African Butterflies

[itiwhetu]

This tank was set up just to breed African Butterflies. You can make out three fish in the photo. There were five fish in a four tank. The water level was about ten inches. I had them doing everything apart from laying eggs. It was Disappointing and is classed as unfinished business.

 

[Colin_T]

Have you got males and females?
What are you feeding them?
How often are you feeding them?
What is the pH, GH and KH of the water?
Most for these fish are wild caught and need live foods and soft water to breed.

 

[itiwhetu]

Have you got males and females?
What are you feeding them?
How often are you feeding them?
What is the pH, GH and KH of the water?
Most for these fish are wild caught and need live foods and soft water to breed.

I will reply in full later, when I'm on the computer

 

[itiwhetu]

@Colin_T. This story dates back a few years, but here goes.
I wanted a new challenge so decided to breed African Butterflies. I bought eight fish from an importer sight unseen. Of those eight fish there were two males the rest females, I kept the best three females and the males. Raised them up in the tank under the Discus, with the whiptails. Then purpose built a four-foot tank for them that was just twelve inches deep. I ran them in that alone with about six inches of water, as the days lengthened,and the early morning sun started to hit the tank, I slowly raised the water to about ten inches. The tank had a peat base pH of 6.2-6.5, I don't know the hardness. They were fed exclusively on Mosquito larvae and adults. The tank was always full of food.
Even though I never saw any eggs or young I'm fairly sure they spawned. The activity in the tank suggested that. I consider this unfinished business and will do it again sometime. I think the tank needs to be bigger most probably six feet by two feet and a foot deep. The activity of these fish was amazing to watch but they looked like they ran out of space.

 

[Colin_T]

They need more variety in their diet. Offer them different dry foods, insects/ insect larvae, frozen foods, whatever they will eat. Feed them several times a day.

There was an article in a TFH magazine years ago that had information about them breeding. Maybe check out the TFH website and see if you can find the article.

 

[itiwhetu]

They need more variety in their diet. Offer them different dry foods, insects/ insect larvae, frozen foods, whatever they will eat. Feed them several times a day.

There was an article in a TFH magazine years ago that had information about them breeding. Maybe check out the TFH website and see if you can find the article.

It's one of those fish that have always fascinated me. I have a six-foot tank sitting in the back yard it may be time to crank it up.

 

[itiwhetu]

Funny thing I had the lid on pretty tight as my wife wasn't keen on the mosquitos flying around, but every now and again a moth would get into the tank, these guys would go crazy trying to catch it.

 

[Colin_T]

We used to feed them crickets (soft ones that had just moulted), earthworms, cockroachs (again soft), mealworms and anything else we could get.

A 6ft tank should have ample room for them.
If you have deeper water it might put more space between the adults and any eggs they produce and you might get better results.

 

[AquaBarb]

These look super cool and interesting fish id like to have in the future.

Anychance of a picture of the whole tank?

 

[itiwhetu]

These look super cool and interesting fish id like to have in the future.

Anychance of a picture of the whole tank?

The best I can do is this photo, the bottom tank was where they were housed. I then built a four-foot version of that set up. I took all the contents from this tank and put it in the new tank.

Three Tanks

I found this photo. It may help to say something about me. The front tank had Clown Killifish and pygmy cats in it that spawned continuously. The tanks in the background had my discus in the top tank and the African Butterflies in the bottom. To the right-hand side around the corner where the...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Tacocat]

The best I can do is this photo, the bottom tank was where they were housed. I then built a four-foot version of that set up. I took all the contents from this tank and put it in the new tank.

Three Tanks

I found this photo. It may help to say something about me. The front tank had Clown Killifish and pygmy cats in it that spawned continuously. The tanks in the background had my discus in the top tank and the African Butterflies in the bottom. To the right-hand side around the corner where the...

www.fishforums.net

what happened to the fish?

 

[itiwhetu]

what happened to the fish?

At that stage I had fifteen tanks in the house. When we shifted, I give whole setups away to my best customers. The Butterflies and the four-foot tank were given away, naturally they didn't want five fish in a four-foot tank so added other fish and then the Butterflies did nothing but swim around.

 

[AquaBarb]

This tank was set up just to breed African Butterflies. You can make out three fish in the photo. There were five fish in a four tank. The water level was about ten inches. I had them doing everything apart from laying eggs. It was Disappointing and is classed as unfinished business.
View attachment 145819

Hi @itiwhetu

Are the these best in groups in your experience?

Would a group of 3 or 4 be ok in a 5ft tank say or would they need to be in a bigger group

 

[Back in the fold]

Are those Pantodons ? How cool ! They're a fish that I've always wanted to see with my own eyes but never have.

 

[AquaBarb]

Are those Pantodons ? How cool ! They're a fish that I've always wanted to see with my own eyes but never have.

I believe they are Pantodons they are fascinating fish for sure. I read today they are distant relatives of Arowanas