Quarantine || Domestic || Wild || Varieties || Size || Where

Every Angelfish Micro Hatchery owner must procure breeding stock for their hatchery. The decision of how many, which variety, and where to purchase must be based on the individual goals and limits of each hatchery. Impulsive buying should always be avoided. Purchase only the best of the best Angelfish. All new additions of stock to your hatchery should be planned and all preparations performed well in advance of receiving the fish.

Regardless of how many, which variety or where they may have been obtained never place any new fish into a tank that houses any of your stock in your Angelfish Micro Hatchery. Always place them in a tank by themselves. Angelfish breeders refer to this procedure as placing a fish in quarantine. The tank they are placed into is called a quarantine tank. Never share any tools such as nets and siphons used in any quarantine tank with other tanks in your micro hatchery.

The purpose of putting any new fish in your Angelfish Micro hatchery into quarantine is to protect both the stock you may already have in your tanks and your new fish as well. Angelfish that have endured the rigors of shipping are sometimes stressed by the time they reach their destination. While in transit they are confined in airtight shipping containers for as much as 24 hours or possibly more. During this time they may become exposed to dangerous levels of ammonia buildup inside the container. If the fish have not been shipped directly to you but to a pet shop instead they may not have recovered from the stress of shipping when you get them. Avoid buying Angelfish in distress. If these fish are exposed to the infectious diseases normally found in all tanks that house fish while in this weakened stressed state. They will be highly susceptible to infection. The best defense against infected stock is to allow the immune system of your Angelfish to recover and protect themselves before introducing them into your hatchery. Allow all fish to remain in quarantine at least 3 weeks or until any treatments to restore good health have ended. Any torn fins should also be allowed to heal before the new fish are added to the other fish in your Angelfish Micro Hatchery.

Raising Domestic Angelfish is the environmentally friendly way hobbyist can enjoy breeding Angelfish. Here at the Angelfish Micro Hatchery we don't promote removing wild specimens from their natural habitat. There are plenty of Ornamental Angelfish raised in captivity available to provide every hobbyist with the thrill of breeding Angelfish. Tank raised Angelfish are easier to breed than "wild" Angelfish. Here at the AMH our goal is promote breeding Angelfish by hobbyist. Domestic Angelfish offers us more to gain and a lot less pain.

There are said to be around 50 varieties of domestic Angelfish. All of them have been derived by the process of selective breeding of specimens that were collected as wild fish originating from the Amazon basin of South America. Over generations of selected breeding, Angelfish breeders have produced some spectacular varieties from the mutations they have found in their tanks. Some differences in the varieties available today range from colors, patterns and finage. Today's Domestic Angelfish offer the hobbyist many varieties from which to choose.

We do recognize that the addition of "wild" genes into the gene pool of domestic Angelfish is a necessity. We don't think they make a good choice for most hobbyist who wish to breed Angelfish. Here at the Angelfish Micro Hatchery we don't recommend attempting to breed "wild" Angelfish for hobbyist who wish to breed generations of fish. In particular we suggest that most AMH owners not attempt to breed Pterophyllum altum Angelfish captured from their natural habitat. There have been few if any documented procreation of wild Altum angelfish. We recommend stocking easier to breed domestic tank raised Angelfish. Our goal here at the AMH is to breed generations of Angels. Stock easy to breed Angelfish.

Pterophyllum scalare and P.  leopoldi have been bred and interbred successfully in captivity. They are considered by many to be the origins of domestic Angelfish we enjoy today. Here at the AMH we strongly recommend procuring only tank raised  Pterophyllum scalare and P. leopoldi for your Angelfish Micro Hatchery when attempting to outcross from a wild line. Frequently outcrosses to a unrelated line of domestic Angelfish will provide the desired results. Procure tank raised Pterophyllum scalare and P. leopoldi only directly from reputable breeders.

As we stated before, there are said to be around 50 varieties of domestic Angelfish. All of them have been derived by a process of selective breeding of specimens whose ancestors were collected from the wild. Over generations of selected breeding, Angelfish breeders have produced some spectacular varieties from the mutations they have found in their tanks. Some differences in the varieties available today range from different colors, pattern of colors and finage.

Angelfish are like most everything else. Everyone has their preferences and beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. Angelfish breeders will go to great lengths to produce fish that express the traits of their dreams. In the process of producing these wonderful looking fish some varieties exist today that are not as hardy or robust as others but are strikingly beautiful. Here at the Angelfish Micro Hatchery we suggest that you consider how hardy are the varieties that you plan to stock.

Chosen as an example we will use the Dark Angelfish aka Lace Angelfish (D/+) for comparison against a Silver Angelfish. The Dark variety of Angelfish is one of the most stunning and eye catching in all Angelfishdom.  An Angelfish that has one dose of the gene that causes it to appear dark also produces a fish that is not as robust and hardy as a plain Silver Angelfish. If two Angelfish that both have a single dose of the Dark gene (D/+) breed they will produce some fish that will have two doses of the Dark gene (D/D). Angelfish breeders refer to these fish as Double Dark or Black Angelfish. These fish have a darker beauty and are judged by many breeders to be one of the more attractive varieties and are also accepted by most breeders as somewhat more difficult to raise and breed. This however should not be a deterrent to any hobbyist who wishes to raise and breed any of the more difficult varieties. These breeders should however be prepared to provide the highest degree of husbandry possible to obtain the best results.

