{"product_id":"lm-black-angelfish-medium-large","title":"Lightly Medicated | Black Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)","description":"\u003ch3\u003eWhat “Lightly Medicated” means\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis is the same animal as our non-quarantined listing, held briefly in our systems and given one short prophylactic course — a light treatment for ich and for internal and external worms — then observed eating in front of us before it goes home.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA light course knocks the parasite load down. It does not guarantee full removal, and we will not pretend otherwise.\u003c\/strong\u003e Ich is only killed in its free-swimming stage, and a short treatment window can miss cysts entirely; worm burdens can survive a single dose. Clearing an animal takes the full quarantine window — 40 to 90 days depending on the species — which is exactly what the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/quarantine-program\"\u003eQuarantined listing\u003c\/a\u003e is for. This tier buys you a lower parasite load and a fish we have watched eat, not a cleared animal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe condition the fish on our end.\u003c\/strong\u003e Every animal we medicate is brought back onto prepared food on our own systems and is eating before it leaves — in practice it is rare for a lightly medicated fish to ship out and arrive sick. Do the same at your end: get it eating in your aquarium before you count it settled.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhen it ships\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlan on \u003cstrong\u003e3–5 days\u003c\/strong\u003e on our systems for the treatment course, and it does not leave until it is eating. \u003cstrong\u003eIf the animal is not already in our systems we source it first — allow up to two weeks for it to reach us before that clock starts.\u003c\/strong\u003e From the day you order, plan on roughly two and a half weeks in total.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe guarantees\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipped orders:\u003c\/strong\u003e 24-hour live guarantee from confirmed delivery.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIn-store pickup:\u003c\/strong\u003e 7-day live guarantee — bring a water sample from your aquarium so we can test it before your livestock goes home with you.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eWant the full program — treated, observed, confirmed eating, and covered for 28 days on pickup? That is the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/quarantine-program\"\u003eQuarantined listing\u003c\/a\u003e. Run your own quarantine and just want the fish this week? The \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/non-quarantined-livestock\"\u003enon-quarantined listing\u003c\/a\u003e is cheaper still. The whole ladder is explained in \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/quarantined-vs-non-quarantined\"\u003eQuarantined vs Non-Quarantined\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack Angelfish are a melanistic strain of \u003cem\u003ePterophyllum scalare\u003c\/em\u003e — pigment cells pushed toward full black expression, producing a fish with a genuinely deep, dark body that reads as velvety under aquarium light. There are degrees of “black” in angelfish breeding: a true genetic black is uniformly dark with minimal pattern; a dark marble or smoky variety looks almost black but shows structure through the coloring. These fish span that range, and the exact expression varies between individuals even from the same spawn.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a planted tank with a dark substrate and background, an all-black angelfish uses the visual environment brilliantly — visible primarily through movement, which is exactly how the lateral body compression evolved to work in submerged Amazonian root systems. In a bright bare setup, it reads very differently, standing out starkly without vegetation to give it context.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey’re peaceable community fish when young and more territorial once paired off, which typically happens somewhere between 6 and 12 months. A bonded pair will clean a smooth surface and guard the spawning site with real cichlid intensity — other fish in the tank, including former tankmates, will be actively driven off. Give them enough space for multiple pairs (55+ gallons) to avoid constant territorial disputes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScientific name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pterophyllum scalare (melanistic\/dark strain)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Amazon River basin, South America\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater parameters:\u003c\/strong\u003e Temp 76–86°F · pH 6.0–7.5 · Soft to moderately hard water\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTank requirements:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30 gal minimum; tall tank preferred\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiet:\u003c\/strong\u003e Omnivore — flake, pellet, and frozen meaty foods\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompatibility:\u003c\/strong\u003e Peaceful community when young; territorial when spawning; avoid fin-nippers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHusbandry note:\u003c\/strong\u003e True black coloration intensifies with high-quality nutrition and good water conditions — thin, washed-out black usually points to a diet problem or suboptimal water quality. Dark substrate and slightly lower lighting shows the coloring at its best.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"YoCamron's Aquatics","offers":[{"title":"Medium\/Large","offer_id":50610252906733,"sku":"FANGE0805","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"XL","offer_id":50610252939501,"sku":"FANGE0807","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/1032\/8813\/files\/Pterophyllum_scalare_black_juv.jpg?v=1785097135","url":"https:\/\/www.yocamronsaquatics.com\/products\/lm-black-angelfish-medium-large","provider":"YoCamron’s Aquatics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}