Angelfish Breeding?

[Zman16]

Hi,

Today when I got home I saw my angelfish "kissing" each other. I think that means they were breeding but I'm not sure. If they were breeding, what should I have to do? I have know experience with breeding angelfish and I already have tons of betta fry in my 15 gallon, but I would love to keep the Angelfish fry ( and sell them ). What should I do?

 

[Lotus]

That sounds like fighting, not breeding. There's a nice article on breeding them here: http://www.angelsplus.com/breeding.htm

 

[Fish Friend]

that link was good lotus... when angels come to spawn they will have a spot in the tank and chase any other fish away from that territory... and they they will lay eggs... it sounds more like fighting to me rarther than mating

 

[Balloon Fish]

I've seen my angelfish kiss once but if you think about those kissing fish then that means they are fighting so i just tapped on the glass and i've never seen them do it again. Maybe they are both males or just argueing over territory Maybe you switching your 29g fish to the 55g will keep the peace between them.

 

[longtyme68]

That is another idea. How much can a person sell angelfish for? This might be a way to earn a little money off of a hobby.

 

[Balloon Fish]

there are lots of ways to earn money in this hobby... how else do you think the lfs's earn money

 

[longtyme68]

Well I didn't originally think about doing this, but I guess that would make a good decision in revamping my tank. I guess I would just have to read up on the different environments needed for whatever particular brand I would try to breed. Do you know which breeds are the easiest or most profitable?

 

[Balloon Fish]

you must mean species . There are like 3 kinds of angelfish species, altum, scalare, and i dont remember the other. All the angelfish you see in your LFS's are usualy scalare becuase they are the easiest of the three to breed and all the differnt colors and kinds of fish are variations of the species. The altum ones are almost all wild caught because they dont breed in captivity. I wouldn't really breed them unless you know how to get rid of them. And unless you are breeding a really nice kind of angel then it is rare you will get any buyers online because of shipping costs. Before you decide to breed for a little cash you should see if your lfs will buy them from you or give you credit if you did bring them some angels. But before you do that i would do some studying so you dont look stupid when they ask you questions . Oh and by the way, usualy if you think of an idea to get rich quick more then likely others have thought of the same thing also so that is why there are so many angels around. Angels is a great place to start if you really wanna breed South american cichlids then later when you gain more experience you can move onto discus and that'll really bring in some cash if your lfs will give you credit for them (doubt you can sell too many online unless you are some well known pro)

 

[longtyme68]

Thanks for the info! We can always use some extra cash around the house. Maybe spend a little time and get another tank so that I could have one for breeding and one for aesthetic value. But I will definitely have to do more research as you stated.

 

[Lotus]

Breeding angels isn't generally profitable unless you breed the types people want. Even then, it can be hit and miss with selling them and making money. Growing out the fry will take at least a couple of extra tanks, along with lots of baby brine shrimp to feed them, and daily water changes as they grow. Generally, it's quite a lot of work. Angels can lay up to 400 eggs, and if those all survive, you're in big trouble space-wise (and money-wise). Even raising 50 will take space and time. It's also quite a challenge to get rid of that many fish, unless you start giving them away, or spend all your time selling them (online, taking them to stores, etc.).

I'm not saying raising angels isn't fun or a good experience, I just think it's better not to think of it as a money-raising operation.

 

[longtyme68]

Lotus ~ That definitley seems like it will be angelfish overload. I will definitely do plenty of research prior to venturing in this direction. Seems like a large cost for seemingly little profit.

 

[wayne]

You got it. Raising more than a few fry can be hard work. How much does the lfs sell angels for - they'll likely give you 1/3 of that, at one inch plus size

 

[longtyme68]

Yes, definitely more research and number crunching to be done prior to making this move. I would hat to get stuck with 400 angels (if they all survived) and not have any market to sell them to. Thanks!

 

[Balloon Fish]

heres an idea of what you are gonna have to compete with online- http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwangelfish

 

[longtyme68]

WOW! That was a lot of competition and just on that one site. Maybe I will reconsider this idea for now! That is wild, how many breeders there are out there. I guess we all need to get fish from somewhere though.