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🌱 An Unexpected Aquarium Journey: Breeding Angelfish

Aquariums have always been a part of my life. Growing up, I watched my stepfather care for his tanks, and at 14, I became fascinated by his efforts to breed angelfish—his favorite. Unfortunately, his busy work schedule made it difficult for him to fully dedicate the time and attention angelfish breeding requires, but his passion for the hobby sparked my own.

In 2024, I decided to commit seriously to the hobby. After purchasing a 75-gallon aquarium, I slowly introduced five angelfish over the course of three months. To my delight, four of them naturally paired off, marking a promising start to my breeding journey.

However, like any aquarist knows, challenges soon followed. In late 2024, I encountered a pesky cyanobacteria outbreak. After treating the tank and adjusting the water parameters, I added dwarf water lettuce. While I can't say for sure it directly benefited the breeding process, the lettuce likely helped prevent further algae issues by reducing light exposure in the tank.

The angelfish began laying eggs shortly after, with the first clutch appearing in late November. Since then, both pairs have been laying clutches every 2–3 weeks. I added two breeding slates to encourage egg laying, and while I’ve managed to raise the eggs to the wriggler stage, I’ve yet to see them reach the free-swimming stage.

As much as I enjoy my 75-gallon community tank, I’m fully aware that it's not ideal for angelfish to raise their offspring in. I'm currently weighing the costs and efforts involved in investing in dedicated breeder tanks.

This note thread will serve as my personal record of this journey—documenting what works, what doesn’t, and the lessons I learn along the way. After being introduced to NOSTR by a friend, I decided it was the perfect platform to share my experiences with the world, in hopes that others can benefit from what I discover.

Tracking the Pairs and Progress

To help organize and track the progress of each pair, I will be naming them based on the following system:

YYYY-X-S

YYYY is the year they were purchased.

X is an incrementing number to differentiate each pair.

S stands for either M (male) or F (female).

I will also be documenting and photographing each pair, so you can follow their journey visually as well.

To ensure clarity and structure, I will create two separate threads as replies to this main post. Each thread will track the specific notes and progress of one pair. This way, you can easily follow the development of both pairs and see the lessons learned along the way.

Stay Tuned for More!

I will soon be starting separate threads, one for each angelfish pair, where I will provide more detailed information, share updates, and post pictures. You’ll get a closer look at their progress as they continue to grow and breed. I'll add another thread if I get another pair. Be sure to follow along as I continue documenting my journey into the fascinating world of angelfish breeding!

#BlackcellAngelfish #AquariumHobby #Angelfish #AngelfishBreeding #FishBreeding #Fishkeeping #FreshwaterAquarium #PlantedTank

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Discussion

Blackcell 1y ago

Pair 2024-A

I believe both pair are Marble or Golden Marble angelfish. They paired up and began breeding in late 2024. The male is showing predominatley black and white in the picture with two angels. The other is the 5th of the angels in this tank and does not have a mate. The second picture shows the female.

#BlackcellAngelfish #AquariumHobby #Angelfish #AngelfishBreeding #FishBreeding #Fishkeeping #FreshwaterAquarium #PlantedTank

Blackcell 1y ago

Pair 2024-A Clutch 3: 1/14 Update

After losing eggs to fungus I have thought about how to improve. I first tried a breeder box that hangs on the side of my main tank and the eggs were rapidly consumed by fungus, even though I covered the box to block light. I'm certain the cause was the biological environment in the main tank being perfect for adults but slow flow through the breeder box and vulnerability of the eggs without their parents causing the fungal takeover. I transitioned to this 0.8 gallon cylinder with methylene blue on the second clutch for this pair and some of them made it to wriggler stage but succumbed before reaching free swimming stage. I believe this may be because I used aquarium water in the cylinder which caused fungal growth in half the clutch. For this clutch (3rd) I used tap water that has a water softener and dechlorinated the water. After letting it settle at 76 degrees F, I filled the cylinder, dosed with methylene blue, and moved the breeding slate with eggs to it. I positioned the airstone away from the slate but adjusted the air flow to create a consistent current. This has been the most successful 32 hours post egg laying because I have only had to remove 1 dead egg to mitigate fungal spread.

