Nandus Nebulosus

[jayclarke]

Hello can anybody give me any info. on the Leaf fish; Nandus Nebulosus. I've got him in a 50 imp. gallon tank with a Senegal Bichir, Geophagus Abalios, Leopard Bushfish, Jade Eye Cichlid, Boesmans rainbows, synodontis and a couple of others. He is only about an 3cm long and only eats live food but thats really all i know about him. Has anybody kept one and tell me a little about them. Thanks J

 

[guppy]

The only thing I have found so far is that they are also called Malayan leaf fish and are found in singapore among other places. Might pm a spore member, they are slow moving predators and hardy. I have kept other leaf fish but not that one.

 

[Vitaliy]

Here is some information that quick Google search came up with.

The Malayan Leaf Fish inhabits shallow forest pools, forest streams, swamps, bogs and larger water bodies including lakes and reservoirs.

This is a lurking, solitary species difficult to locate : its cryptic patterning, brown and fawn colour and body shape camouflage the fish effectively amongst leaf detritus, allowing it to snatch unwary prey such as small fishes.

The species ranges from Indochina and Thailand through Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore to parts of Indonesia.

and

SYN: Bedula hamiltonii, Coius nandus, Nandus marmoratus
PD: An oval-shaped fish with an arched back and lateral compression. The first 12 rays of the long dorsal fin are spiny, while the rest are not. The caudal fin is fan-shaped and the mouth is deeply cleft. The body coloration change, although it is generally gray with irregular brown markings. The eye has two brown stripes passing through it: one running from the mouth to the origin of the dorsal fin, and the other running from the throat to the eye. The fins are grayish, also with brown markings.
SIZE: To 8" (20 cm)
SS: Other Leaf fish
HAB: Inhabits swamps, coastal lakes, and rivers in Southeast Asia; Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, India
S: bottom, middle
TANK: A 36" (91 cm) or 35-45 gallon (132-170 L) tank is suggested. The tank should be densely planted with a cover of floating plants. Use rocks, roots, and wood to create hiding places.
WATER: pH 6.9-8 (7.4), 8-15 dH (12), 73-81°F (23-27°C). A 0.5-1.0% addition of salt is recommended to keep the fish in top condition. Add 4-7.5 Tsp. salt for every 10 gallons (5-10 g/10 L).
SB: A large, predatory fish that will feed on smaller companions at night. The Nandus is best kept in a species tank although can be combined with other large, robust species.
SC: Giant Gourami, Mystus Cats, Knifefish, large barbs.
FOOD: Live; fish, insects, insect larvae, crustaceans, worms
SEX: Difficult to distinguish, males may be darker colored and have larger fins.
B: Use water with a pH from 6.8-7, a water hardness from 6-9 dH, and a temperature from 7-81°F (25-27°C). As many as 300 tiny eggs are scattered. These hatch after two days are ignored by the parents. The fry can be raised on Artemia nauplii.
BP: 9. Breeding is unusual and rarely accomplished.
R: This species is nocturnal.
DC: 7. This predatory species requires a diet of live foods.

 

[jayclarke]

Thanks for that ... one thing ive noticed about him, he's not shy at all and considering his small size at the moment he readily hand feeds. Hopefully it'll be ok in that tank without munching on the others.

 

[Nandus]

As you can tell, I am a big fan of leaf fish. If it's like it's cousin Nandus nandus, It will probably be hard to get to eat anything other than live food. I was unable to get them to eat anything else but guppies. You may be able to trick it into taking frozen strips of fish dangled in the water (It worked for my rhombeus). He should be in a tank by himself or at least with some non aggresive dither fish. No cichlids. Keep in mind that most Nandids can eat fish up to 2/3 their own size. They also like a planted tank. They are found around plants in the wild.

 

[jayclarke]

This little fish never hides its constantly up and down the front of the tank, i'm feeding him earthworms, bloodworm, he's also snapping at pieces of trout im putting in an carnivoure pellets but just spits it back out. Considering his small size nothing bothers him and he even tackles my biosterous clowns for food.