Angelfish Breeding

Breeding angelfish can be easy. But in saying that, what you need to establish is that you have an angelfish breeding pair.

The breeding pair you choose in the first instance is the first thing to consider. The easiest option is to purchase them from your local fish store or even a breeder in your area. This may be expensive and you may have to wait until they have the exact pair that you want to breed.

On the other hand, if you are new to angelfish breeding, then you will need to make sure that you establish a pair. As you know, it is difficult to determine the sex of angelfish.

This can be done only when they are ready to breed. So how do you go about making sure you have a high percentage that you will get a pair?

Apart from purchasing a breeding pair, the other option, and probably the better one, is to purchase several juvenile angels and allow them to grow to maturity.

If you are going to find a breeding pair this way, you should keep in mind how you would like your future angelfish to look.  Therefore, choose juvenile angelfish with the best possible features. Look for well formed finnage, good clean markings, and good clean clear eyes. Check for any deformities or illnesses. They should also be active and eager to feed.

So now that you have seen some juvenile angelfish you like, you may be asking how many should you keep. The general rule is that if you introduce 6 or more angelfish to your tank, the chance that you get a male and a female dramatically jumps to 95%. 

If you are introducing younger angelfish to your tank for the purpose of breeding, then it will be best to add a few more. The reason for this is that there may be a chance that later on, some may not survive, or that they are not capable of pairing up. Therefore, to increase the odds that you will get a pair from your angels, you should add a few extra angelfish.

In saying that, you will need to make sure that you have a tank that is big enough to house the number of angelfish you want to keep. Remember to follow the rule of 10 gallons to 1 adult angelfish.

Once your angelfish are fully grown, you may find that you have more angelfish than your tank can handle.  In this case, it may be best to sell some back to the local fish store or give them away. But make sure you keep your pair!  They will come in handy in the future.

So now there are a few things that you will need to know to establish a pair of angelfish. The first is that you need to keep them healthy and happy. We have discussed how to do this earlier. If you have added angelfish at a young age, then at about 8 to 12 months, they should start forming pairs.

You will be able to see that angelfish have paired up as the male and females will usually lip lock, face off and twist. You will normally see that two angelfish drive the other angelfish to the other side of the tank. . They will chase other fish off. Once they are ready to spawn, the pair becomes quite aggressive towards the others in the tank.  When they pair off, they may harm the other fish. They will defend their territory.  Another sign is that the female will have a bulge in her belly.

Once you find that you have got a pair of angelfish, it is recommended that you move the other fish out or put the pair in a breeding tank all on their own. The reason for this is that the more panicky the parents are, the more chances that they will eat the eggs that they have laid. Also, as they are aggressive, you may find constant battles to keep other fish away from their territory.