African Butterfly Fish

yup those are the one's... Are they okay?

 

I dont see why not?

Looking for a bit of variation for the guys to eat.

Got 8 of the chaps in my Africa tank.

A little cricket action to keep them happy.

 

How big is your tank surface Gilbert, do your 8 ABF's all get along? I've been offered another two of these guys and thinking seriously of taking them....

I must say it'll be cricket action for both you and your Butterflys - when I chuck a cricket in they roam the top of the tank excitedly and then pounce on the poor bug, quite a spectical. I'll take a video of it and post it as a link on this thread.

 

1.2m x 45cm.

That would be 7 now but yes the do get along. I have a lot of indian fern floating, as well as Vallis it keeps them happy. I have 1 problem chappy.

 

African Butterfly addition - Pantodon buchholzi

I am on my second bunch of Butterfly Fish and thought id elaborate on this thread.

In all honesty I have found these fish to be quite docile and if anything they are more often bothered by there tank mates than the other way around. It seems they have a magnetism which other fish cant ignore. Even my gouramis constantly investigate them.

The trick I find is at feeding time, this based on my setup. You will need to either distract your other fish with sinking food or drop live prey very near to them. Mine have occasionally taken dried food but don't seem to do so as a habit.

Floating plants are essential, these will be vital to their happiness. These fish definitely become more active when the lights become more dim (dusk) they will actually begin to explore the middle regions of your tank.

I have pulled the info below from animal-world and other websites as it seems pretty accurate based on my experience.


Habitat: Distribution / Background

The African Butterfly fish Pantodon buchholzi was described by Peters in 1876. They are found in West Africa, Nigeria, Cameroons, Zaire. The genus name, Pantodon, is derived from the Greek terms "pan" meaning "all" and "odon" meaning "teeth", so together this literally means "all tooth". The species name "buchholzi" is a patronym. This fish species was named after the man who discovered it, Professor R. W. Buchholz. Other common names it is known by are Freshwater Butterflyfish, Butterfly Fish, African Butterfly Fish, and Butterflyfish. The species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.
Freshwater Butterflyfish live in the acidic waters of West Africa and are common in Lake Chad, Congo Basin, Lower Niger, Cameroon, Ogooue, and Upper Zambezi. They can be found in smaller numbers in the Niger Delta, Lower Ogun and Lower Cross Rivers. They inhabit areas with slow to no current, but with a dense amount of surface floating vegetation. In nature these fish are surface hunters. They primarily feed on terrestrial insects, aquatic larvae and nymphs of insects, but will also feed on crustaceans and fish.

• Scientific Name: Pantodon buchholzi
• Social Grouping: Pairs - They can be found singly or in pairs in the wild.
• IUCN Red List: NE - Not Evaluated or not listed

Description
The Butterflyfish got their name from their appearance when viewed from the surface. Their large pectoral fins give them a butterfly like appearance. They normally grow no larger then 5 inches in length, though usually smaller in the aquarium reaching about 4 inches (10 cm). Most of the Butterfly Fish that we have seen are full grown or close to it. A Butterfly fish has a flat head and back that is a light brown or greenish color with a silver sheen and has dark markings on the fins and underside.
The large pectoral fins of the Freshwater Butterflyfish are widespread and it uses them to glide over short distances. The wide lizard-like mouth is upturned at the top of the body, and true to form it eats all manner of surface insects. This fish will normally be found at the surface hoover for prey. It has a unique ability to breath surface air and its swim bladder not only regulates buoyancy but also helps with gas exchange while breathing surface air.

• Size of fish - inches: 5.1 inches (12.95 cm) - The African Butterflyfish generally only gets up to about 4 inches (10 cm) in the aquarium.
• Lifespan: 5 years

Fish Keeping Difficulty
Freshwater Butterflyfish are not suggested for beginners as they have rather specialized needs. Butterfly fish are not very tolerant of water condition changes and close monitoring practices should be in place. You do want to make sure the filter is not producing too much surface current. If using a powerful filter try to have it come out low in the tank.

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These fish can be somewhat demanding eaters and will usually not eat flake or other processed foods. Stick to nature and feed live foods or insects. Care needs to be taken when feeding because they will swallow anything they think will fit in their mouth. When scared these fish can glide out of the tank so make every effort not to surprise this fish, and it is very important to have a secure top.

• Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately Difficult
• Aquarist Experience Level: Advanced - As they have very specialized needs, Freshwater Butterfly fish are best kept by a more advanced hobbyist.

