Roman Nose Angelfish

Care at a glance

Overview

The Roman nose angelfish is the smallest of the wild angelfish and, while regarded as the feistiest of the group, it is generally peaceful in a community and best kept in a school of six or more. Keeping a group spreads out the squabbling that occurs between individuals, especially as pairs form, and lets the fish settle into a natural order. It leaves most other tankmates alone, though very small fish and shrimp may be eaten, so pair it with mid-sized tetras, rasboras and peaceful catfish. Like other angelfish it appreciates height, tall plants and vertical driftwood to break up sight lines. Feed a varied diet of flake or micro pellet with frozen and live foods such as bloodworm and brine shrimp. A tank of at least 115 liters gives a small group room.

In the wild

The Roman nose angelfish comes from the Amazon in Brazil and the Guyana region, living among submerged wood, roots and plants in slow, warm, softly acidic waters. To recreate this, keep the tank warm at 22 to 29 C with a pH of 6.0 to 7.2 in soft to neutral water. Tall plants, vertical driftwood and some floating cover suit its deep body and give it the vertical structure angelfish favor. Leaf litter and gentle filtration help mimic the shaded, tannin-tinted backwaters it comes from and keep the fish relaxed enough to show its silver-and-black barring.

Good to know

Pterophyllum leopoldi is a member of the cichlid family, Cichlidae, and is the smallest of the three wild angelfish species, reaching around 10 cm in overall length. It can be told from the more common angelfish by its straight forehead, which lacks the notch above the eyes, and by a dark blotch where the dorsal fin meets the body. Like other angelfish it is an open spawner that lays rows of eggs on a cleaned vertical surface such as a leaf or piece of wood, with both parents guarding the eggs and fry.

Did you know

The Roman nose angelfish is set apart from other angelfish by the smooth, straight profile of its forehead, which lacks the notch or dip above the eye seen in the common angelfish. That distinctive nose line is the source of its name.

Related species

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• 

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