OVERVIEW

The first step in spawning angelfish is to start with a breeding pair. I recommend the group pairing method rather than buying a breeding pair. First of all, purchasing a mated pair can be expensive and secondly, the fish may not acclimate or spawn in your particular aquarium. I recommend attaining six or more young angels from a reputable breeder or dealer. They should be robust and chosen at about four months of age or less. Under favorable conditions, the angels should reach breeding size in less than a year and at least one pair should arise from the group.

A method commonly used in selecting cichlid fry at areas such as pet shops is to first rule out all obvious runts, sick, or defective specimens. Select the two largest fishes which are likely to be males, pick the two smallest which are likely to be females, and then select two medium sized fish. This is not a sure-fire method of sexing fish, however, it does use a logical approach. This method is especially useful when selecting breeding stock from a group of angelfish that are a half dollar size or larger (usually six months of age or older) and nearly useless when angelfish are selected at a quarter size or less.

A pair will be noticeable when two angelfish protect a certain area of the aquarium from outsiders. Young males as well as females often spread their fins and gills while dancing in a half circle in front of their mate. Another sign includes males darting at fish other than their mate in an attempt to establish their territory. After I identify what I believe to be a pair, I separate them into their own tank.

The pair is isolated into a bare 20 gallon tank and conditioned on frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, and high quality flakes. The temperature of the water is maintained between 80 to 82 degrees and spawning should take place within two to three weeks. If no spawning occurs within this time, I usually put them back into the rearing tank and look for another pair to develop.

A major indication that an impending spawn is approaching includes the cleaning of leaves, slates, rocks, and other objects around the aquarium. These objects will usually be on the upper half of the aquarium where angelfish prefer to spawn. Breeding tubes are also an indication that a spawning is near. A day before the spawn takes place, the breeding tubes of each fish emerge close to their anal area. The female has a blunt tube called the ovipositor that is used to lay her eggs. The male has a narrow tube called the papillae that is used to fertilize the eggs.

During the spawning process, the female rides her ovipositor onto the chosen object and eggs are laid in a successive line. The male follows behind her fertilizing the eggs as they are laid. This process usually takes place for about an hour.

After the last egg is laid, I usually wait about an hour until I remove the eggs from the pair. Since the male usually continues to make fertilization passes over the spawn, an hour wait would allow more eggs to be fertilized. The eggs are placed into a well aerated specimen container for hatching. As long as the specimen tank is kept between an optimum temperature of 80 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (F), the eggs will hatch within 48 hours. The specimen tank is hung inside of a heated tank to maintain an even temperature. The young fry are kept in the specimen container until they become free swimming. For the first seven days, they feed off of their yolk sack therefore no feeding is necessary during this time.

Seven days after the parents have spawned, the young fry should become free swimming as long as the tank is kept at approximately 82 degrees F. Newly hatched brine shrimp is fed to the young fry for the first couple months. Weeks after they begin feeding, dry foods and eventually a beef heart mix can be introduced in small quantities until the fry develop a hardy taste for these foods.

Regular feeding and water changes can produce dime size fry in seven to eight weeks. At this age they can be sold to prospective clients.