Cichlids · Pterophyllum
Altum angelfish
Pterophyllum altum · Upper Rio Negro and upper Orinoco tributaries (Inírida, Atabapo), Colombia/Venezuela
Photo: Jeff Kubina, CC BY-SA 4.0, via iNaturalist
At a glance
Water temperature
28–32 °C 82–90 °F
pH
4.8–6.2 soft, acidic water
Adult size
18 cm 7.1 in
Swims ≈
Mid-water mostly in open water
Keep together
6 or more a shoal feels safe
Current ≈
Calm still or slow water
Food ≈
Meaty foods
Temperament ≈
Semi-aggressive
Where it comes from
Home water
Upper Rio Negro and upper Orinoco tributaries (Inírida, Atabapo), Colombia/Venezuela
Negro, Orinoco
Lives in blackwater stream habitat.
The dot is placed on its home rivers, not an exact collecting site. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with low flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Keep apart
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Need different temperatures and need a different pH and small enough to be eaten
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Need different temperatures and small enough to be eaten
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Small enough to be eaten
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Need a different pH and aggressive and will eat the altum angelfish
In the hobby
Where to find it
No store or breeder we know of has it right now.
Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.
Tanks with this fish
No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.
From keepers
Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.
Questions keepers ask
How big does an Altum angelfish get?
About 18 cm (7.1 in) as an adult.
What temperature does an Altum angelfish need?
28–32 °C (82–90 °F).
What pH does an Altum angelfish need?
pH 4.8–6.2.
Does an Altum angelfish need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 6.
Is the Altum angelfish aggressive?
It can be. It is semi-aggressive, so choose tank mates carefully.
What does an Altum angelfish eat?
Feed meaty foods: frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and quality sinking pellets.
Where does the Altum angelfish come from?
Upper Rio Negro and upper Orinoco tributaries (Inírida, Atabapo), Colombia/Venezuela.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 28 | Sourced |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 32 | Sourced |
| pH min | 4.8 | Sourced |
| pH max | 6.2 | Sourced |
| Adult size (cm) | 18 | Sourced |
| Flow | Low | Estimate |
| Swim level (top / middle / bottom) | middle | Estimate |
| Habitat | blackwater | Estimate |
| Smallest happy group | 6 | Sourced |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Estimate |
| Diet | Carnivore | Estimate |
| Behaviour tags | eats_small_fish | Sourced |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.
