| Frank & Sue's Angelfish Pond |
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| Welcome to our Angelfish Pond. We live in New Berlin, Wisconsin just southwest of Milwaukee. We have been breeding and raising angelfish since 1996. We are strictly hobbyists and thought we would share some of our experiences and knowlege. Although we have only been breeding angels since 1996 my background with tropical fish dates back to the mid 60's. As a child a nieghbor gave me a pair of guppys. I soon turned my parents dining room table into a hatchery. I had bowls and jars all over the table. My parents finally broke down and bought me an aquarium so that my mother could regain the table for Thanksgiving diner. Over the years I have kept most of the popular fish that you see in pet stores today. From goldfish to discus. In addition I have maintained a saltwater tank since 1986 and have kept most of the popular saltwater fish as well. I even kept a leopard shark for 3 years. This site is designed to give basic information regarding angelfish. It will not get overly technical but will deal with most areas that are necessary in keeping and breeding angels. There are somethings that may be done a little differently from breeder to breeder but the basics will remain the same. I will attempt to show you how we do things step by step so you can achieve some level of success in breeding angelfish. This site will not dazzle you with high tech graphics. In fact you may be lucky to get through the site if I don't figure out this html stuff. The pictures are hopefully going to get better as time goes on. The writing is probably average at best. But, I believe the information contained will be usefull to anyone interested in angelfish Well the fun part I have down pat. The profit part is easy too, if you use some creative accounting. All you have to do is not account for your investment in tanks, equipment, food, electricity and your time and profits should come quickly. If you are getting into breeding and raising angelfish as a hobbyist and are in it for the long haul your goal should be to eventually break even and maybe make a few dollars on the side. Breaking even is not all that bad when you figure the enjoyment you are receiving from your hobby and the beauty your bringing into the world. If you are getting into angelfish breeding to get rich you should probably try something else. For one, I don't know of a single angelfish breeder that got rich by selling angelfish. There are some that I'm sure make a decent living at it, but they also have the ability to raise a superior fish and have spent years gaining good reputations as breeders. Just think, to make $30,000 a year you have to sell 6000 fish a year at $5 each. I usually sell mine to fish stores between $1 to $3 each. I remember reading a web site on angelfish a few years back were the host said that his goal was to raise as many angelfish as possible so he could sell as many as possible. At the time it sounded pretty logical. I quickly learned that raising a large quantity of angels in overcrowded conditions without an outlet for them is a recipe for disaster. The slow growth rate caused by over crowded conditions together with the environmentally caused defects caused by over crowding leaves you with angels you can't get rid of and angels you don't want to keep. You are much better off raising a smaller quantity of healthy well proportioned fish that you can be proud of. Local pet stores love them and will gladly buy them as fast as you can produce them. Just don't get caught in the quantity game or you will also lose your outlet. Before you decide to breed angelfish you should be aware of the amount of tanks, equipment and maintenance required. An average spawn of angels for me is 200. In order to raise one spawn to a saleable size (nickel body size) requires a minimum, and I stress minimum, of 200-gal of water. Many spawns will be much larger. This doesn't count the breeding tank or pairing tank that you may require. Depending on the size tanks you decide on it could be anywhere from 6 to 12 tanks. You are basically setting up a mini hatchery. Make sure you have the amount of space required. Many times the basement is your best option. In addition you will need tops, heaters, and filters and a supply of air. Many times you can pick up used equipment at rummage sales to help you keep the costs down. I still look in the paper for used aquariums in case there is a good deal out there. Usually the adds in the paper want more than new because of stands and other equipment you may not need. The next issue to deal with is the maintenance. This requires a commitment of time. In order to breed and raise angelfish you have to maintain good water quality. This means water changes at least once or twice a week as a minimum. It also requires a feeding regimen of twice a day. Between regular feedings and water changes I spend 15 to 20 hours a week in my hatchery. I am not trying to discourage you from breeding angels, but I am trying to prepare you for the level of commitment in space, equipment, expense and time that is required to be a successful angelfish breeder.. |
| Background |
| Site Information |
| How to raise angelfish for fun and profit |
| Quality versus Quantity |
| Are you sure you want to breed and raise angelfish? |