How Do Angelfish Breed? Detailed Breeding Methods and Techniques

Angelfish, English name AngelFish, scientific name Pterophyllum scalare, belongs to the cichlid family and is a quite representative species of fish. Cichlids have a characteristic: when breeding, unless they are naturally paired by mutual affection, they will absolutely not produce the next generation, and they have an innate tendency to care for their offspring. However, when spawning, angelfish are extremely afraid of disturbance. If they are disturbed during paired breeding, the tragedy of eating their own eggs or fry can occur. Therefore, an environment free from external interference during breeding is extremely important to them.

I. Selection of the Pair To breed angelfish, the first task is to select naturally paired parent fish. Selecting a pair takes some time. Several females and males can be kept together in one aquarium, and their behavior should be observed at all times. If two fish are found often swimming in pairs and delineating a territory belonging to the two of them, and when other fish approach or intrude into their territory they jointly drive the intruders away, it can roughly be determined that these two fish have completed pairing on their own and can be used as a breeding pair. After confirming that two angelfish have completed pairing, they can be moved to an independent breeding tank, or the other unpaired fish can be moved away, to avoid the "newlywed mood" of the "little couple" being disturbed by other fish, which would affect their reproduction of the next generation.

II. Spawning Environment In the tank prepared for spawning, a spawning tube should be set up, whose function is to allow the parent fish to lay eggs on it. Spawning tubes are sold on the market, and hard plastic pipes, flower pots, etc. can also be used as substitutes, or a large-leaved aquatic plant can be planted, all of which can serve as spawning sites. If no spawning tube is provided, they will attach the eggs to the aquarium wall. Before spawning, the parent fish will clean the spawning site they have chosen, using their mouths to remove dirt from the spawning tube. Carefully observe the appearance of the brood fish. If their genital pores are found to protrude outward, this is a sign that they are about to spawn, and they will spawn within about two to three days. When spawning, the female first attaches the eggs one by one to the spawning tube (adhesive eggs), after which the male releases milt over the eggs to complete fertilization. Then the parent fish will stay near the fertilized eggs and jointly care for them. They use their pectoral fins and caudal fins to create a current near the fertilized eggs, so that the water near the fertilized eggs is constantly renewed and carries oxygen. When they encounter whitened dead eggs or diseased eggs, they will remove them themselves. The number of eggs laid each time is about three to four hundred to around one thousand, depending on the size and health of the parent fish. The fertilized eggs hatch in about two to three days. Newly hatched fry have a yolk sac on their belly to provide the fry's initial nutrition, and their swimming ability is still very poor. At this time the parent fish jointly guard the fry. If occasionally a fry leaves the group or is left alone, the parent fish will hold it in their mouths and return it to its original place. When the fry's yolk sac gradually disappears and they are able to open their mouths and feed (about one week after hatching), Artemia nauplii or other plankton can be fed as the initial food. One point must be especially noted: as stated earlier, when the parent fish are caring for the fertilized eggs and fry, external interference is strictly forbidden! If they are once disturbed or stimulated, the parent fish may eat the fertilized eggs or fry, causing all the work of this breeding to be wasted. Moreover, parent fish that have once eaten eggs or fry will find it difficult to breed again, because they will repeatedly eat their own fertilized eggs or fry.

III. Care of the Fry The fry can begin to be fed plankton food about one week after hatching. At this time, attention should be paid at all times to changes in water quality and the supply of sufficient oxygen, and an appropriate amount of food should be given (small amounts, more frequent meals). After the fry are fed plankton for about one month, they have the appearance of ordinary adult angelfish. At this point their food can gradually be changed to the food eaten by adult fish. With such careful care and rearing for five to six months, the fry can grow to maturity.

IV. Other Precautions If it is desired to prevent the parent fish from eating the fertilized eggs or fry due to stimulation, the parent fish can also be moved away immediately after the eggs are fertilized. The obtained fertilized eggs should be slightly disinfected with drugs such as methylene blue or malachite green to prevent the growth of water mold or other pathogens. The disinfected fertilized eggs should be placed in a hatching tank with high oxygen content and clean water quality for incubation, and a slight water flow can also be provided. Attention should be paid at all times to removing whitened dead eggs or diseased eggs covered with water mold, to avoid affecting the other healthy fertilized eggs.