Cichlids · Pterophyllum
Angelfish
Pterophyllum scalare · Flooded forests of the Amazon basin
Photo: Rjcastillo, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Water temperature
24–30 °C 75–86 °F
pH ≈
6–7.5 neutral water
Adult size
15 cm 5.9 in
Swims ≈
Mid-water mostly in open water
Keep together
5 or more a shoal feels safe
Current
Calm still or slow water
Food
Eats most foods
Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Where it comes from
Home water
Flooded forests of the Amazon basin
Lives in flooded forest habitat.
The dot marks where it's collected. Home from iNaturalist native sightings (42). 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.
Good together
-
Candy stripe L015
Plecos · 10 cm · bottom -
Zebra L046
Plecos · 8 cm · bottom -
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid
Cichlids · 7.5 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Rainbowfish · 10 cm · mid-water -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Small enough to be eaten
Amano shrimpCardinal tetraCelestial pearl danioCherry barbCherry shrimpChili rasbora
-
Nip fins
-
Aggressive and will eat the 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
From keepers
Peaceful with each other, but the cardinal school keeps shrinking.
Questions keepers ask
How big does an Angelfish get?
About 15 cm (5.9 in) as an adult.
What temperature does an Angelfish need?
24–30 °C (75–86 °F).
What pH does an Angelfish need?
pH 6–7.5.
Does an Angelfish need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 5.
Is the Angelfish aggressive?
It can be. It is semi-aggressive, so choose tank mates carefully.
What does an Angelfish eat?
It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.
Where does the Angelfish come from?
Flooded forests of the Amazon basin.
What fish can live with an Angelfish?
Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Zebra (L046), Agassiz's dwarf cichlid, Amano shrimp, Boeseman's rainbowfish.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 24 | Sourced |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 30 | Sourced |
| pH min | 6 | Sourced |
| pH max | 7.5 | Estimate |
| Adult size (cm) | 15 | Sourced |
| Flow | Low | Sourced |
| Habitat | floodplain | Estimate |
| Smallest happy group | 5 | Sourced |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Sourced |
| Diet | Omnivore | Sourced |
| Behaviour tags | eats_small_fish,long_fins | Sourced |
| Typical price min (CAD) | 8 | Estimate |
| Typical price max (CAD) | 30 | Estimate |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.
