Altum Angelfish Care
The Latin word for tall is altum, which perfectly describes the Altum angelfish, the largest of the freshwater angelfish species. Altum angelfish come from the Amazon river basin in Venezuela.
The Altums look is silver with brownish vertical stripes. This helps the Altum hide without difficulty among elongated stemmed vegetation growing in the Amazon river. Altums have a rather unique shaped mouth, which is rather pointed, and their forehead is sharply sloped. The first dark band runs through the eye; the second runs near the mid-section of the body, while the third runs from the tip of the dorsal fin, through the body, and to the tip of the anal fin. The final band runs on the caudal penuncle.
Being a such a large angelfish, they need a bigger and higher tank. Aquariums must be a bare minimum of 30″ tall and 4 ft long. The aquarium should be decorated with sizable pieces of bogwood that if workable ought to reach the waters surface. Large leafed plants like Amazon swordsplants can also be helpful and are typically left alone.
The water should be kept in very soft water that is slightly acidic. A pH level of 4.5-6.5 is proper for Altum Angelfish. They desire very temperate water and they are best kept in 28-30C / 82-86F. The nitrates levels ought to be kept especially low and the water ought to be slightly circulated to mimic the natural world this genus are typically found in the wild. It is extremely crucial to sustain high water quality to successfully keep this variety.
Unlike the common angelfish, the Scalare, Altums can be challenging to keep and successfully raise in captivity. This is due chiefly to the reality that virtually all Altum sold are wild caught, not domestically farmed. Because of this they can more difficult to find and not a lot of individuals try and keep them.
Because they are wild caught fish, Altums can be tough to locate at times. And one must be careful of imitation Altums being sold. They can be challenging to distinguish from Scalares if not well trained.
Altums are not ideal community fish, but they are fairly peaceful and normally can be kept with other peaceful fishes from the same region. Fish like Discus and Tetras normally do OK. Altums are cichlids, however, and can be very defensive. Also bear in mind that no matter how calm Altum appear to be, they will devour smaller fish if given the occasion. Smaller tetras such as cardinals and neons would most likely turn out to be costly fish food.
Altums, similar to other angelfish, have an voracious appetite. Since they are by and large caught wild, live food is the favored cuisine. Most will willingly accept other foods over time, such as frozen brine shrimp and blood worms.
Even if given a first-class diet and exceptional water quality, the Altum is still extremely tough to breed. Further, just as with the other varieties of angelfish, it is difficult to conclude sex outside of spawning, when males have a pointed genital papilla.
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