2x Angelfish "Blue Pearl" - Pterophyllum scalare - DNZ

The Blue Pearl angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare, also called sailfin or common angelfish, is almost one of the oldest aquarium fishes in the trade, whose popularity will probably never drop off. Blue Pearl angelfish are a color form of the South American nominal form and belong to the cichlids. Ambitious breeders are to thank for the great variety of colors of angelfish, which is constantly increasing and represent similar aquaristic evergreens as viviparous tooth carps or neon tetras. Their natural habitat extends  from the Rio Negro to above the Amazon River, where it inhabits calmed and weedy riverbanks. Therefore, they are perfect for so-called Amazon tanks or blackwater aquariums. Their name "angelfish" is derived from the ladder-shaped pattern that original animals exhibited.

Our Blue Pearl Angelfish are German offspring, which you get in pairs.

The typical rounded body of angelfish with a terminal mouth has very long and pointed fins, each of which can be the same length as its body height. As a result, the Blue Pearl Angelfish can grow to nearly 15 cm long and up to 26 cm high, making it necessary to keep it in rather taller aquariums. Its name is given by its silvery-bluish ground color, on which the typical black stripes can be found, which extends over the head and apart from the pectoral fins also over all fins. Also its pelvic fins are thread-like extended and run out pointedly. With good care, angelfish can live between 8-10 years, making them a true family member. They grow relatively quickly and are already sexually mature with scarcely one year and have over 75% of their final size. At about 2.5 years they are fully grown.

The Blue Pearl Angelfish can be distinguished externally only with difficulty in the sex, so that with this the group attitude is recommended, from which functioning pairs crystallize out. Although the sometimes appearing "beefy forehead" could be attributed to the males, occasionally females also develop these characteristics. Outside the mating season angelfish live together in rather loose groups.
Primarily, thorough "cleaning" of the spawning substrate signals readiness to mate. The female lays her eggs in rows, which are inseminated by the male. Spawning and rearing is more promising in a separate rearing aquarium than in the community tank. The parents guard and defend the fry and larvae together.

Since angelfish reach an extraordinary body height, it is recommended to keep them in groups of at least 5 animals in high aquariums of 300 liters or more. The main characteristic in keeping angelfish is to put more emphasis on the aquarium height than on the length of the tank. Especially the height from at least 60 cm plays a decisive role with these animals, because in low aquariums they are under permanent stress and fear, which lead to diseases. Since they are occasionally prone to scuffles due to their pronounced social behavior, the aquarium should be appropriately structured with roots and stones, but still allow enough swimming space. Especially large-leaved aquatic plants, such as Echinodorus Species, are ideal, as the animals prefer to spawn on these leaves. Angelfish are occasionally somewhat fussy and demanding when it comes to water hygiene. Preferably they should be kept in soft to medium hard water with a total hardness between 3-15 °dGH and a pH-value between 6,0-7,5. Regular water changes with tempered water are advisable, also this should be filled with Alder cones, Sea almond tree products or liquid Humic substances to support the body's own immune defense.

Classical by-fish in the angelfish aquarium are among other things Corydoras, Ancistrus and larger tetras. When selecting the tank mates, it is important to avoid fin nibblers such as Sumatran barbs, Red of Rio or blood tetras. As a perch, the angelfish has a preference for small crustaceans, which is why invertebrates definitely spice up the diet of the animals and are not recommended for socialization.

With a high-quality dry food such as flake food or granulated food, the Blue Pearl angelfish aquarium fish can be optimally supplied as a carnivore. It is advisable to regularly supplement its diet with good quality and very high quality Frozen food and Live foodsuch as mosquito larvae, daphnia, water fleas or artemia.

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic Cichfeed has a grain size of 1.5 mm and is therefore also suitable for larger fish. NH Cichfeed is a soft granulate for mainly carnivorous ornamental fish. It has the same consistency as small crustaceans and insect larvae that fish naturally eat, and the soft granules protect the fish's mouth from micro-injuries that can result from hard feed granules.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.