Angelfish care

Pterophyllum scalare · Amazon basin

Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) — Photo: Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Angelfish need height as much as length: a 29 gallon tall tank for one or a pair, and a 55 gallon for a group of four or five.

Tank size: 29 US gal or larger
Temperature: 76 to 84 °F (24 to 29 °C)
Group size: Alone or in a pair
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Adult size: 6 in (about 6 in long and up to 8 in tall with fins)
pH: 6 to 7.5
Hardness (GH): 3 to 10 dGH
Lifespan: 10 to 12 years
Diet: Omnivore
Care level: Moderate

Check it in the stocking checker →

In a 29 gallon

30¼ × 12½ × 18¾ in outside

Drawn to scale: one angelfish at adult size (6 in) in the smallest listed tank that suits them. Choose your tank on the home page to see them in it.

How to keep angelfish

Angelfish need height as much as length: a 29 gallon tall tank for one or a pair, and a 55 gallon for a group of four or five. Keep them at 76 to 84 °F with medium-sized peaceful tankmates. Adults eat fish small enough to fit in their mouths, which includes neon tetras and ember tetras.

Diet: Omnivore: pellets, flakes, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.

Where they swim: Middle of the tank.

Angelfish tank mates

Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.

All angelfish tank mates →

Bristlenose pleco

6 in · 29+ gal · 73–81 °F

Siamese algae eater

6 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F

Firemouth cichlid

6 in · 40+ gal · 75–84 °F

Yoyo loach

6 in · 40+ gal · 75–82 °F

Vampire shrimp

6 in · 29+ gal · 74–84 °F

Flying fox

6 in · 40+ gal · 72–79 °F

Green phantom pleco

5.9 in · 40+ gal · 77–84 °F

Candy-striped pleco

5.9 in · 30+ gal · 72–79 °F

Keep apart

Neon tetra: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; neon tetras grow to 1.6 in.
Cardinal tetra: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; cardinal tetras grow to 1.2 in.
Black neon tetra: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; black neon tetras grow to 1.5 in.
Green neon tetra: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; green neon tetras grow to 1 in.
Ember tetra: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; ember tetras grow to 1.2 in.
Glowlight tetra: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; glowlight tetras grow to 1.5 in.

What an angelfish tank needs

A tank of 29 US gallons or more (such as the 29 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.

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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20

Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon angelfish tank without being built for a far bigger one.

Details and fit →

Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal

Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 29 gallon angelfish tank without being built for a far bigger one.

Details and fit →

Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro 100W

Angelfish need 76 to 84 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.

Details and fit →Check price on Amazon

API Freshwater Master Test Kit

Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding angelfish.

Details and fit →Check price on Amazon

Seachem Prime 100 mL

Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.

Details and fit →Check price on Amazon

Fluval Edge Thermometer

Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 76 to 84 °F.

Details and fit →Check price on Amazon

More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 29 gallon tank · Heaters for a 29 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →

Common angelfish problems

They eat small tetras as they grow; choose tankmates over about 2 in.
Pairs turn territorial when they spawn and chase other fish away from the eggs.
Fin nippers (tiger barbs, some tetras) shred their long fins.

Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.

More to compare

Fish for a 29 gallon tank Centerpiece fish Types of cichlids

Discus

8 in · 55+ gal

German blue ram

3 in · 20+ gal

Cockatoo dwarf cichlid

3 in · 20+ gal

Kribensis

4 in · 29+ gal

Sources

Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Pterophyllum scalare. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.

Photo credits

Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.

Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Bristlenose pleco André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Siamese algae eater aleander2137, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Firemouth cichlid H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Yoyo loach Orishas92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Vampire shrimp Ray eye, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Flying fox Mirko Hartig, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
Green phantom pleco 5snake5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Candy-striped pleco Gabriel Lelis Togni, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Green neon tetra Sascha Biedermann, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Ember tetra Klaus Rudloff, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Glowlight tetra gonzalovalenzuela; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Kribensis André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons