Common Name/s:African Butterfly Fish

Scientific name: Pantodon buchholzi

Family: Pantodontidae.

Origin: West Africa

Maximum Size: 10cm / 4 inches

Care: PH 6.5-7.5, soft and slightly acidic. Water quality should be very good. Be sure to keep Nitrates and Ammonia levels low. African Butterfly Fish will reach 10cm/4inches. They only need a small tank of 10-15 gallons, make sure the tank has a good amount of surface area, so longer tanks are better. The tank should have some taller plants or floating plants to provide the fish with cover making it feel more secure. The butterfly fish can live as a single specimen or in a big enough tank as a group. They should not be kept with fin nippers as they have long finnage. Smaller fish under 2inches are also out of the question as they may end as a snack for the butterfly fish. Bottom dwellers and mid water fish of a good size and temprement are fine.

Feeding: They can be difficult or easy to feed, some fish will refuse all but live foods but most will eat flakes, frozen and freeze dried foods, maggots and various insects like flys as they would do in the wild.

Sexing and Breeding: Breeding is difficult but possible, the key appears to be very soft acidic water, peat filtration and RO water are recomended. The eggs which are lighter than water will float and can be collected with a tablespoon to be transfered to a hatching tank. The eggs should hatch within 36 hours but the fry are very difficult to raise as they will only take tiny live foods.

Comments: The butterfly fish has been known in the hobby for over 90 years, but has never been available in large numbers. Tankmates should be chosen carefully as the Butterfly fish is a predator with a reasonably sized mouth. This fish may accept pellets and flake food, but is mainly carnivorous so prefers live food, freeze-dried or frozen foods. The Butterfly fish is a surface dweller which should be provided with open areas free of vegetation, although some floating plants can be used. Also a tight fitting cover is required to stop these fish from jumping out. This species is aggressive towards other surface dwelling creatures, but mid-water and bottom dwellers are usually ignored.

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Here's a photo of my "Ipsy" - he got his name from his 'spider legs' that dangle down.....

A close up of the head showing the "Trapdoor" mouth:



And mine at a fish show:

Mine above view.

A few more points:

They love mealworms, and they also like to hang out in floating plants.