid that people treat like a tetra. Adults eat neon-sized fish and shrimp. They want height more than length — a 29 is the floor for a pair.
A tall cichlid people treat like a tetra.
May eat very small fish or shrimp once fully grown.
In the tank
- A real centrepiece in a 29 with height.
- They use midwater, not the sand.
- Water
- freshwater
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Swims
- Midwater
- Adult size
- 6 in
- Minimum tank
- 29 gal
- Group
- Can be kept singly
- Temperature
- 76–84°F
- pH
- 6.5–7.5
- Diet
- Pellets, frozen brine, mysis, and the occasional earthworm.
- Beginner
- Not a first fish
How to keep them
- Adults eat neon-sized fish and shrimp.
- A 29 is the floor for a pair.
Tankmates
Larger tetras, corys, bristlenose — once the angels are not hungry enough to hunt.
Avoid
Neons, ember tetras, cherry shrimp, and short tanks.
Check tankmates · Stocking calculator
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