What kind of tank do angelfish need? (Everything you need to know)

Angelfish looks amazing.

It has a very unique shape and it looks really unique.

Also, angelfish can get very big.

So what kind of tank do angelfish need?

Are there any special requirements to keep angelfish successfully?

This is what we are going to talk about in this article.

Hopefully, by the end of this article, I will clear most of your doubts related to the Angelfish tank.

So let’s get started.

Because of its unique shape angelfish, prefers a tall tank.

Angelfish can get very big so it requires a relatively big tank.

As angelfish are very susceptible to diseases, maintaining very good water quality is very important when it comes to successfully keeping it in your aquarium.

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What size tank do angelfish need?

angelfish require a good space to swim around in the tank and form their territory.

There are several factors that come into play while deciding the ideal tank size for angelfish.

Plants

If you are planning to keep a lot of plants in your tank then you will require a larger tank.

Water changes

How often you are willing to do the water changes will also affect the ideal tank size for your angelfish.

If you are willing to do more water changes per week then you can keep angelfish in a relatively smaller tank and vice versa.

Filtration system

What kind of filtration system you are going to have in your tank will also affect the tank size of your angelfish.

If you are going to get a powerful canister filter for your angelfish tank then you can keep angelfish in a relatively smaller tank as the filter will keep the water clean and clear.

Tankmates

What kind of and how many tank mates you are going to keep with your angelfish also comes into play while deciding the ideal tank size for your angelfish.

So as you can see there are several factors that come into play while deciding the ideal tank size for your angelfish.

And I know it could be very overwhelming if especially if you are a beginner.

So a good rule of thumb to follow is to get at least a 30-gallon tank for a pair of angelfish.

Why a 30-gallon tank?

Angelfish prefer a heavily planted tank so a 30-gallon tank will allow you to keep a good amount of plants.

It will also allow you to keep a few small tankmates with your angelfish.

Also, when you get a 30-gallon tank for a pair of angelfish you don’t have to do water changes very frequently.

Doing water change once in a week is sufficient.

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What do angelfish like in their tank?

Angelfish are not very demanding fish.

They like things that most of the other fish like in their tank.

But there are also so a few specific things that you should be taking care of when it comes to Angelfish tank.

Good water quality

Angelfish are very susceptible to diseases. So maintaining good water quality is very important for successfully keeping angelfish.

When I am talking about good water quality, primarily I am talking about the ammonia levels and harmful parasites, bacteria or viruses.

Ammonia

Ammonia is lethal not only for angelfish but for any fish.

So you should regularly check the ammonia levels in your aquarium and if you found a high ammonia level then these are the ways to lower ammonia in your tank and get rid of it.

Harmful parasites, viruses, and bacteria

Harmful parasites, viruses, bacteria can cause diseases to your angelfish.

So you should avoid introducing such them in your fish tank.

Some common instances you may be accidentally introducing them in your fish tank are as follows:

• When you get Angelfish for your aquarium you should not add the water in the bag in which the angelfish came into your tank. Because it may contain harmful bacteria or viruses. Or it may contain a very concentrated amount of ammonia if the fish is in the bag fora long time.

• Another common instance you may introduce harmful bacteria or viruses in your tank is while feeding live food to your angelfish. 

Live food is very protein-rich and nutritious to your angelfish and you should regularly treat your angelfish with live food.

But live food also carries a risk of carrying harmful parasites, bacteria or viruses.

That’s why you should always get live food from a reputed source.

Live Plants

Angelfish come from the Amazon basin and its natural habitat it is consists of a lot of vegetation.

The vegetation provides it a lot of hiding places.

You should try to emulate the same in your fish tank.

And plant a lot of live plants in the tank.

You can check out the list of the best plants you can keep in your angelfish tank here.

Besides, there are a lot of benefits of keeping live plants in your aquarium like it helps to oxygenate the tank, it helps to lower the ammonia levels and temperature in the tank, etc.

Peaceful tankmates

Though angelfish belong to the cichlids family which is known for its aggressive behavior, angelfish are relatively peaceful fish. 

That’s why angelfish is also one of the best fish to keep in a community tank.

Usually, they only get aggressive during the breeding periods.

Ideally, you should keep other peaceful fish with your angelfish.

Angelfish have long fins so you should avoid keeping fin nipper fish with your angelfish.

You should also avoid keeping fish that are very small in size like neon tetra in your angelfish tank.

Because Angelfish can eat them.

A general rule of thumb to follow is to avoid keeping fish that are smaller than the size of the mouth of your angelfish.

Some good examples of tankmates for angelfish include platyfish, corydoras catfish, bristlenose pleco, dwarf gourami, blue ram cichlids, swordtail, keyhole cichlids, kribensis cichlid, etc.

What aquarium accessories or equipment are necessary for an angelfish tank?

There are a few accessories or equipment you may need for your angelfish tank.

Filter

You most likely going to need a filter for your angelfish tank.

A filter is very important for not only angelfish but any fish you to keep your tank clean and clear.

Using a powerful filter is especially important when comes to Angelfish because angelfish are very susceptible to diseases and maintaining very good water quality is very important for successfully keeping them in your tank.

Here are the best canister filters you can keep in your angelfish tank.

Air pump

An air pump is not absolutely necessary for an angelfish tank if you have a good water agitation in your tank.

