Pterophyllum leopoldi - The dwarf angelfish

[BillyMaysChickenWings]

Whenever I go to a shop and see little juvenile angelfish I get so tempted to get them, though whether it be because of size, tankmates, salinity, or temperature, I simply do not have any tanks suitable for them at adult size.. However, I have recently found out about Leopold's Angelfish-- the smallest known angelfish cichlid. If anyone has experience with this fish, please let me know. I would like to know their diet, tankmates, temperature, tank size, difficulty and anything else worth noting. There is some information online, but I'd like to hear from different hobbyists who have first-hand experience with them.

 

[Cyradis4]

Assuming the Google Search showed the fish you are talking about, then I've had the Leopoldi before and they get to be the same size as most domestic Angels. While they may be a tad smaller than the wild Scalares, the domestic strains have a lot of Leopoldi in them.

As for the parameters and tank mates? Exactly what you would for any domestic Angelfish. As I said, the domestics have a lot of the Leos in them.

Having said that, its possible that what they are calling "Leopold's Angelfish" isn't what was called Leopoldi back 10 years ago when I was doing a lot of wild Angels. A decade ago, the classifications were a fair mess and people often called Angels by a wide variety of seemingly-interchangeable names.

Cheers!
C4.

 

[BillyMaysChickenWings]

Oh
Kind of a let-down
I don't really mind that much though

 

[FJB]

I would love for you to post pictures of your long-nose angelfish! Great fish.

I invite you to visit this thread, a bit older now - https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...illii-–-show-your-angels.730411/#post-8239741

The currently accepted name for that fish is Pterophyllum dumerillii. leopoldi is a validly introduced name, now considered a synonym.
They do grow to about the same size as P. scalare and P. altum, just different shape.
Below current photos (today) of the single fish I have.

 

[BillyMaysChickenWings]

So strange. I could have sworn I've heard they're smaller

 

[duanes]

This species does not take well to being crowded in a small tank.
And requires slightly acidic waters, pH 6 to 6.8.

 

[FJB]

"So strange. I could have sworn I've heard they're smaller"

Well, their maximum size is supposed to be smaller, but not enough to having coined the name 'dwarf angelfish', a mis-nomen.
Baensch & Fischer (Photo Index 1-5) list their maximum HEIGHTS (not length), in centimeters, as,
altum - 18 ( > 7" )
scalare - 15-25 !!! (6-10" !!!!) [That would awesome to see an angel that big!!]
dumerillii 10 ( 4"). [My fish is larger than that, ~ 5"+]

So, long nose-angelfish are indeed smaller. However that listing is not very useful with aquarium fish, or with most current shipments of wild angels. Most of the animals we see (all 3 taxa) are smaller than their maxima, and when we see groups in aquariums or for sale, usually they are much smaller, making any stray dumerillii (very rarely), look the same as all of them. It is relative. As if someone says has big or small hands. Was it ever settled whether the president has big or small hands?

Perhaps the common name of long nose-angelfish should be preferred to that of dwarf angelfish, making it more informative.
Beautiful fish. If you get a chance, consider snapping a photo of those at the pet store and share it. Better yet, get yourself some and show them. Cheers!

 

[altums85]

"So strange. I could have sworn I've heard they're smaller"

Well, their maximum size is supposed to be smaller, but not enough to having coined the name 'dwarf angelfish', a mis-nomen.
Baensch & Fischer (Photo Index 1-5) list their maximum HEIGHTS (not length), in centimeters, as,
altum - 18 ( > 7" )
scalare - 15-25 !!! (6-10" !!!!) [That would awesome to see an angel that big!!]
dumerillii 10 ( 4"). [My fish is larger than that, ~ 5"+]

So, long nose-angelfish are indeed smaller. However that listing is not very useful with aquarium fish, or with most current shipments of wild angels. Most of the animals we see (all 3 taxa) are smaller than their maxima, and when we see groups in aquariums or for sale, usually they are much smaller, making any stray dumerillii (very rarely), look the same as all of them. It is relative. As if someone says has big or small hands. Was it ever settled whether the president has big or small hands?

Perhaps the common name of long nose-angelfish should be preferred to that of dwarf angelfish, making it more informative.
Beautiful fish. If you get a chance, consider snapping a photo of those at the pet store and share it. Better yet, get yourself some and show them. Cheers!

Think u got it mixed up. Altums are the ones that get big. They are the biggest angel fish. Scalare are smaller.

 

[FJB]

You are right in that S. altum gets larger than scalare. The largest angels I have seen, have in fact been altum.
I know you know your angels.
I am not an expert of angelfish, or an angel keeper or breeder. In my current life I have a single fish.
The sizes above are quoted from Baensch & Fischer 1999, p. 774-775 (shown below).
For altum (left, bottom) they show 18cm.
For scalare they show a specimen at 15cm (middle, left), and a specimen at 25 cm (top, right). It is possible the latter is a typo on their part. Cheers!