- Common name
- Altum angelfish
- Scientific name
- Pterophyllum altum
- Category
- Freshwater fish
- Group
- Angelfish and South American cichlids
- Environment
- Freshwater aquarium
- Origin
- Upper Orinoco basin in Colombia and Venezuela; some older references also report the upper Rio Negro drainage
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- Up to 18 cm total length; overall fin height can reach about 20 cm
- Expected lifespan
- Plan for 10–15 years; mature altum angelfish require permanent height, group space and exceptional water stability.
- Minimum housing
- At least 450 L in a genuinely tall aquarium for a compatible group, with adult fin height and pair territories fully accommodated
- Temperature
- 27–31 °C
- pH
- 4.8–6.2
- Hardness / minerals
- 1–5 °dGH (about 18–89 mg/L as CaCO3); very low KH is typical but must remain stable
- Salinity
- Freshwater; no routine salt addition
- Lighting
- Subdued with shaded vertical structure
- Placement / zone
- Primarily middle water around vertical structure.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the complete adult altum angelfish group, with guarded intakes and accessible mechanical capture. Keep flow gentle to moderate around tall open water with no constant fin-folding jet where the fish lives, and maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite.
- Aeration
- Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, heavy feeding or any sign of rapid breathing.
- Maintenance
- Perform regular matched-water changes guided by nitrate and waste, remove uneaten food and trapped detritus, clean mechanical media without disrupting the biofilter, and record feeding, body condition, respiration and aggression.
Identity and search names
Single-profile scope for Pterophyllum altum. Preserve permanent AquaNexus ID 24, slug altum-angelfish and route /species/altum-angelfish/; retain former combinations, locality labels, domestic-form names and trade names only as searchable aliases.
Search names: Altum angel, Orinoco angelfish, Deep angelfish
Environment and housing
Tall wood, roots, shaded margins and open vertical swimming space.
Social structure: Raise a compatible juvenile group in substantial space; adults may pair and become strongly territorial, so retain visual barriers and separation capacity
Feeding and nutrition
Feeding ecology: Carnivorous-leaning omnivore; quality cichlid foods plus varied frozen or live invertebrates
Feeding routine: One or two measured feeds daily; adapt to body condition and species ecology
Breeding, reproduction or spread
Pairs place adhesive eggs on a vertical leaf, wood face or similar surface
Detailed care and app-ready planning
- Identity scope
- Single-profile scope for Pterophyllum altum. Preserve permanent AquaNexus ID 24, slug altum-angelfish and route /species/altum-angelfish/; retain former combinations, locality labels, domestic-form names and trade names only as searchable aliases.
- Adult size and space
- Expected adult size: Up to 18 cm total length; overall fin height can reach about 20 cm. Minimum permanent housing: At least 450 L in a genuinely tall aquarium for a compatible group, with adult fin height and pair territories fully accommodated. Plan around adult dimensions, activity, social structure, aggression, oxygen demand and waste production rather than sale size.
- Social structure
- Raise a compatible juvenile group in substantial space; adults may pair and become strongly territorial, so retain visual barriers and separation capacity
- Swimming zone or placement
- Primary zone: Primarily middle water around vertical structure.. Keep that zone usable for movement, feeding, refuge and escape.
- Feeding ecology
- Carnivorous-leaning omnivore; quality cichlid foods plus varied frozen or live invertebrates
- Feeding plan
- One or two measured feeds daily; adapt to body condition and species ecology
- Water stability
- Maintain 27–31 °C; pH 4.8–6.2; hardness or minerals: 1–5 °dGH (about 18–89 mg/L as CaCO3); very low KH is typical but must remain stable; salinity: Freshwater; no routine salt addition. Stability, oxygenation and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing one exact value.
- Habitat structure
- Tall wood, roots, shaded margins and open vertical swimming space.
- Compatibility plan
- Peaceful warm soft-water fish that are not small enough to be eaten and do not nip long fins
- Breeding or reproduction plan
- Pairs place adhesive eggs on a vertical leaf, wood face or similar surface Parental care: Both parents may fan and guard eggs and fry, although captive pairs can fail or consume broods.
- Quarantine
- Quarantine new livestock in a separate cycled system for at least 30 days. Observe appetite, respiration, waste, skin, fins and behaviour; use dedicated equipment and never add transport water to the established aquarium.
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding, and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. Ordinary angelfish housing is inadequate. Wild or recently imported stock can be delicate, and tall adult form, 27–31 °C water, low minerals and high oxygen requirements demand exceptional stability.
- Biosecurity and release
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
- Main risk
- Ordinary angelfish housing is inadequate. Wild or recently imported stock can be delicate, and tall adult form, 27–31 °C water, low minerals and high oxygen requirements demand exceptional stability.
- Adult projected load
- Project biological load from the full adult altum angelfish group, adult body mass, feeding pattern, activity and social requirement rather than juvenile sale size. Tall adults, a social group and protein-rich feeding create a moderate-to-high load in warm, soft water with low buffering.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the complete adult altum angelfish group, with guarded intakes and accessible mechanical capture. Keep flow gentle to moderate around tall open water with no constant fin-folding jet where the fish lives, and maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite.
- Aeration
- Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, heavy feeding or any sign of rapid breathing.
- Maintenance
- Perform regular matched-water changes guided by nitrate and waste, remove uneaten food and trapped detritus, clean mechanical media without disrupting the biofilter, and record feeding, body condition, respiration and aggression.
- Overridable warnings
- Non-overridable: do not accept persistent ammonia or nitrite, oxygen distress, starvation, chronic aggression or inadequate adult space. Different equipment, stocking or maintenance methods may be used only when measured water quality and adult welfare remain equivalent or better. Do not substitute ordinary domestic angelfish identity or keep adults in a shallow aquarium.
Compatibility, welfare and risk
Compatibility: Peaceful warm soft-water fish that are not small enough to be eaten and do not nip long fins
Welfare: Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding, and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. Ordinary angelfish housing is inadequate. Wild or recently imported stock can be delicate, and tall adult form, 27–31 °C water, low minerals and high oxygen requirements demand exceptional stability.
Main warning: Ordinary angelfish housing is inadequate. Wild or recently imported stock can be delicate, and tall adult form, 27–31 °C water, low minerals and high oxygen requirements demand exceptional stability.
Biosecurity and release
Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.