Another consideration when selecting stock to add to your Angelfish Micro Hatchery is which varieties to actually breed. Decide whether you prefer to raise a generation of fish that are all the same variety or of several different varieties. Just because all the fish in your Angelfish Micro Hatchery are of the same variety does not mean the offspring will be all the same variety. The genetics of the fish in your breeding pair will effect the varieties of their offspring.

Angelfishculture has greatly advanced due to the application of selected breeding and genetics. Here at the Angelfish Micro Hatchery we also attempt to take advantage of these advances. We suggest you visit our links page called the AMH Links and research the Genetics links found there. The Angelfish Genetics Calculator created by Michael Weigand for The Angelfish Society is used by many Angelfish breeders and is considered by us here at the Angelfish Micro Hatchery to be an important advancement in Angelfishculture. It is very helpful when deciding which fish to buy and also later when your fish began to form breeding pairs to quickly and easily predict the resulting offspring. Once your Angelfish have offspring it will help you determine the genetics of their parents. Here at the Angelfish Micro Hatchery we suggest you consider the genetics of the fish you place in your hatchery. We also suggest raising Angelfish specimens of several varieties in your hatchery. This will allow you to maintain a larger gene pool in your hatchery and more options in your breeding schemes. But the choice is yours.

When it comes to what size to buy Angelfish we suggest buying young adults.  They are more developed and likely to fully express the traits you find desirable. Some hobbyist purchase known or proven breeding pairs. Often they will allow the hobbyist to jump start their Angelfish Micro Hatchery. This can get things going fast but can be costly and most pairs are not guaranteed to breed in your tanks. Juvenile Angelfish are often the most cost effective way to purchase Angelfish. Especially due to the cost involved when shipping more than a pair of fish because of the weight of the water necessary for safe shipment. Juvenile Angelfish often offer the best value in selection and availability.

Here at the Angelfish Micro Hatchery we recommend around 8 young adults be purchased and maintained as potential breeders. This has been accepted as the most cost efficient way to stock here at the AMH. One pair of proven breeders often cost more than 8 young adults. Juvenile Angelfish cost even less money but time must be given for them to mature into breeders. Maintaining 8 young adults often result in more than one pair.

Juvenile Angelfish fish are smaller and can be maintained or shipped with a smaller volume of water than adult Angelfish. Some of the larger Angelfish breeders ship juvenile Angelfish both retail and wholesale. Sometimes hobbyist are able to purchase juvenile Angelfish at wholesale prices from the larger breeders. These fish are usually of better quality than found most local pet stores. If you prefer the more common varieties fish purchased wholesale are a much better value. Sell off any surplus that occur while they grow to your local pet store. This can start a relationship with your local pet store and help finance expenses incurred by the hobby in the future.

The greatest temptation may be that one particular variety that can't be found locally and must be ordered from the other end of the earth. Here at the Angelfish Micro Hatchery we promote breeding show quality Angelfish. We say go for it! Breed only the best of the best Angelfish in your Angelfish Micro Hatchery. Start by selecting a foundation stock you find attractive and you know you will enjoy watching their offspring for generations in your hatchery.

Where you decide to buy the foundation breeding stock for your Angelfish Micro Hatchery will effect your experience of maintaining a Angelfish Micro Hatchery. As stated before we prefer to suggest that hobbyist maintain efficient husbandry over their hatcheries. This also includes procuring your stock. Only buy the best of the best fish possible. This often equals purchasing your Angelfish from the best place possible. The first concern is to only add healthy and attractive specimens to your hatchery. Never add or breed Angelfish with defects. The most convenient place may not be the best place to invest your fish dollars. All people who breed Angelfish do not have the same experience as others or have they had the time to develop their hatcheries bloodlines. Most hobbyist will not notice the differences between one breeders line of a variety and another breeders line. But there are those hobbyist who prefer only the very best. These hobbyist should purchase from those who have the best Koi, German Blue Blushing Pearlscale or specimens of whatever variety they like and prefer to buy. The selective breeding programs applied by the larger Angelfish hatcheries has allowed many hobbyist today to procure high quality Angelfish.

Discount pet stores, local pet stores can be found in your local phone book. Mail order and local breeders can be harder to find. Mail order Angelfish hatcheries advertise to make their presence know. Most have web sites. It may take some research to find several local breeders from which to choose but it will be well worth the effort to do so. Visit Resources section to find our links to Angelfish Breeder List found our links page the AMH Links. Also found in the Resource section of our menu are links to the the Angelfish Forum and the Angelfish Chatroom. You may find a breeder near you there.