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| Equipment |
| This section will deal with various basic equipment necessary to keep, breed and raise angelfish. I will also add some personal opinions regarding what type of equipment I prefer. Tanks If all you want to do is keep angels in a show tank, I would recommend going for as large a tank as your budget and space allows. Breeding and raising angels will require more tanks of various sizes. The most popular size tanks that usually also represent the best values are 10, 20 and 55-gal tanks. Many times you can purchase a 55-gal tank for the same price as a 40, 45, or 50-gal tank. Sometimes it will even be less. 10-gal tanks are very usefull for hatching eggs and raising fry for a few weeks. In addition they can be used as quarantine and hospital tanks. I highly recommend having at least a couple of them. 20-gal tanks can be used to house a young breeding pair and as growout tanks for fry. After a spawn has out grown the 10-gal they can be easily divided into a couple of 20's till almost pea (body) size. In addition the 20-gal can serve as a quarantine and hospital tank for larger fish. I recommend at least a couple of them also. The 55-gal is one of my favorite size tanks. It is a good size for a show tank. Utilizing dividers, it can be used to house up to 3 breeding pairs, though I limit it to 2. You can easily raise 50 angels to nickel (body) size. In addition it can be used as a pairing tank or a singles tank. It is a very versatle size and I highly recommend it. There are many other size tanks available on the market and that I own but the 10, 20 and 55-gal tanks are the most economical to start with. Covers Many large hatcheries don't use covers on their tanks for ease of operations. I strongly believe that every tank should have a cover. It will keep the fish from jumping out and your pets and children out. Well, I should say it will slow them down. Covers also keep the water from evaporating and help maintain the temperature of the tank. A few uncovered tanks located in a small room will add a huge amount of humidity to the air especially in the summer. This can cause all kinds of problems with walls and ceilings, not to mention odors and mold. Heaters The rule of thumb regarding heaters is 5 watts per gallon. In other words a 20-gal tank would require a 100 watt heater. It is important to buy good quality heaters as you do not want them to fail and overheat you tanks. I prefer submersible heaters that I can install horizontally only inches from the bottom of the tank. This is so you can perform a large water change without exposing the heater to the air. A heater exposed to air in the on position can quickly burn up causing the glass to crack not to mention burning you. I also recommend that you keep a couple of spare heaters just in case one fails. Filters Sponge filters will be the mainstay of breeding tanks and fry tanks. They will provide all of the necessary biological filtration you will need. Sponge filters are usually rated by the size tank they can filter. Most of these ratings are for average fish loads, so it is a good idea to go with larger sized filters or add additional filters to compensate for heavier loads. It is also a good idea to keep some extra ones running in case you set up a new tank. You simply put a cycled sponge filter in and there is no break in required and also no stress on your fish. They are easily cleaned by simply squeezing them in a bucket filled with aquarium water every 2 to 4 weeks. There is much contoversy on the subject of undergravel filters. Many have no use for them because they can clog and are supposedly hard to keep clean. If you use a gravel cleaner during water chages you will be able to keep the gravel clean and unclogged. In order for an undergravel filter to clog you would have to go for months and months without cleaning. It is still one of the best biological filters available due to it's mass alone. Power filters are another good choice to compliment either sponge or undergravel filters. In addition to the mechanical filtration they provide, they also provide chemical filtration with the use of carbon. The carbon will remove chlorine, gasses and will help maintain clear water. Many power filters will also contain sponge medea or bio-wheels to help provide further biological filtration. Filter pads and carbon should be replaced every 4 to 6 weeks depending on the load they are expected to remove. When buying a power filter make sure you look at the price of replacement pads. Some are inexpensive .50 to $1 and some are as high as $5 each. Long term it will make quite a difference. Canister filters are ideal for large tanks and are usually stored beneath the tank in the stand. I don't recommend them for beginners simply because they are a little more complicated to install and to clean. If not put together properely they can leak and cause a fair amount of water damage before you even notice the leak. Properly installed and maintained they are quiet and very efficient at removing debri from your tank. I don't recommend power heads for use with angelfish simply because they provide too much current. The exception would be a reverse flow system that uses a sponge filter with the powerhead that is directed down the undergravel filter tube. Lighting Angelfish don't have any special lighting requirements. Regular hood lights work well as do shop lights. I have tried special high output bulbs in an effort to grow plants only to have to remove them because the angels became very skittish and stressed.. |