When you go to the local pet shop and you want to buy some fish, what do you typicaly eye up? You tend to go towards biggest, longest piece of glass they have available. Why is that?
Because you’re looking at a big viewing window of the fish swimming around in your tank. However, you’re forgetting about biology of angelfish. Angelfish are designed for height (depth) rather then width (distance).
Not all space are good for fish. It is not just because there is too much space. It also has to be right type of space.
Why Tank Height Matters More Than Length
Why Angelfish Need Vertical Space
Angelfish in a long, shallow tank aren’t going to move around as much. That puts them under stress, stress makes fish aggressive. It slows their growth.
To maintain the health of these fish you should of think about more than just the amount of space they have; think about how tall the space is.
Body Shape and Movement
Angelfish are cichlids. Cichlid have a disc shaped body which enable them to hover and pivot.
They hover, dart upward, and glide downward to hunt and explore. Up and down is how they explore. In a small tank, they cannot moves up and down easly.
Even in many gallons the fish still feel as if they are contained. Angelfish have fins sticking out beyond their center of gravity. It has a long body with a high profile which require space.
Fin Damage and Stress
If there isn’t enough room in a small tank, it will clip its fin. That physical limitation result in chronic stress. Chronic stress weaken the immune system.
So what happens? The fish are more susceptible to illness. Many novice cichlid keepers confuse volume with space.
Not all 100g tanks is created equal. Angelfish require enough space to extend their fins. The fish cannot show off naturaly if they’re right up against the water surface.
Territorial Behavior and Aggression
Restricted space lead to tension. Angelfish are territorial. Aggression stem from this.
Height of a tank creates levels where each fish can have his/her own territory. Because it’s separated, there is less fighting. If you place all those fish into a shallow tank, their territories will overlap completely.
Their spaces will intersect. They’ll bite each other and they’ll chase each other. There simply aren’t any barrier to separate them like there are with height.
Plants as Cover and Barriers
This is where plants can help. You can provide some cover using tall plant like Amazon swords. Provide some cover in the form of tall plants such as Amazon swords.
These plants mimic the thick growth found in their natural habitats based off South America. When you have a tall tank, the plants can grow out to full size. They break up the lines of sight for fish.
This reduce aggression. If your tank is too shallow, then plants don’t get that high so the fish are exposed.
Water Flow and Circulation
A tall tank help manage water flow. It also provides lots of surface area for gas exchange. It’s deeper, which aids water circulation. Angelfish don’t like turbulent water.
With a tall tank, you can place your filters where they will generates gentle currents. In a wide, shallow tank, currents tend to be too strong because the water lacks depth.
Choosing the Right Tank Dimensions
Choose a tank that fits the animal behavior. Don’t select a tank solely on footprint. Height should takes precedence over length. A thirty-six inch tall tank is preferable for angelfish compared to a forty-eight inch long tank with equal volume.
The angelfish will behave calm and appear vibrant. Your fishs will live longer. Because an angelfish in good health is beautiful, you’ll enjoy observing it more.
Allow it space to stretch out and it will repay you.