Blackcell 1y ago

Pair 2024-A Clutch 3: 1/15 Update

It appears that most eggs are still viable. There are two I need to remove to prevent potential fungal spread but this has been the best so far from either pair. And wigglers are forming! I performed another 20% water change with dechlorinated water without adding additional methylene blue. I am contemplating a time to start introducing established aquarium water via water changes instead of dechlorinated tap water. I don't want to create an opportunity for fungal takeover but also do not know how well free swimming fry will do in pure tap water that has been dechlorinated. Any thoughts from would be appreciated from:

#Angelfish #AngelfishBreeding #FishBreeding #Fishkeeping

#BlackcellAngelfish

Blackcell 1y ago

Pair 2024-A Clutch 3: 1/16 morning update

It appears most of the eggs have transitioned to wrigglers. I only see one white egg. Total losses are still under 5%.

https://m.primal.net/NjRt.mp4

Blackcell 1y ago

Pair 2024-A Clutch 3: 1/16 Evening Update

All of the eggs have transitioned to wrigglers and the cylinder is hopping. Performed another 20% dechlorinated water change.

https://m.primal.net/NkFt.mp4 https://m.primal.net/NkFw.mp4

#BlackcellAngelfish #AquariumHobby #Angelfish #AngelfishBreeding #FishBreeding #Fishkeeping #FreshwaterAquarium #PlantedTank

Blackcell 1y ago

Pair 2024-A Clutch 3: 1/17Update Evening Update

https://m.primal.net/Nlkq.mp4

No discernable egg loss. Performed another 20% water change with dechlorinated water (no methylene blue) and added 30ml established aquarium water.

#BlackcellAngelfish #AquariumHobby #Angelfish #AngelfishBreeding #FishBreeding #Fishkeeping #FreshwaterAquarium #PlantedTank

Blackcell 1y ago

Pair 2024-A Clutch 3: 1/18 Update

No noticeable loss in offspring. Performed 20% water changes with dechlorinated tap water 4 times throughout the day to cycle the methylene blue out. I bought a small tank setup and prepped it today to receive them once they start free swimming. I filled the the tank to 5 gallons with dechlorinated tap and augmented with approximately 1 cup of established aquarium water. I brought a lava rock from the established aquarium for the bacteria to slowly start building the water. I plan to dump the offspring from the 0.8 gallon vase to the 10 gallon aquarium when they become free swimmers. I'm closely monitoring the heater I purchased because I think it may be bad. It is rated for a 20 gallon but the temp is hovering around 72 F after 8 hours.

#BlackcellAngelfish #AquariumHobby #Angelfish #AngelfishBreeding #FishBreeding #Fishkeeping #FreshwaterAquarium #PlantedTank

Blackcell 11mo ago

Pair 2024-A Clutch 3: 1/19 Update

They are still doing well. There may be 2-3 more losses which is small relative to the living offspring. Performed another 4 water changes with dechlorinated tap water. The methylene blue is cycling out well. I also introduced a very small amount of first bite fry food and some of them floating in the water column chased after it.

https://m.primal.net/NpXG.mp4

Blackcell 11mo ago

Pair 2024-A Clutch 3: 1/20 update

There have been approximately 2 losses that I can tell. But all wrigglers have transitioned into free swimming and I started feeding 4x day first bites food while maintaining very frequent water changes with dechlorinated tap water. The methylene blue continues to cycle out with the water changes.

I am pleased with the progress and continue to plan on the next phase.

