Pterophyllum Scalare St. Isabel

In recent decades, thanks in part to frequent imports from South America, so-called "large angelfish" have become very widespread in our aquariums. These include mainly representatives of the genus Pterophyllum altum, but Pterophyllum scalare also has its representatives. These are fish originating from the Rio Japurá, which we report on elsewhere, and another from the upper reaches of the Rio Negro from the area around the town of Santa Isabel. This variant also takes its name from the town.

Those who like "Alts" but don't have enough resources for them can try this somewhat cheaper variant, which resembles "Alts". Above all, a tall body with elongated fins reaching around 28 cm in adulthood is one of the basic characteristics. Another important factor that distinguishes these individuals from "Alts" is the distinct lattice pattern in the caudal and anal fins. Other characteristics include the red coloration of the dorsal part, which spreads to the dorsal fin. Part of the irises is distinctly red in adults. Red is a typical color for many fish living in the blackwater of the Rio Negro.

Rio Negro

Just briefly about the Rio Negro. Its basin covers an area larger than France, about 700,000 km2. Only the basins of the Rios Madeira and Tocantins are larger tributaries of the Amazon itself. The Rio Negro is approximately 2500 km long, its largest tributary being the Rio Branco at about 775 km. This tributary with murky water is located in the state of Roraima. More than 90% of the Negro River basin is in the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Roraima, the remaining 10% lies in Venezuela and Colombia, less than 1% in Guyana. The floodplain areas of the Rio Negro are extensively deforested.

The most commercially exploited species is Virola surinamensis, another species that is felled is the kapok tree Ceiba pentandra, which grows along the Branco River, as it does not grow along blackwater rivers. Logging operations are today concentrated mainly near Manaus and Boa Vista.

The Rio Negro basin was "invaded" by gold miners in the past, mainly in the area above Barcelos. However, some mining also took place in the area above Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira. Most of the gold mining takes place near Yanomami territories (indigenous people) in Roraima, and some mining centers are as far away as Venezuela. The lower Rio Negro is a place where mainly gravel is mined, as required by the construction industry in Manaus. The sandstones, which are so typical of the banks of the Rio Negro, are usually mined during the dry season, again for construction.

Pterophyllum scalare „Santa Isabel“

But back to aquariums. Pterophyllum scalare "Santa Isabel" comes from the upper part of the Rio Negro, the so-called "Alto Negro" around the town of Santa Isabel. Perhaps it is a surprise to many, but this "town" has almost 26,000 inhabitants. Pico Neblina, the highest mountain in Brazil with a height of 2994 m, is also located nearby. The Alto Rio Negro territory lies between the municipalities of Japurá and Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira and is largely covered by rainforest.

The blackwater rivers here have a relatively low fish population. Another species of angelfish, Pterophyllum leopoldi, also occurs in this location. The soft and acidic water is colored black here due to the admixture of tannins. In the main stream of the river, the water has a temperature of around 28 °C, the pH fluctuates between 4.5-6, the conductivity is usually 8-12 uS/cm. There are a lot of branches and pieces of trees that have fallen into the water. And this is where these fish occur, because they feel safe here. This factor is also important when setting up an aquarium. We definitely don't skimp on plants, roots and various nooks created from ceramics. The aquarium should be at least 60 cm high, we count at least 40–50 l per fish.

For breeding, we acquire a shoal of at least 6 individuals. They can be kept with other peaceful cichlids (e.g. representatives of the genus Heros), but also South American dwarf cichlids and peaceful larger tetras. Neon tetras or similarly sized tetras can easily form a hearty, but rather expensive food. The bottom can be managed by catfish or plecos.

Breeding is not entirely easy, we often encounter problems that we know from "Altums". It is ideal if the pair chooses itself from the shoal. For spawning, we use an aquarium of at least 100 liters, a temperature above 28 °C, soft water, such as we use for South American dwarf cichlids - between 40-80 uS/cm. The actual rearing of the fry is not complicated if we have a good source of brine shrimp nauplii or fine crushed food.

Images:

1. Upper part of the Rio Negro (Goulding,M. et all, 2003).
2. In nature, these angelfish have a beautiful red coloration (as do many other fish species).
3. Angelfish are best caught at night with the help of a flashlight.
4. Professional aquarists usually don't care about the aesthetics of breeding tanks. The main thing is the ease of water changes, detritus siphoning and catching the necessary individuals.
5. At 3 months, these angelfish are very similar in shape to "Alts".
6. Simply furnished grow-out tank, we pay attention to water quality with its regular changes, good filtration.
7. Adult pair, female in front.