

Natural spotted patterns occurring in the wild were combined with captive-bred fish to yield angelfish with spots on their sides rather than the usual stripes.

Leopard angelfish trace their roots to common angelfish. Leopard Angelfish ( Pterophyllum scalare var. If you notice color changes, it means it’s time to check on your fish. It sounds cool, but it’s a warning sign you want to keep an eye out for. As they become stressed, the orange tone gets darker. Koi angelfish change color depending on their mood. Some koi angelfish have patches of black, mimicking the marble angelfish, though they lack stripes.
#Yellow freshwater fish Patch
This patch gradually fades away as they age, though, so don’t get attached.

Juvenile kois carry a red patch beneath their eyes. You get the same shades of white, orange, and gold, but on the flattened angelfish body. If you love the patterns and colors of koi goldfish, but you prefer to keep a tropical tank, the koi angelfish solves the problem beautifully. Koi Angelfish ( Pterophyllum scalare var. You also want to choose your lighting carefully to bring out the best saturation of their color. You don’t want anyone nibbling on them when you’re not watching. Gold angelfish have long, trailing fins, so consider their tank mates carefully. That rich golden hue comes in after a year, provided you keep them happy and healthy. Juveniles DON’T show the gold, so be patient. Golds feature a split pattern of silver and gold (remember, black lace angelfish have silver ancestry). Thus began the careful breeding for the gold angelfish. The color was a buried recessive trait that happened to turn up in the batch. In the 1960s, a breeder noticed a gold fry in the tank. Strange as it sounds, gold angelfish first popped up from a school of black lace fry. Gold Angelfish ( Pterophyllum scalare var. They have a more relaxed temperament, though they’re susceptible to loud noises.Įnsure you keep their aquarium somewhere quiet, so they don’t demonstrate the typical angelfish startle reflex. The long trailing fins can reach a height of 14 inches (35.5cm) with proper care.Īnd if you choose the best lighting, you’ll notice the subtle patterning of those zebra and silver roots the type originated from.īlack lace angelfish aren’t the most active swimmers. Black lace)īlack lace angelfish came on the scene by carefully selecting silver and zebra angelfish that possessed extra dark genes.Īngelfish that carry a single dark gene fall into the black lace type while those with two dark genes are labeled black, double black, or double darks. Black Lace Angelfish ( Pterophyllum scalare var. This type has the shortest lifespan in the group.Īlbinos aren’t found in nature often, and they’re incredibly susceptible to disease.

Unfortunately, even if you do everything correctly, your albino angelfish won’t live very long. That’s right – these fish represent a natural genetic aberration. This harkens back to the original angelfish the mutation came from. If you catch your albino in the right light, you CAN perceive pale gold stripes along the sides. If you want something a little out of the ordinary, the albino angelfish might suit your tastes.Īs you can guess, these fish have a complete lack of pigment with stereotypical pink eyes. Not everyone wants flash and drama for their community tank. Albino Angelfish ( Pterophyllum scalare var. Most have silver bodies with bars of brownish-red.Īnd as they’re the largest in the group, they make excellent centerpiece fish. And they still look stunning in an aquarium. The good news is you’ll get a sturdier angelfish than the flashier types. You need to bump the heater slightly to 82-90 F (28-32 C), increase the acidity to 4.8-6.2, and keep your water soft (no higher than 5 dH). You’ll also see them under the name Orinoco angelfish or blue angelfish.Īs altums come from the original habitat, they’re more demanding in their tank needs. These angelfish are the largest in the group, and they’re usually wild-caught. If you have your heart set on one, you may need to research a reputable breeder. Altums aren’t as common in the aquarium trade.
