You almost surely know that angelfish are some of the most popular pet fish you can buy. If you stop by a pet store in your local mall, then there’s a good chance that several types of angelfish are being sold in the aquarium section.
These fish are so popular because they are hardy and they happen to be beautiful, too. Perhaps you’d like to buy some angelfish of your very own sometime soon.
Before committing to purchasing these fish, it’s important to ensure that you can afford to get them. How much do angelfish cost and what amount of money should you expect to spend to get started?
Keep reading to get information on the cost of angelfish as well as how much the equipment that you need will cost. This will allow you to make an informed decision so that you can have the best experience possible.
The Cost Will Vary Based on the Fish
The first thing to know about the cost of angelfish is that it will vary depending on the fish that you’re trying to buy. As you likely know, there are many different types of angelfish out there.
When you go to the pet store, you might find some angelfish being sold as inexpensively as five dollars per fish. Others might cost 20 dollars, and more exotic angelfish could cost hundreds of dollars for one fish.
Typically, the more common the fish is, the less costly it will be. This means that very common types of freshwater angelfish are going to be the least expensive.
You’ll likely be able to buy koi angelfish, silver angelfish, and many other similar types of angelfish without breaking the bank. If you wish to purchase saltwater angelfish, then things will start to get more expensive.
You’ll learn some specific information about some of the types of saltwater angelfish later on. For now, it’s time to focus on the cost of taking care of freshwater angelfish.
You Need Many Things to Take Care of Fish
Of course, you’re going to need to purchase many different things when taking care of fish. Setting up a freshwater fish tank will be the least expensive option since saltwater tanks are more involved.
Since freshwater angelfish are the most common, it makes sense to start here. Aside from the cost of the fish, you’re also going to want to factor in the cost of all of the equipment that you need.
You’ll need a fish tank for the fish that you want to take care of. Generally, it’s recommended to keep angelfish in pairs.
So you’ll want to buy two angelfish, and you’ll need a fish tank that is big enough for the fish. It’s said that each angelfish needs ten gallons of space, but most experts recommend giving the fish more room than they need to keep them happy.
Ideally, you’ll want to buy a 29-gallon fish tank for two angelfish. The cost of such a fish tank will vary depending on if there is a sale, what store you’re buying things from, and other factors.
Expect to spend around 100 dollars on a fish tank or a little more. Next, you’ll need to buy the things that you need to keep the fish tank operating properly.
You’re going to need to buy a filter to help keep the water clean, and you’ll likely spend at least 20 dollars on one. It’ll also be necessary to purchase a heater for the fish tank so that you can keep the temperature in the right range.
Generally, it’s best to buy a heater that has a built-in thermometer so that you can easily monitor the temperature. A heater might cost as little as 10 dollars or you could spend 30 dollars on one depending on what you want.
It’s necessary to buy chemicals so that you can adjust the pH balance of the water as well. You’ll need to buy these periodically for when you need to raise or lower the pH balance.
These generally aren’t expensive, but you might spend 10 or 20 dollars. You’ll want a pH balance testing kit as well so that you can check the balance, but the cost of such a kit should be minimal.
Generally, you should expect to spend a few hundred dollars on a fish tank and the necessary supplies to get the tank up and running. This is assuming that you’re only going to buy a few angelfish to take care of.
If you choose to get more angelfish, then you’re going to need an even larger fish tank. This will wind up costing more money, and you’re going to need to increase your budget as a result.
How Much Does Angelfish Food Cost?
You shouldn’t have to spend too much money each month to feed the angelfish, but it will still be an expense that you need to factor in. The overall cost of the angelfish food will depend on what you want to feed the fish.
There are a few different options when it comes to feeding angelfish. Most people choose to feed the fish a combination of angelfish flakes and shrimp pellets.
You can feed angelfish different types of fish flakes such as cichlid flakes or tropical flakes. It’s possible to buy flake fish food for between 10 and 20 dollars, depending on how much food you buy at once.
Shrimp pellets aren’t expensive either, and you can get some for just a few dollars or a bigger container or pellets for around 10 dollars. Some fish enthusiasts choose to buy frozen brine shrimp for the angelfish, which will be around 11 dollars at most pet stores.
It’s also worth mentioning that some people choose to feed fish live food. Live food will be very high in nutrition, but you’ll need to buy from a reputable store so that you don’t expose your fish to parasites.
The live food will be costly, and you might wish to avoid going this route if you’d like to keep your monthly costs low. Also, it might not be as practical to have to go back and forth to a store to get live food for the fish so often.
Regardless, you might find the idea of feeding your angelfish live food on occasion to be appealing. You can look into those options by contacting your local stores.
