Angelfish need a tall tank. The pool height must be at least 50 centimeters. A height of 60 to 70 centimeters is better. Professional growers use cubes measuring 80 x 80 x 80 centimeters. The minimum size is 50 x 50 x 50 centimeters.
A spawning substrate must be present in the tank. Large ones are suitable echinodorus leavesupright PVC pipes, etc. Often a spawning cone is also used for this purpose, which is easily available in stores.
It takes a bit of luck to get a breeding pair of angelfish. Almost all scalars that are on the market are raised almost exclusively artificially for reasons of profitability. i.e. after the fish have spawned, the eggs are removed. The larvae are hatched in a separate tank with the help of antifungal drugs or chemicals and then reared without parents. This decades-long practice has led to degenerative phenomena in the natural breeding behavior of angelfish. Angelfish usually need a few breeding attempts before rearing is successful. Eggs are laid every 2 to 3 weeks.
Top4 for scalar breeding:
Because angelfish are often bred, one should inquire before breeding whether the offspring will also be taken by other aquarists.
© Phil Plöchinger / Young angelfish
The egg laying
Spawning is preceded by an extensive mating ritual. This is also done during brood care. Males sometimes make a clearly audible cracking noise.
The female, also called roe, usually lays the eggs, the roe, on a larger, steeply upright leaf. The leaf is cleaned extensively beforehand. Sometimes the aquarium panes, the heater or other objects are also used.
The male, also called milker, fertilizes the eggs with sperm, the milk. Like most fish species, fertilization occurs in water. However, the sperm cannot be seen during fertilization.
Both parents fan the clutch, i.e. the laid, fertilized spawn, with their pectoral fins in order to bring more oxygen to the clutch. The clutch is often relocated to another leaf after a few days.
Because angelfish take care of their offspring, the clutch is also called brood. Like other cichlids from South America, angelfish take care of their brood.
The parents defend the clutch against predators. There should be weak lighting so that the parents can defend the clutch at night.
Why the eggs can turn white.
For proper development, the eggs need very soft and clean water. The carbonate hardness should be below 4. Offspring can sometimes breed successfully with a total hardness of 16° dGH. There should be as few pathogens in the water as possible. A UV clarifier can help to reduce the pathogen density. The spawning ground should not be too close to a water movement, e.g. B. the filter vents are.
If there are no suitable conditions, the protein in the egg will coagulate. The egg turns white. Fungus is often spoken of. Under certain circumstances, the eggs are attacked by the pathogens in the water and actually rot or fungus.
Bacteria and fungi cannot multiply as much in an acidic environment. The pH should therefore be reduced to between 5.5 and 6.0.
The water can also be kept as germ-free as possible with maintenance measures. This includes economical feeding, no fertilizing of the aquatic plants, regular vacuuming of mulm in the breeding tank and a weekly gentle cleaning of the filter, during which coarse dirt is removed and the filter bacteria are protected. The oxygen content should be high because in an oxygen-saturated environment there are strong oxidative conditions and experience has shown that the hatching rates are higher.
Nitrite should not be detectable. High nitrate levels, e.g. B. 25 mg / liter indicate a medium-heavy load of the water. More water should then be changed.
However, if the water values, especially the pH value or the carbonate hardness, are suddenly changed as a result of the water changes, the eggs will definitely fungus.
Experience has shown that if the carbonate hardness is less than 2, the eggs will fungus less. However, rearing can also be successful at KH 4 or higher.
Video: © Phil Plöchinger
© Katharina Laub / Scalar brood care
Why angelfish eat their brood.
The parents see earlier than humans whether the eggs can develop. They eat non-viable, white eggs before any pathogens present can spread to the other eggs.
Eating is a protection. Angelfish do not willingly eat their brood. That’s why they try to pick out only the white eggs at the beginning.
If there are too few eggs left to raise a reasonable flock, the rest of the eggs will be eaten as well. In this way, the energy contained therein, protein, yolk, etc., can be used for a new spawning attempt.
If the parents feel comfortable, the next eggs are usually 14 to 20 days later on a plant leaf.
It is normal for young angelfish spawning for the first time to eat the eggs. Young pairs must first learn proper brood care. With each attempt to spawn, they become more and more experienced, but also more snappy.
The parents also need a certain calm in the pool. If there are too many other animals in the aquarium, they are only concerned with defending themselves and are not really able to take care of the brood.
If the eggs are always white and are eaten by the parents, the use of an osmosis system and a UV clarifier should be considered.
However, there are often scalars on the market today that show an error in care. Because they themselves were raised artificially, ie not by their parents, they have not learned to take care of the brood. They eat their brood after hatching, mistaking it for food.
It can help if companion fish are added to the scalars, which can drive the scalars away when caring for the brood.
It is also possible that two females have spawned. It is more common for one in two females to take over the male role when there are only females in the aquarium. However, because the eggs are not fertilized, they are eventually eaten. Even females kept individually will spawn and eat the eggs immediately afterwards.
Breeding angelfish in the aquarium
© Tomek Chmiel
Whether the rearing of young angelfish in the community tank is successful depends heavily on the size of the aquarium, the hiding places and the other fish in the aquarium.
The clutch can often be well defended by the parents. But when the young swim freely, the large angelfish have e.g. B. against small, agile tetras, little chance to defend the young in the long run.
If there are numerous plants or other hiding places in the aquarium, some young can still survive from time to time. Because angelfish get very old, this is often better than too many offspring.
Therefore, the young should only be treated with the spawning substrate, e.g. B. a leaf, can be placed in a rearing tank, if the parents can also be moved.
The parents ensure that the eggs do not fungus and take care of the brood. Angelfish that grow up without the care of their parents often have difficulties in learning proper brood care. Some of these animals never seem to learn brood care.
If the clutch stays in the community tank, the food is injected near the young with a syringe. Artemia nauplii are rinsed and then placed in a beaker. From there the nauplii are drawn into a 50 or 100 ml syringe. There are tubes or hoses available in the aquarium trade that can be placed on the syringe. This allows the larvae to be fed in a targeted manner.
Angelfish juveniles | © Phil Plöchinger
If the larvae have survived the first five days, they usually all make it through if they are not eaten.
If no breeding tank is available, a sufficiently large aquarium can be divided with a partition. A partition made of plastic strips and a thin curtain fabric was glued into the aquarium in the photo using aquarium silicone.
In this way, the scalar parents can nurture and care for their offspring undisturbed in the community tank. A diversion of the filter flow ensures that the little ones are not disturbed by the strong current and that the other half of the pool does not miss out on the filter technology despite the «curtain».
If the breeding was successful, you will find all information about rearing the young angelfish here