Altum Angelfish

will find that it has a distinct tendency to impart a yellowish or brownish coloration to the tank water. One of the side benefits of this coloration is that it blocks out the wavelengths of light that algae is dependent on for growth, thus significantly reducing unwanted algae growth on the glass of the tank.

Altums thrive when kept at temperatures ranging between 82 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind that Altums are sensitive to temperature fluctuations and do not share the adaptability to such changes of their cousin, P. Scalare.

If in good health, Altums are not particularly picky eaters. They do extremely well on live brine shrimp, blood worms, Daphnia and mosquito larvae. The frozen forms of these foods are also eaten eagerly. It is beneficial to allow one day out of each week to be a fast day. This allows the fish to clear their digestive systems. After the fast day, I start with a feeding of brine shrimp. Brine shrimp have a layer of chitin around their bodies that serves as a source of fiber, which I find aids the fish in their digestion and seems to cut down on the occurrences of constipation.

I strongly recommend that Altums be given a tank to themselves. Because of their care and maintenance requirements, Altums do not make the best community fish. The one exception would be catfish of the genus Corydoras, which make good tank companions for Altums.

I have already mentioned that Altums are not seen very often in stores. In the last few years, however, even the common angelfish, P.scalare, has been in short supply due to somewhat mystifying problems. Unexplained mass deaths have occurred among angel populations, mainly at fish farms in the Far East and in some areas of this country. The cause of death, to my knowledge, has yet to be determined. What is certain is that previously abundant supplies of angels have been drastically reduced. When I was in the retail trade, I saw countless numbers of angels die in my tanks due to this problem. I would receive a shipment of angels in what seemed to be good health, only to have them waste away and die within three to four days after arrival. What makes the problem more frightening is that when healthy angels are exposed to "unhealthy" ones, they also succumb to the same problem.

Because of this serious problem,

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