Pygmy Angelfish

Facts about Pygmy Angelfish, "Scientific name for Pygmy Angelfish is Centropyge argi". Pygmy Angelfish is also known as the the Cherub Angelfish or Atlantic Pygmy Angelfish. Pygmy Angelfish are found in the Western Atlantic. Geographically this area is from Bermuda to French Guiana in South America up to Florida in the United States of America, this also includes both the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. The Pygmy Angelfish is by far the most popular of the pygmy species. Pygmy Angelfish is also the smallest and is therefore it is ideal for smaller aquariums.

The color of the Pygmy Angelfish is rich and vibrant. It has a deep blue body with a yellow or an orange colored face and blue rings around the eyes which makes it eye-catchy.

The Pygmy Angelfish is semi-aggressive in nature and it requires to be kept individually per tank aquarium. However, the fish is not aggressive and can breed successfully if kept both the male and the female juveniles in the same habitat. Both the male and the female Pygmy Angelfish have spots of the same color on their entire body parts. The male fish is usually larger than the female. It is important not to breed two male Pygmy Angelfish fish in the same aquarium as they will fight over territory.

The Pygmy Angelfish is particularly small in size with a fully matured fish can reach lengths of up to 3 inches (7.6 cm). In order to breed the Pygmy Angelfish in a tank aquarium, it is necessary to obtain a 25 gallon (95 liters) tank. This will give the Pygmy Angelfish plenty of swimming space.

It is important to be cautious about the aquarium reef compatibility. Pygmy Angelfish should avoid noxious soft corals and mushrooms. Most of the Pygmy Angelfish species usually feeds on mucous found on the corals.

The fact is that a Pygmy Angelfish are omnivorous, (definition-they eat both other animals and plants). However, if the Pygmy Angelfish is not kept in an aquarium which is not well established, it is important that the Pygmy Angelfish is fed with frozen spirulina, marine alga and mysis shrimp. The fact that the Pygmy Angelfish readily accepts almost all frozen and prepared foods makes it generally easy to take care of. In the wild Pygmy Angelfish like hiding in areas near caves where there is soft and stony corals. That's were the Angelfish feed on tunicates, sponges benthic algae and weeds.
Ideal water temperature for your Pygmy Angelfish is between 72 to 78º F (22 to 25.5º Cel) and pH from 8.1 to 8.4. The specific gravity at 1.020 to 1.025. The range of the Pygmy Angelfish depth in the wild is 17 to 260 feet (5.2 to 79.2 meters) and sometimes found in shallow water.

Pygmy Angelfish Aquarium care

Test the water when preparing your tank for your Pygmy Angelfish: You will need to purchase a liquid tester so that you can test for Nitrates and Ammonia. The strip-style test kits are unreliable and a waste of money. You should use a dechlorinating product to remove the harmful chlorine from the water. Test for nitrite, ammonia, and proper PH. The ammonia should always be 0, the nitrite should be 0, and the nitrate should preferably be below 20 ppm. If it's at or above 40 parts per million (ppm), you have too many fish or are not changing the water often enough. Cycling your tank is important, Follow the steps to cycle your tank. This establishes healthy bacterial and chemical levels.

When buying your Pygmy Angelfish see which one looks like the healthier fish in the tank. Be wary of tanks with dead fish in them, as this can be a sign of illness or improper care. Clamped fins are a sign of illness. In addition, healthy Pygmy Angelfish will have no white spots, make sure they swim with their fins held upright, and have a nice rich color or colors. Make sure the Pygmy Angelfish swim all over the tank and look healthy.
When adding the Pygmy Angelfish to the aquarium, it is important to introduce the fish to the tank environment slowly. As soon as you get home, float the entire, closed pet store bag (with the Pygmy Angelfish inside!) in the tank on top of the water for about a half hour. This will allow the water in the plastic bag and the Pygmy Angelfish to equalize out to the same temperature as in your tank, so your Pygmy Angelfish does not get shocked by the different temperature. Next, add a small amount of water from your tank to the bag, and wait about 15 minutes. Do this at least one more time. Us a net to catch your fish and then while the Pygmy Angelfish is in the net, dispose of all the water down a drain or outside. Then transfer the Pygmy Angelfish carefully into the your tank. This process not only reduces stress for you Pygmy Angelfish, it also prevents the dirty pet store water from contaminating your tank with disease.
Remove 30% of the water from you Pygmy Angelfish tank each month with new water, or a 15% water change every 2 weeks is ideal for keeping nitrates lower. With corals in the Pygmy Angelfish tank, then 20% water change every month, or 10% change every 2 weeks.