Altum angelfish

Pterophyllum altum

A steep forehead, saddle-like snout and very tall fins; usable water depth matters.

The altum has a taller silhouette and more pronounced forehead indentation than the common angelfish.

Adult length: Up to 17.8 cm
Water temperature: 28–30 °C
pH: 5.3–6.4
Hardness: 0.5–6 dGH

Native range: South America: Amazon River basin, in the upper Negro River drainage; Orinoco River basin, in tributaries of the upper Orinoco River (Inírida and Atabapo rivers) to Puerto Ayacucho.

Natural habitat: Inhabits rivers.

Use a mature stable warm aquarium. Fin nipping and predation on mouth-sized fish are risks.

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Appearance and identification

Natural bars, tall dorsal/anal fins and long paired pelvic threads. The forehead is steeper and the notch above the mouth stronger than in scalare. Age, condition and trade mislabelling can complicate identification; common-angelfish forms and care should not simply be transferred.

Social behaviour and territory

Watch dominance, feeding exclusion and pair territories; provide visual barriers and separation options.

Compatibility limits

Assess predation, territories and feeding competition separately.

Space requirements

Check length, width and actual depth after substrate. About 400 litres and 70 cm height is a suggested size.

Aquarium environment

Tall leaves and roots can break sight lines while leaving full fin-height and turning room. Dense planting must not consume essential depth.

Diet and feeding

Check what it accepts first. Offer suitable complete food and varied aquatic fare, checking subordinate fish actually feed.

Sources