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South American Cichlids · Buying Guide

Angelfish UK: Species Biology, Welfare & The Colour Strains In Stock

Read or listen to our UK angelfish guide - tank size, colour strains, adult behaviour, tank mates, breeding pairs and welfare-first buying advice.

Priya RameshBy Priya RameshUpdated 18 April 202612 min read
A Marble Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) in profile
Product photo · Tropical Fish Co warehouse· Own
Listen to this guide · 5 min0:00 / 5:13
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7 products in stock today

Featured products — in stock today

Hand-picked by the editorial team. Prices and stock update live.

Related categories

Visual route into the rest of our UK live-fish range.

Frequently asked questions

120 L minimum for juveniles, 200 L+ for an adult pair [6]. The common shop-display angelfish at 3 cm misleads buyers — these are juveniles that grow to 12–15 cm body-disc height. A 60 L tank cannot house an adult angelfish. Buying juveniles intending to upgrade the tank 'later' is the trap — upgrade before you buy, not after.

Sources & further reading

Every claim in this article is backed by a source below. We group them by type so you can judge the weight of each one at a glance.

Peer-reviewed study (1)

  1. [2]
    Schliewen, U. K. (1992). The freshwater angelfishes of the genus Pterophyllum. Tropical Fish Hobbyist, 40. View source

    Foundational reference on the three recognised Pterophyllum species.

Scientific database (1)

  1. [1]
    Froese, R. and D. Pauly (Eds.) (2024). Pterophyllum scalare (Schultze, 1823). FishBase. View source

    Source for body-size, pH, water parameters, and natural distribution.

Conservation authority (1)

  1. [4]
    (2023). Pterophyllum scalare — IUCN. IUCN. View source

    Conservation status; all UK stock is farm-bred.

Hobbyist reference (3)

  1. [3]
    (2024). Pterophyllum scalare — Seriously Fish. Seriously Fish. View source

    Husbandry + community-tank tolerance reference.

  2. [5]
    Jeremy Gay (2023). Angelfish in the UK aquarium — complete care. Practical Fishkeeping. View source

    UK-specific husbandry and welfare reference.

  3. [7]
    (2023). British Cichlid Association — Pterophyllum standards. British Cichlid Association. View source

    UK cichlid-keeping standards — cited on strain judging.

Expert video (1)

  1. [8]
    Cory McElroy (2023). How angelfish pair bonds form. Aquarium Co-Op (YouTube). View source

    Reference on breeding pair formation dynamics.

Government / regulatory (1)

  1. [6]
    (2024). Aquatic animal welfare — tank size requirements. RSPCA. View source

    UK welfare guidance cited on the minimum-tank-size argument.

Spotted something that needs a fix?

Fishkeeping moves fast and we want every guide spot-on. If you think something here is wrong, out of date, or could be clearer, tell us — our team reads every message and updates the page.

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