• Angelfish Growth Stages

    The following chart will help to identify the approximate body size of angelfish through their growth stages:

    Stage
    Age
    Notes
    Egg Up to 60 hours from spawning At 80F eggs will hatch at 48 hours. Hatch time can be shortened slightly with increased temperatures or lengthened by cooler temperatures. Interestingly, all eggs seem to hatch within a fairly narrow timeframe.
    Wiggler From hatch to free swimming Typically ends 7 days from spawning. The duration in this growth stage is determined by water temperatures. Higher temperatures will lead to faster development; cooler temperaturs to slow development. Parent raised fry may hang close to a surface for an extra day or two as the parents will attempt to return them to the selected surface.
    Fry From free swimming until they take on the angel appearance As the fry grow they will change from their elongated shape to the elongated dorsal and anal fin that give them their appearance. This stage typically lasts about 2 weeks from free swimming or 3 weeks from spawning

    Some strains are known to take longer to reach the next stage. For example, Double Dark Blacks can take up to 4 weeks, twice the time, to reach the next stage. Other factors include water conditions, overcrowding, quality of food, etc
    Juvenile True angelfish shape with elongated fins and a flattened body Referred to by comparing to American coins (dime, nickel, quarter, half dollar or silver dollar)
    Adult Mature Breeders This stage is reached anywhere from 6 months up to a year. Typically angels mature at 9 to 12 months.

    Fish age can be from the time the eggs were spawned or from the time the fry start free swimming. Typically, one 1 week separates the two, but it can make a difference when attempting to compare growth rates. Interestingly, most refer to species that begin life as an egg are aged from the hatching date typically. Angelfish fry/juveniles, however, are aged from the spawning date.
    Comments 2 Comments
    1. Braebie113's Avatar
      Braebie113 -
      We should add photos to this post to make it pop.
    1. catsma_97504's Avatar
      catsma_97504 -
      Great idea! Contact the Standards Committee to submit your recommendation.