#BlackcellAngelfish #AquariumHobby #Angelfish #AngelfishBreeding #FishBreeding #Fishkeeping #FreshwaterAquarium

https://m.primal.net/NsGd.mp4

Blackcell 1y ago

Pair 2024-B

I believe this pair is also Marble or Golden Marble variants. They have had two clutches of eggs since late 2024. I don't believe they are as strong of a breeding pair compared to my 2024-A pair because their egg count and immediate quality of living eggs are significantly fewer.

https://primal.net//e/note1q6gqz4r09uhv9w5v2y6n5td8ju4h8x6s8gkrqn4td5dxgvgafvvst0zx70

#AquariumHobby #Angelfish #AngelfishBreeding #FishBreeding #Fishkeeping #FreshwaterAquarium #PlantedTank

Blackcell 1y ago

Pair 2024-B Clutch 3:

1/14 Update

The second clutch 2024-B has thrown. Both times the egg quantity and quality was low. This picture was approximately 6 hours after 2024-B-F started laying them. I was fortunate enough to capture this i https://m.primal.net/NhEC.mp4 n video.

Blackcell 1y ago

Pair 2024-B Clutch 3: 1/15 Update:

It looks like no eggs are viable at this point. I'm not surprised because this pair has had trouble from the beginning. I may try to isolate them from the aquarium after fertilization in dechlorinated water to determine how many can make it in sterile conditions, depending on how my 2024-A-Clutch 3 turns out. I'm incubating them in dechlorinated water with methylene blue until they get closer to free swimming, where I will start performing water changes with aquarium water that has been established. Unless something extraordinary happens with the few remaining viable eggs, I'll likely end the thread for this pair's clutch.

#BlackcellAngelfish

Blackcell 1y ago

🐟I pulled together information for angelfish reproduction which involves distinct stages, each with a specific timeframe. Here's an overview of the key stages and how long each typically lasts:

Summary of Timeframes

1. Pair Bonding & Courtship Days to weeks

2. Egg Laying 2-3 hours

3. Egg Development 2-3 days

4. Wriggler Stage 5-7 days

5. Free-Swimming Fry 7-10 days post-laying

6. Juvenile Growth 6-8 weeks onward

1. Pair Bonding and Pre-Spawning Behavior

-What Happens: Angelfish form pairs, displaying courtship behavior such as cleaning a spawning site together, chasing other fish away, and increased interaction with each other.

-Timeframe: This can take days to weeks, depending on the pair's readiness and environmental conditions like water quality and temperature.

2. Egg Laying

-What Happens: The female deposits eggs in neat rows on a flat, clean surface (like a leaf, slate, or aquarium glass). The male follows closely, fertilizing the eggs.

-Timeframe: Egg-laying and fertilization occur in a few hours, typically within 2-3 hours for an average clutch.

3. Egg Development (Hatching Stage)

-What Happens: Fertilized eggs develop, and the embryos can be seen inside the translucent eggs. Unfertilized eggs turn white and often develop fungus.

-Timeframe: 48-72 hours (2-3 days), depending on water temperature (around 80-82°F / 27-28°C is optimal).

4. Wriggler Stage (Hatchling Stage)

-What Happens: The eggs hatch into "wrigglers," which remain attached to the spawning site or are moved by the parents. Wrigglers don’t swim yet but feed on their yolk sacs for nutrients.

-Timeframe: 5-7 days as wrigglers before transitioning to free-swimming fry.

5. Free-Swimming Fry

-What Happens: The fry become free-swimming and begin to explore the tank. They are small and require finely crushed food like baby brine shrimp, infusoria, or powdered fry food.

-Timeframe: This stage begins about 7-10 days after eggs are laid, depending on the development rate and environmental conditions.

6. Juvenile Growth

-What Happens: Over weeks to months, the fry grow into juveniles. They become more independent and start developing angelfish features such as fins and body shape.

-Timeframe: Juveniles are distinguishable at 6-8 weeks and continue to grow rapidly for several months.

#BlackcellAngelfish #AquariumHobby #Angelfish #AngelfishBreeding #FishBreeding #Fishkeeping

Blackcell 11mo ago

General Update 1/20: New tank - prepare for growth

This weekend I decided to buy another 10 gallon tank, filter and heater in anticipation of raising the fry. I filled mostly with dechlorinated tap water, added a small dose of bacteria starter by seachum and some established tank water. I also brought a few dwarf lettuce. The concern is uneaten food rapidly raising ammonia levels of there isn't established bacteria to break it down.

#BlackcellAngelfish #aquarium, #Angelfish