# Angelfish tank heights



## SamMag (Aug 22, 2006)

I want to set up a 50 gallon breeder style planted angelfish aquarium with two pairs of angels. I have been doing alot of reading on angels and understand that they need tall aquariums. My question is will a 50 gallon aquarium at 19.5 inches tall be sufficient for them? Another query I had was what are some suitable tank mates that won't eat the eggs if possible. In the end I plan to buy 8 juvies in the wild coloration and grow them out in a 20 gallon high. Then I will hopefully get 3 pairsa so I can place two pairs in the 50 gallon as more show pieces and then keep one of the pairs in the 20gallon high. One last question I have is whether angelfish pairs will raise fry from other fishes spawns? I was hoping of removing some of the fry from the 50 gallon so the pair in the 20 gallon could raise them without the fry being eaten.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

It depends on the species of angel you want to work with, and if you want to get full height specimens or not. I've kept _Pterophyllum scalare_ in only 20 inch tall tanks and they never seemed as tall as what others were in 24 inch tall tanks despite more/heavier feedings and more (both frequent and percentage) water changes. Based on that, and the fact I'd want full height angels ... I would go with the following:

_Pt. leopoldi/dumerilii_ - 20 inch height (still some debate as to which one is the correct name for the species)
_Pt. scalare_ - 24 inch height
_Pt. altum_ - 30 inch height

Though note I do tend to be overly conservative when it comes to stocking. :wink:


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## SamMag (Aug 22, 2006)

I would like to work with scalare. Altum is at the top of my list but from what I have read they need large aquariums and are quite a challenge to breed. Not to mention the price on these guys. All in all how would 2 pairs of scalare work out in my tank?


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## SamMag (Aug 22, 2006)

by the way the dimensions of my tank are 36x18x19


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

They will be confortable in that tank, at least I was able to breed silver angels back as a teen with a overcrowded tank ... didn't even eat their eggs. So they can be comfortable, just may not reach their ultimate height in it.


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## SamMag (Aug 22, 2006)

Not to sound crude but how manyt fry do you think I could pump out and sell with three pairs? I was thinking about growing to 1 inch. Also what should I sell them for?


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