Angelfish love to eat brine shrimp. That will be the most popular type of live food that you will likely purchase for them.
Koi Angelfish
Koi angelfish are among the most popular freshwater angelfish you will find. The coloration of this fish makes it look like a standard koi fish.
You can find this fish being sold in online pet stores for around 15 dollars currently. The pricing of the fish might vary depending on where you purchase it, though.
Zebra Angelfish
Zebra angelfish are another popular choice. They look stunning in an aquarium setting because of how neat their zebra stripes are.
Generally, you’ll find these fish being sold for between 10 and 20 dollars. There are some color variations, and certain factors might make the fish more or less expensive.
Silver Angelfish
Silver angelfish have proven to be very well-loved pet fish over the years. They look great and they’re incredibly easy to take care of.
These are another type of fish that you should be able to find at a low price. They’ll be sold at many pet stores for less than 10 dollars.
Gold Angelfish
Gold angelfish are great because they stand out with the golden coloration. They’ve been bred to look as visually appealing as possible.
You should be able to find a gold angelfish for less than 20 dollars online. They might be sold for slightly more money than this, depending on the location and how many fish are currently available, though.
Marble Angelfish
Marble angelfish are truly gorgeous. They have marbled coloration that makes them stand out in any fish tank that they are placed in.
If you want to buy one of these fish, then you should expect to pay between 10 and 20 dollars. These fish are well worth looking into because of how pretty they are.
Saltwater Angelfish Will Be More Expensive
Generally, saltwater angelfish will be more expensive than freshwater angelfish. It’s also more expensive to keep a saltwater tank than it is to keep a freshwater one.
Many of the common types of saltwater angelfish will still be fairly affordable, though. It just depends on how much you’re willing to spend on a fish.
You should be able to get a yellow angelfish for as little as 45 dollars at some pet stores. These fish are very pretty and will look nice in a basic saltwater tank setup.
Pygmy angelfish are inexpensive as well, and you should be able to find one being sold for around 30 dollars. Koran angelfish are also considered to be fairly affordable since the small ones go for 70 dollars and the large ones cost around 100 dollars.
A flame angelfish is going to cost you around 100 dollars to purchase. If you wanted to buy two flame angelfish for your tank, then you’d need at least 200 dollars to do so.
Many exotic saltwater angelfish will be even more pricey than this. For example, the large queen angelfish will cost as much as 300 dollars.
Some emperor angelfish can be purchased for under 200 dollars, but the largest ones will go for more than 400 dollars at most stores that sell them. As you can tell, buying saltwater angelfish will have the potential to get quite expensive.
Why Are Saltwater Tanks More Expensive?
Saltwater tanks are more expensive than freshwater tanks for quite a few reasons. They’re harder to maintain, and they require additional equipment.
You’ll need to concern yourself with the salinity of the water when caring for a saltwater tank. This can be a lot of work, and it’s usually not a good idea for a beginner to jump right into taking care of a saltwater tank.
If you’re still relatively new to the world of aquariums, then you might wish to stick to freshwater tanks for a while. After gaining some experience taking care of fish, it likely won’t seem as daunting to care for a saltwater tank.
That being said, you still likely want to know how expensive a saltwater tank will be. Understand that the equipment that you’ll need will cost you hundreds of dollars, at the very least.
Some saltwater tank setups can cost thousands of dollars. A beginner setup is more likely to cost 300 dollars or more, though.
Since many saltwater angelfish need decently large fish tanks to thrive, you’ll be spending a fair bit of cash. If you don’t have 500 dollars or more to spend on fish tank equipment, then you should probably not go through with this.
Final Thoughts
After learning a lot about the cost of angelfish, it should be a lot easier to decide what to do. You now have the data that you need to make an informed decision.
It isn’t a good idea to jump into a hobby that you can’t afford. Most people will be able to figure out how to save some cash so that they can keep an aquarium if they’re really interested, though.
You’ll need to have at least a few hundred dollars to get started. Going with a freshwater tank is recommended for a beginner since it’s less expensive and easier to take care of.
Factor in the cost of the fish, the fish tank, and the equipment that you need for the tank. Don’t forget that the food for the fish will cost a little bit of cash as well.
So long as you plan ahead, you should be able to get everything that you need to get your fish tank up and running. Hopefully, this will be a hobby that will bring you a lot of joy.
It truly is great to spend time observing your fish and relaxing. For many, it’s an excellent way to wind down in the evening.
You’ve done the responsible thing and looked up information about the overall cost before committing to purchasing the fish. Now it’s simply up to you to make the final decision about how you would like to proceed.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.