Angel fish

[Fish Buddy]

Does anyone know what the breeding of angelfish looks like? I have a few angels in my 20g and two of them are in the back corner picking at a 'grass plant' (long, narrow leaves) and them wiping their bellies on it Looks mighty strange and I was wondering if they are preparing a nest? Any advice would help

 

[babyfish]

Sounds like they are going to lay eggs, they are cleaning the leaf and will lay their eggs on it, the female lays the eggs first and then the male follows on straight after to fertilize them, they will both fan the eggs to keep them clean

 

[Fish Buddy]

What about the other fish, will they eat the eggs?? -sorry for sounding stupid but I have no idea what I'm doing
The 'breeding' angels are chasing the other fish away, will they always do this until the fri are big enough (if I get any fri) or will they turn around and eat the eggs like live bearers do?

 

[Fish Buddy]

AHHHHH!!! There is eggs!!! soo cool
When will they hatch?

 

[babyfish]

The angels will try to keep the other fish away from the eggs while they are awake, I leave the main light on in the room they are in for a night light in case any of the other fish hunt at night.
They will hatch in about 5-7 days, if the parents don't eat them first.
Angels often eat the first few batches of eggs/fry due to youth or frustration.
Mine tried about 14 times before I took the last batch away and hatched them artificially, it requires lots of hard work either way, the water changes needed are enormous and the fry will only eat certain types of food, a lot of mine died of starvation(little empty stomachs when I checked them under a microscope).
Good luck with your eggs and hopefully fry

 

[drobbins27]

for more help, try posting this in New World Cichlids

 

[Fish Buddy]

Once they are done laying eggs should I remove all the fish and just have that as a rearing tank -so as to not have the eggs/fri eaten? How often do you change the water and what did you end up feeding the fri?

The temp it at 75 F* is that ok?

 

[Fish Buddy]

Yea, I have a post in the New World Cichlids but I have't got a responce yet

 

[babyfish]

You could remove the other fish and leave the parents in there on their own, it might be worth putting in a couple of your livebearers as dither fish to give the parents something to protect the eggs/fry from.
If you remove the parents as well then place an airstone on low bubble near the eggs to simulate the parents fanning actions.
Getting food that's small enough is the problem as well as being tasty looking to a baby angelfish, I used microworms(available from Biological Supply Houses) which I cultured on top of my tanks.
There are several dried fry foods available now,I don't know if the ZM range of fry foods is available where you are but they work quite well.
I did 10% water changes twice daily once the fry were free swimming and eating.
I made sure the fry had an almost permanent supply of food (microworms stay alive for about 8 hours in the tank water).
The water temp is fine and the eggs will hatch in about 5 days, keep a look out for the little black eyes, they usually hatch quite quick afer the eyes appear.
Don't feed the fry until they are swimming about the tank actively looking for food