If you don’t have good water agitation in your tank then it is a good idea to introduce an air pump in your tank to maintain a healthy amount of oxygen. Check out our recommended Air Pump

Besides, there are several other ways to increase oxygen in the time you can check them out here.

Lights

Lights are important if you are going to keep your angelfish tank in a shady area to emulate the day and night cycle.

You should keep the lights of your aquarium on for at least 10 to 11 hours every day.

Also, you should be consistent with the timing.

Lights Are especially important if you are going to keep live plants in your tank.

Because plants require light to create their own food.

How Long Do Angelfish Live For?

FAQ

What do angelfish need to survive?

Like most of the fish, angelfish have similar requirements to survive in an aquarium.

One of the most important things you should be careful about is water quality.

Angelfish can tolerate a decent range of water parameters i.e. temperature, pH and hardness.

But as it is very susceptible to diseases, it cannot tolerate a high level of ammonia and any harmful parasite, bacteria or virus.

So to keep ammonia levels in control, first of all, you should only put angelfish in a well-cycled tank.

Also, you should regularly check the ammonia levels in your tank.

If you found high ammonia levels then you should take action to reduce it and get rid of it it.

These are some ways to do the same.

Secondly, you should be careful about the diet of your angelfish.

Angelfish is omnivorous but its diet is primarily a meaty diet.

So most of its diet is consists of protein-rich flakes and pellets, live or frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, etc.

But you should also regularly feed it vegetables such as zucchini, boiled peas, spinach, romaine, cucumber, etc.

You can also feed eat flakes that contain raw plants.

Oxygen 

Any fish require oxygen to survive just as we do.

But fish consume oxygen that is dissolved in the water.

So you should make sure that your aquarium is well oxygenated.

There are a few signs that can tell you your aquarium doesn’t have the optimum oxygen levels.

If you notice your fish is coming on the surface very frequently gasping for air, it is a sign that your tank has low oxygen levels and the fish is struggling to take oxygen.

So it is coming on the surface to get oxygen because the surface usually has more oxygen than that it per level of the tank then the deeper level of the tank.

If you noticed rapid gill movements of your fish that your fish is struggling to get oxygen in the tank.

If you notice any of the above signs then you can take action to fix the problem.

Here are some ways to oxygenate your tank.

Are angelfish hard to keep?

Angelfish look delicate but they are relatively hardy fish and can tolerate a decent range of water parameters.

But there are a couple of things you should be careful about when it comes to angelfish.

The first thing is the water quality.

The thing is Angelfish are very susceptible to diseases so it cannot tolerate high ammonia levels or any kind of bacteria, virus or parasite in the tank.

The second thing is diet. Angelfish are omnivorous and its diet is primarily a protein-rich diet.

So you should feed it a variety of food including flakes and pellets, frozen or dried bloodworms, brine shrimp as well as vegetables.

So overall angelfish is not very difficult to keep in an aquarium. You can keep them even if you are a beginner. You just have to be careful about the water quality and feed it a variety of food.

Do angelfish need live plants?

It is not absolutely necessary to keep live plants in an angelfish tank.

But there are a lot of benefits to keeping live plants in the aquarium.

That’s why it is highly recommended to keep live plants in not only an Angelfish tank but any fish tank.

Live plants help to emulate the natural habitat of angelfish and provide it a lot of hiding places.

Besides, it also helps to reduce the ammonia level in the tank and oxygenates the tank.

If you are afraid of maintaining live plants in the tank then here are a few beginner tips to take care of live plants in the tank.

Also, check out 52 best beginner-friendly live plants that you can easily in your angelfish tank here.

What size tank do I need for 2 angelfish?

You should get at least a 29-gallon tank for two angelfish.

The ideal tank size for angelfish really depends on several factors.

Such as the size of the angelfish, the filtration system in the tank, the contents like the plants, ornaments you are going to put into the tank as well as the tankmates you are going to put in the tank.

All these affect the tank size for the angelfish tank.

So a good rule of thumb to follow is to get at least a 29-gallon tank for two angelfish. 

In a 29 gallon tank, you can keep a lot of plants and it will provide a lot of space to swim to the angelfish.

And with a 29-gallon tank, you just have to do the water change once every week.

Are Angelfish Freshwater Or Saltwater?

How many angelfish can I put in a 55-gallon tank?

You can keep 3-4 angelfish in a 55-gallon tank.

Exactly how many angelfish you should keep really depends on the size of the angelfish.

Ideally, you should not exceed more than 5 angelfish in a 55-gallon tank.

If you want to keep more than 5 then you will have to do water changes at least a couple of times a week.

Do angelfish grow to the size of the tank?

Yes, the tank size affects the growth of the angelfish.

Angelfish prefer larger tanks.

You should also maintain a clean and clear tank to maximize its growth.

A good rule of thumb to follow when it comes to the tank size for angelfish is a 29-gallon tank for a pair of angelfish.

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Conclusion

As angelfish get taller than longer, it prefers a tall tank.

Angelfish can get pretty big up to 12 inches tall and 8 inches long so you should keep it in a large tank.

Besides, maintaining very good water quality is very important because angelfish are susceptible to diseases. 

Also, you should feed a varied diet to angelfish for its proper growth.