Angel Fish Breeding

Fascinated with ornamental fishes, I had my parents bought my first aquarium for my 7^th birthday, initial residents were gold fishes and a janitor fish, with my excitement little did I know that I over fed them and lasted for only a week. This challenged me and I bought angel fish from my allowance and started all over again. I find Angel fish much easier to maintain as it can survive with varying water temperature and quality. College came and with lesser time, I eventually passed on my aquarium to my niece.

I had the chance to visit The Freshwater Ornamental Fish Aquaculture Park (FOFAP) located at Barangay Sto. Domingo, Bay, Laguna and is 2.5 kilometers from the National highway. The visit was part of my marine ecosystem exposure and had the chance to talk with Ms. Josephine T. Dela Vega – OIC Center Chief.

Welcome to FOFAP - Freshwater Ornamental Fish Aquaculture Park

According to ma’am Josephine, The DA-BFAR has identified the freshwater ornamental fish business as a possible export winner, given our country’s advantages in terms of abundant freshwater resources, large pool of skilled manpower and practicing entrepreneurs, advances in culture practices, suitable culture areas, and proximity to major international markets.

Spawning Area

During time of my visit, koi and angel fish are on breeding process which brought back childhood memories of my angel fishes. The building was comparable to a residential home, on second floor was the main office where we had short briefing and buko pie, while, the ground floor was the production area with aquariums in different sizes lined on walls.

Extension of Laboratory and production area

There are different types of Angel fish and we identified and able to name a few: Black Angel, Chocolate Ghost, Albino, Koi, Clown Angel, Golden Marble, Zebra Angel, Silver Angel and Half black. Regardless of kind, I was told they still undergo one breeding process.

The first question was how to distinguish a female scalare from a male one, since they look very similar? The answer was through their papilla – is a pink colored organ formed between the anal fin and the ventral fin. You will notice a small difference in the size of the papilla between the sexes. The angel fish with largest papilla is usually the female one. Her papilla will also be blunter than the males, when the female angel fish becomes gravid she will display a large bulge in the region around her papilla.

Second question was how do you pair them for breeding? I was told that angel fish are monogamous by nature - they form an exclusive sexual relationship, once paired up you can never pair them to another. A recommended way of forming a pair is to buy a minimum of 4 to 8 scalare and place them in one aquarium, where they can socialize and form their own pairs.

4 to 8 scalare in large aquarium for socializing

Third question was signs when they are ready for spawning? Scalare must be mature enough to spawn for the first time; they need to be at least 2 inches in size. To induce spawning, you should keep angel fish in a large aquarium, undisturbed and not crowded. Angel fish can survive with varying water quality and temperature, but it can make them stop eating and will inhibit breeding. Frequent water changes should therefore be performed and the water temperature kept between 27^oC to 29^oC.

matured paired scalare are ready for spawning

Fourth question was about food? FOFAP recommends newly hatched Brine Shrimp (Artemia nauplii) and are good first food for angel fish fry. However, they suggest that diet should be varied – mosquito larvae, beef heart, large brine shrimp (cut into suitable sizes). Even though angel fish must be given plenty of food, you must also avoid over feeding them. If you frequently find left over food in tank after 5 minutes of feeding them, it’s a sign that you’re over feeding them.

Shrimp brine fed by volume

Shrimp Brine

Spawning and angel fish egg and fry care? The easiest way is to put a special spawning slate in the aquarium before the spawning take place. In the case of FOFAP, they use a piece of smooth surfaced tile that can be easily removed afterwards. The parent fish will deposit the egg on the spawning slate, which will be fertilized with milk coming from the male parent fish. The eggs will survive a brief moment out of water when you lift them from one aquarium tank to another, but try transferring it fast as possible.

smooth surface tile used as special spawning slate

Newly deposited eggs are transparent or semi-transparent, with a pale yellow coloration. If the eggs are not fertilized, they will start turning white after approximately 24 hours. Parent fish lays 300 – 700 eggs in one spawning. Drops of methylene blue is necessary on tank where spawning slate witg eggs are transferred (until water turn light blue), methylene blue acts as antifungal since unfertilized scalare eggs will be attacked by fungus.

Newly deposited eggs

unfertilized eggs attacked by fungus

Fertilized eggs will begin to show wiggling fry tails on day 3, tadpole shapes with large yolk sacks will be visible. On the fourth day, you will be able to see tiny eyes on the fry. On 5^th day, the yolk will start shrinking; very soon the first fry will be swimming freely. During day 7, the fry will usually start getting hungry which you can start feeding them.

Day 3 - tadpole shapes with large yolk sacks

Day 5 - yolks started shrinking