When viewed from above the African Butterflyfish's pectoral fins resemble butterfly wings. Author Note: People commonly confuse this species with saltwater butterflyfishes. In fact, the African butterflyfish has sensors that detect small waves in the water caused by insects hitting the water's surface. Mottled brown in appearance, African butterflies stay primarily at the surface of the water, rarely venturing to the lower depths of the tank. In some cases, newcomers may fail to identify it as a fish at all. Breeding : They have been bred in captivity and are egg layers. The African Butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi) may be small, but it packs some surprises for both predators and prey. But for some reason, there seems to be a bit of misinformation floating around online when it comes to these fish. One Google source indicates African butterfly fish have environmental needs similar to those of angelfish. They’ll scarf down their target and dart away to eat. The typical lifespan of an African Butterfly Fish is around 5-6 years when given a good diet and proper conditions. The copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) is visually very similar … But I'm not entirely certain. That’s where this guide comes in. They come from slow flowing rivers in Africa so it would be good to put them in a tank with slower water movement. It makes you a better aquarist and will improve your skills for any future species you own in the future. The long dangling fins of a Freshwater Butterfly Fish make very tempting targets! When it comes to picking the best African Butterfly Fish tank mates there are a few things you need to be aware of first. African butterfly fish are fairly hardy and easy to care for. They are usually available on … One of the most interesting things about the African Butterfly Fish is their ability to jump through the air. If you have any stories about your Freshwater Butterfly Fish that you’d like us to include in our guide feel free to send them our way! My 55 gallon community aquarium. This a collection of the odd fish containing various true bony fish such as the Arapaima and Butterflyfish, pseudo-bony fish like the gar, pike, and sturgeonfish, as well as lungfish and a bunch of other strange fish. A carnivore in … Their mouth is positioned at an upward angle too. African Butterfly Cichlids are somewhat drab as juveniles and are frequently overlooked when found in tropical fish keeping shops. They come from slow flowing rivers in Africa so it would be good to put them in a tank with slower water movement. Decreasing the water level a little bit seems to be more of an impactful change that is easy to implement. Privacy Policy | SiteMap | Aquarium Dictionary | Affiliate Disclosure | Contact Us. It's always a good idea to keep any new fish in a quarantine tank for a few weeks for monitoring before introducing them into your main tank. This is a top dwelling fish that grows no bigger than 5 inches in size. These fish are predators (as we’ve mentioned throughout this care guide). Obviously you can buy yourself a little bit of leeway if you have a very large tank, but those are the general rules you’ll want to follow when it comes to compatibility. Get a reliable testing kit that will give you accurate readings and use it regularly (we like doing this every two days). This is the Butterfly fish (Pantodon buchholzi) and a common sight in any store professing to know anything about curiosities. It is not closely related to saltwater butterflyfishes. Plants will also do a good job of keeping things a bit on the dimmer side. Despite the fact that they’re not as beginner-friendly as some other freshwater species, we think that just adds to the fun. It’s a great chance to observe these fish in action! The species name \"buchholzi\" is a patronym. Other common names it is known by are Freshwater Butterflyfish, Butterfly … Like we said earlier, the design of this fish has mostly been unchanged for millions of years. These fish are notorious tank jumpers so a good hood with no escape points is needed. The African Butterflyfish is common to many lakes across Africa and is an interesting fish. Anything that grows mostly at the bottom of their tank won’t be used very much since these fish spend most of their time near the surface. Once the breeding process has occurred the floating eggs will be laid. It just works! Updated August 5, 2019Author: Mike - FishLore AdminSocial Media: The African Butterflyfish is a really odd looking fish but might make an interesting addition to the right tank. Author Note: We know a few aquarists who’ve had their Freshwater Butterfly Fish exceed the average length by about an inch. A large tank with ample hiding places is needed to successfully maintain some species. If your Freshwater Butterfly Fish spends its time in a habitat where it doesn’t feel comfortable, there’s a higher chance of them getting a common disease in the future. The African butterfly fish is a small freshwater fish with such distinctive characteristics that it is the only species in the family Pantodontidae. After about a week the eggs will hatch. While it’s not a walk in the park, if you have their normal water conditions and habitat set up properly you can definitely find success. When it comes to additional items like rocks, caves, and driftwood there’s really not much to consider as well. Take an hour (instead of 15 minutes) and slowly add small amounts of tank water to the bag every 10 minutes or so. Their large colorful pectoral fins, that they wiggle when gliding in the water, makes them strikingly similar to a butterfly hence their name. When it comes to behavior, African Butterfly Fish are interesting. The captive care of this group of fish varies a great deal due to the special feeding requirements (live coral polyp) of some species. Copperband butterflyfish. This is a problem in captivity. In fact, they’re one of the most popular…, Clown Loaches are one of the most popular freshwater fish in the aquarium scene. We technically wouldn’t consider this to be aggression though since they’re just behaving like normal predators. Diet / Foods : An omnivore - provide a varied diet with live food, frozen food and they should accept flake food. The African Butterflyfish is a really odd looking fish but might make an interesting addition to the right tank. This only happens in writing though because they look absolutely nothing alike! African Butterflyfish will accept smaller fish food including flakes, frozen, freeze dried and live fish foods (crickets and worms). This means you need to feed them a lot of meaty live food. By the time you’re done reading it, you’ll be an expert! If you get a specimen with great genetics and you take good care of them, it’s entirely possible to exceed this lifespan. We prefer to aim for the higher end of that range because it provides them with extra stimulation and mimics their natural eating pattern. African Butterfly Fish like their water to be calm! Their name comes from the look of their pectoral fins when viewing them from the surface. They are usually present near the water surface. There’s something fulfilling about taking care of a fish where you have to pay closer attention to what you’re doing. Chaetodon dolosus, the African butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish of the family Chaetodontidae.It is found in the Western Indian Ocean, at depths from 40–200 metres (13–66 ft.It can grow up to 15 centimetres (6 in) in length. However, that’s only part of the equation. 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