African Fresh Water Butterflyfish

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HurricaneForce76

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 3, 2006
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Long Island, New York
Has anyone here kept FW Butterfly fish, family Pantodontidae? There really cool looking, and Osteoglossiformes, just like Aros, so I though since an Aro is pretty much out of the picture to bring to college with me, why not pick up a butterfly or two? I read that they need a minimum of ten gallons with a good amount of surface area to swim and hunt, and a strong top to keep them from jumping out... hmm sounds ALOT like Aros. Does anyone have any more info on these little buggers, from general knowledge or experience? If so, I'd love what ever you have to share.
~76
 
These are great little fish for the smaller tanks. Unlike its bigger cousins though, they are not as active as one might hope, also they pretty much stay at the top of the water column so are hard to see if you dont know they are there, so you'll probably want to add other more active fish in your tank

I keep mine in a anubias planted african biotope tank with ctenopomas and young polypterus.

Nice little fish! :)

HTH
 
I got a small one, they love anything floating at the surfas like crickets
 
Thanks alot guys... anyone have any ideas for making a tiny african biotope tank for me to bring to college? Im buying a nano cube, 12 gal, and either want to stock it with a yellow head jaw fish, marine, or a butterfly, possibly mated pair, b/c they could supposedly share the 10 gal requirement. I'd like to know what type of plants, tank mates, if you think there necessary, butterfly's are almost cool enough in and of themselves, and gravel type would be necessary, I want to keep strictly to reality, Im rather anal retentive in that matter, lol. Your opinion is greatly appreciated, and I'd love to hear which basic, marine small reef, or african biotope you think would be cooler, and what type/ species of animal plant would make it as special as possible. Thanks alot,
~76
 
messiner said:
I got a small one, they love anything floating at the surfas like crickets
Click to expand...

Man do they like crickets!!
 
I havn't been able to keep these fish yet, but my understanding is that the biggest challenge with them is keeping them fed. They definitely prefer live food, but may accept floading pellets or sticks. Crockets are an ideal live food for them, of course.
The ones I've seen have all been very inactive during the day, prefering to hunt a bit at night. In fact, they pretty much look like they're floating dead most of the time... I would not keep 2 of them in a tank smaller than 20 gallons. they get to be about 8 inches long, and a ten gallon or one of the nano cubes just doesn't have the surface area to support more than one, IMO.
 
I had them for a while now in my dorm room, and they are really finicky eaters I can get them to eat guppies, occasional ghost shrimp, crickets and plankton it will eat. Really cool fish but really picky about his diet.
 
Had a medium ciclid tank, and kept one as a mixer. Since then have had 4 total great fish, nothing else bothers them as they appear to be a floating mass of dead vegittaion at the top of the tank. If need to they can hold their own and as stated they loved crickets, as well as other floating food. I used to feed mine crickets, flightless fruit flies, flightless flies, and other insects grown for herps in general. Not that active of a fish though.
 
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