Should I Add An Angelfish To My Saltwater Tank?

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One of the fish you are probably most excited about adding, if you have a saltwater aquarium, is the angelfish. After all, in addition to being one of the most popular saltwater fish out there, the angelfish is also one of the most beautiful saltwater fish. You will want to make sure you know a few specific things about the angelfish, however, before you go out and add one to your tank.

Housing conditions: Because the angelfish can grow to be quite large, you should not keep them in a tank that is any smaller than 75 gallons. Angelfish are very hardy fish, and they require similar water conditions to just about any other fish you might have in your tank already - but they sometimes do not do a good job adjusting to a new tank.

Diet: The dietary needs of the angelfish is one of the big reasons why they sometimes have a difficult time adjusting to a new tank. In the ocean, angelfish will feed liberally on coral - and if you have coral in your own tank, you certainly have no interest in this getting eaten up! When you add an angelfish to a tank that has coral, you should know that you risk losing the coral; and if you add an angelfish to a tank without coral, you will risk losing the angelfish. If you get an angelfish when it is still young, you can often get it to eat flake food - but you should also provide live food every so often. This live food can be brine shrimp or small clams; but also, you should know that the angelfish may eat your other invertebrates as well.

Temperament: You should not try to keep more than one angelfish in your tank at a time, as the angelfish is an extremely territorial fish. As long as you do not add more than one - and as long as you give this one some good, rocky hiding spaces - your angelfish should do just fine with your other fish.

If you still feel that an angelfish might be a good fit for your tank, you should be fine to buy one - and you are sure to enjoy the beautiful color it adds to your tank!