Description
Santa Isabel Angel Fish (Pterophyllum scalare)
Overview
The Santa Isabel Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) is a stunning, highly prized geographic variant of the classic freshwater angelfish, native to the blackwater flooded forests and tributaries around the Rio Negro basin in Brazil (specifically near the Santa Isabel do Rio Negro region).
- Appearance: Features a tall, compressed, disc-shaped body accented by exceptionally long, flowing filamentous fins. The Santa Isabel variant is famous for its striking wild coloration, displaying distinct, dark vertical striping over a silvery or metallic bronze background, frequently highlighted by iridescent blue, green, or gold sheen, along with a distinct red-spotted or orange-tinted forehead region in mature specimens.
- Size: Grows quite large due to its tall fins, reaching up to 15 cm (6 inches) in length and a towering 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches) in height.
- Lifespan: Typically 8 to 10 years or more when provided with pristine water conditions and proper care.
Care Requirements
- Aquarium Size: Because of their impressive vertical height and social nature, they require a tall aquarium. A minimum tank size of 150 to 200 liters (approx. 50 gallons) with a height of at least 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24 inches) is recommended for a pair or small group.
- Water Parameters:
- Temperature: 26°C to 30°C (79°F to 86°F)
- pH: 5.0 to 6.5 (they thrive best in soft, acidic blackwater conditions)
- General Hardness (GH): 1 to 8°H (very soft water)
- Filtration & Flow: Gentle to moderate filtration with minimal surface turbulence. They prefer calm waters and dislike powerful, heavy currents that can buffet their large, delicate fins.
Maintenance
- Aquascaping: Replicate a South American blackwater environment using a dark sand substrate, vertical driftwood branches mimicking submerged tree roots, and tall, broad-leaved plants (Echinodorus sword plants or Vallisneria) that offer natural spawning surfaces and resting areas. Adding dried Indian almond leaves or botanicals to leach beneficial tannins is highly recommended.
- Water Quality & Changes: Perform routine partial water changes (20% to 25% weekly) to maintain pristine conditions. Wild-caught or strict geographic variants like the Santa Isabel are especially sensitive to high nitrates and fluctuating water parameters.
Diet
- Nature: Carnivorous micro-predators in the wild, feeding on small fish, aquatic insects, insect larvae, and zooplankton.
- Staple Diet: High-quality cichlid flakes, slow-sinking granules, or specialized pellets.
- Enhancing Health & Color: Supplement their diet regularly with high-protein live or frozen foods such as bloodworms, mysis shrimp, daphnia, brine shrimp (Artemia), and glassworms.
Behaviour and Compatibility
- Temperament: Generally peaceful and graceful, though they are predatory by nature and will actively hunt tiny nano fish or shrimp. They occupy the middle and upper levels of the water column.
- Social Needs: Can be kept singly, as a bonded pair, or in a small group of juveniles. As they mature, pairs will form naturally, and established pairs can display territorial behavior during breeding.
- Tank Mates: Ideal for peaceful Amazonian community setups. Good companions include medium-sized tetras (that are too large to be eaten, such as bleeding heart tetras or larger congo tetras), peaceful dwarf cichlids, rams, and bottom-dwellers like Corydoras catfish or medium plecos. Avoid housing them with tiny nano fish (like neon tetras or ember tetras) which will eventually be viewed as prey, or aggressive fin-nippers (like tiger barbs) that will damage their long filaments.
Breeding Behaviour
- Spawning Setup: Set up a dedicated breeding aquarium with soft, warm, acidic water, gentle sponge filtration, dim lighting, and a broad vertical slate, piece of flat driftwood, or large broad plant leaf to serve as an egg-laying site.
- Conditioning: Condition a bonded pair with frequent, high-protein feedings of live and frozen foods.
- The Process: The pair will meticulously clean a vertical surface before the female deposits rows of adhesive eggs, which the male immediately fertilizes. Both parents take turns fiercely guarding, cleaning, and fanning the eggs to keep them oxygenated.
- Raising Fry: The eggs hatch in 48 to 72 hours, and the wigglers are moved by the parents to a pit or safer location before becoming free-swimming free-swimmers after about 5 days. Parents can be left to raise the fry, or the substrate/slate can be transferred to a separate rearing tank. The fry initially require newly hatched baby brine shrimp and micro-foods to grow successfully.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Either come in store to view available stock or request pictures to be sent to you.
Please Note: Due to variations within species resulting from age, region, sex, etc., the actual livestock may not look identical to the image. Approximate size range may also vary between individual specimens.
