And certainly it is one of the most strikingly beautiful. With its elongated dorsal and anal fins and fashionable colors, it is a favorite of aquarists and aquarium gazers everywhere. Yet great looks are not the only reason that angelfish have won the hearts of so many aquarium keepers. Definitely a rarity among aquarium fish. Pterophyllum scalare is native to the rivers and lakes of South America, including the great Amazon basin.
Angels congregate in slow-moving streams that have plenty of vegetative cover.
Banded silver was the basic color of most wild angelfish, but many different colorations have been produced commercially. Black, gold, marble, veiled, smoky, and more color schemes are available from aquarium fish shops, many of which carry a good selection of angels because of their great popularity. Angels are schooling fish, which in the aquarium setting should be set up in groups of four or more, but not to the point of crowding. Two could be kept together in a 10-gallon aquarium, but this is not an optimal situation. Smaller aquariums will stunt your angel's growth.