Foods and Feeding
Since they are carnivores, the African Butterflyfish will eat all types of protein foods. They especially like live insects. Feed flies, mosquito larvae, small spiders, worms, small fish, brine shrimp, small prawns, and large flake food. We have had good success feeding them small crickets. They are surface eaters, so anything that falls to the bottom will not be consumed by the Butterflyfish.

• Diet Type: Carnivore - They are a surface hunter primarily feeding on insects, but will also feed on crustaceans and other fish.
• Flake Food: Occasionally - Can offer large flake occasionally, but not as their main diet.
• Tablet / Pellet: Occasionally
• Live foods (fishes, shrimps, worms): Most of Diet - Insects are a huge part of their diet, but will eat small fish and worms too.
• Meaty Food: All of Diet
• Feeding Frequency: Several feedings per day

Aquarium Care

The Butterflyfish tank needs to suit their specialized needs. The aquarium needs a high quality filter but this fish does not like any current. It is important make sure the filter is not producing to much of a current at the surface or middle of the tank. Frequent small water changes will help to maintain the stabile water chemistry they need. A weekly water change of 15-20% is the standard recommendation.

• Water Changes: Weekly - Water change should be 15-20% weekly.

Aquarium Setup

The Freshwater Butteflyfish is rather particular about its habitat. They like a shady, shallow aquarium with a lot of surface area and loosely planted. They need an aquarium that is at least 40 gallons, and prefer one that's only about 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) deep. They are happiest with more length and width to the tank, rather than depth. This provides the large surface area they require. Column tanks are not suitable for these fish. This fish only really uses the top of the tank, occasionally visiting the middle.
The Butterflyfish does best in slightly acidic, soft water. Water movement should be kept to a minimum and lighting should be dim. There should be a good amount of floating plants to help subdue the lighting and give natural cover so the Butterfly can exhibit its natural behavior. A tight lid it necessary to prevent the fish from "flying" out of the tank.

• Minimum Tank Size: 40 gal (151 L) - The aquarium needs more length and width to the tank, rather than depth. No column tanks.
• Suitable for Nano Tank: No
• Substrate Type: Any
• Lighting Needs: Low - subdued lighting
• Temperature: 77.0 to 82.0° F (25.0 to 27.8° C)
• Breeding Temperature: 80.0° F
• Range ph: 6.5-7.0
• Hardness Range: 8 - 12 dGH
• Brackish: No
• Water Movement: Weak
• Water Region: Top - These fish will swim in the top of the aquarium.

Social Behaviors
They are generally a good community fish although they may eat small fish. These fish will swim in the top of the aquarium. It is best to keep it with other fish that swim in the middle or bottom of the aquarium. They can be intolerant of other fish that use the top of the tank and can become very aggressive.
In a large enough tank they can do ok with other Butterflyfish. Take caution with tank mates that are fin nippers as these with will stress the Butterflyfish as they have long tentacle type fins that dangle below them. The Butterfly fish does well with Congo tetras, elephant nose fish, catfish, Knife fish, and medium sized West African Cichlids.

• Venomous: No
• Temperament: Semi-aggressive - Aggressive toward other top dwellers and small fish that are perceived as food.
• Compatible with:
  • Same species - conspecifics: Sometimes - In a big enough tank they can be grouped. Tank must be large enough for each to have their own space or they will become aggressive.
  • Peaceful fish (): Safe - They are peaceful with other fish that swim in the middle or bottom of the aquarium.
  • Semi-Aggressive (): Safe
  • Semi-Aggressive (): Safe
  • Aggressive (): Monitor
  • Slow Swimmers & Eaters (): Monitor
  • Shrimps, Crabs, Snails: May be aggressive - Generally safe as these fish inhabit the top area of the water, but in the wild these fish do occasionally eat crustaceans.
  • Plants: Safe

Sex: Sexual differences
The male is slimmer than the female, though that is hard to distinguish unless the female is fat due to carrying eggs. The rear edge of the anal fin of the male describes a convex curve and the fin rays form a tube (which is the genital organ). The rear edge of the female anal fin is straight.


Breeding / Reproduction
These fish are rather difficult to breed and peat filtration is recommended. The water conditions given above are the recommended breeding conditions. Feed a pair with a large variety of live foods to induce spawning. Once spawning begins, 3 to 7 eggs will be produced at each pass. The eggs will float to the surface where you can use a spoon to transfer them to another aquarium. The pairing will continue for some time with a total of 80 to 200 eggs dropped per day. The eggs will hatch in about 36 hours.