Meet Hank, He wants some freinds :) (Leaopard Ctenopoma)

[Jessica-lee]

Hello everyone, I am looking for some advice on what tankmates would be great for my Male Leopard Ctenopoma (Ctenopoma Acutirostre) Or Climbing Perch fish / Spotted Bush fish. He is about 6 inches now. He lives currently with a 4 inch Female Jewel Cichlid and a 7 inch pleco. They are in a 50 gal moving to 75 gal. He eats a frozen diet of shrimp and dry pellets.

Looking for odd fish like him to add in the family. Got to be able to live in a 50-75 gal, and be great tankmates with my little man Hank

Looking at getting a African Butterfly fish, Tire Track Eel, Black Ghost Knife, a odd catfish of some sort, am planing to get a different pleco a yellow bristlenose would be nice. Orante Ctenopoma, Leaf fish. A shark would be nice but balas are ordinary and rainbows are to small. Clown Loach, how about a Ornate Bichir? or African Albino Clawed Frog?

Comments please?

 

[Horsegirlmaddy]

An African butterfly is great with the leopard Ctenopoma, but the jewel cichlid will most likely kill it. I have a senegal bichir, leopard Ctenopoma and African butterfly together, with no problems. Knife fish and ornate Bichirs will get much too big for a 75 gallon.

 

[Jessica-lee]

I figured the Oranate Bichir would get to large thats why id move him to a larger tank with the larger oscars we have. But I read that the knife is fine in 50 gals because they dont move to much, and I may plan to upgrade before he gets that large or move him to the larger tank aswell... I love the African Butterfly Fish, and my Leopard. The Senegal Bichir are nice. And my female Jewel at 4 inches doesnt bug Hank at all...

 

[Jessica-lee]

We used to have him in a 30 gal baby cichlid tank with baby bala sharks and cory cats and small catfish. Cichlds including, Electric Yellow Labs, Red Top Zebras, Species 44, and Sulfurhead Haps, and we caught him eating the small fry that we would jsut put in so we switch his tank. He was only in there because he was a take in, the only one we had and that tank suited him at first but as more cichlid fry where born he had to be moved. The person we got him from thought he was a Gourami lol and he was in a realy crazy dirty tank and the woman was nuts lol

 

[gpd605x]

I've got one in my 29 gal w/ some tiger barbs, algae eaters, black tetras, red serpae tetras, buenos aires tetras, angel fish, and a banded lepornius (spelling?). He mostly stays hidden in a log but he has been keeping to himself. At first, I thought he was going to give me problems, but he's been in there for at least 6 months and haven't had any problems. I honestly want to re-home him, I have too much stock in the tank and it needs thinning out

 

[Jessica-lee]

How big is he? and yeah min hides alot aswell he has a cave that he only leaves when no ones around or it dark or to get food, I would like larger fish as I could put tetras with a jewel cichlids plus I have another tank with tetras, mollys and gourmais lol

 

[Horsegirlmaddy]

A lot of people call them gouramis...*facepalm* yeah unfortunately fry at the only food mine will take. Urgh. So I have a guppy breeding "program" so my Ctenopoma has a constant supply of food. And ghost shrimp, if they're small enough and he gets a chance before the bichir gets them lol. What do you feed yours?

 

[abrinn23]

Just a heads up...that black ghost knife is going to need a tank that is 100g+ when it gets bigger

 

[Jessica-lee]

A lot of people call them gouramis...*facepalm* yeah unfortunately fry at the only food mine will take. Urgh. So I have a guppy breeding "program" so my Ctenopoma has a constant supply of food. And ghost shrimp, if they're small enough and he gets a chance before the bichir gets them lol. What do you feed yours?

I feed Hank NewLife Spectrum Large Fish Formula (3mm Sinking Pellets) but its healthy and what we buy for our cichlids, and flake food (DAILY) along with Brine Shrimp (or mysis, blood worms, and such) and some small raw srhimp from grocery store (Frozens are OCASIONAL) and he gets some fish fry sometimes (being Molly "breeding program" we have for our oscars, and SW preds and anemones)

 

[Jessica-lee]

Just a heads up...that black ghost knife is going to need a tank that is 100g+ when it gets bigger

Yes as said above (even though iv read and heard they can live alone in 50gal because they dont move much and are docile) Id plan to move him to a larger tank when he got bigger, tank being ither our soon to come 120 Oscar tank or 220 Cichlid Cummunity Tank.... Id get him no bigger than my Leopard as he needs to be bigg enough where my leopard wont eat him... so a few inches would be fine..

 

[Jessica-lee]

What everyones opinion on Leopard Ctenopoma, African Butterfly, (maybe female Jewel with a male and another female) small Black Ghost Knife, 3 clown loaches, leaf fish, and and a tire track eel? and maybe even a dwarf African Puffer? small catfish and nice pleco of corse, and maybe even a lopster or crayfish? And a Medium sized Shark?

with lots of rock, live plants, and thinkn on shrimp and snails, and inverts for cleaning...


Opinions and some suggestions please? some species suggestions....

 

[Jessica-lee]

PICS

Here is a pic of Hank hiding in his cave and a pic of he female Jewel Cichlid he lives with currently

 

[Horsegirlmaddy]

Hank's a big, healthy looking guy! Man I wish mine would eat prepared foods...

 

[Horsegirlmaddy]

Yes to the shark, tire track eel, bigger knife, etc you mentioned, but I'd say no to a crayfish. They either get eaten while moulting, or they will eat the fish, especially any that live on the bottom, such as clown loaches, eel, knife, etc. we had a crayfish in a large tank with 5-6" australian rainbows- large fast swimmers occupying the top range of the tank. They were fine for a few weeks, then the crayfish got lucky when one ventured to the bottom, and he ate that whole 6" rainbow. Moral of the story, crayfish generally shouldn't have tank mates! And I worry about clown loaches with any aggressive fish. Mine was fine for a year with any fish I put him with, but as soon as I added a cichlid to his tank, he was brutally massacred.

 

[Horsegirlmaddy]

Oh and definitely a no to a dwarf puffer, most people don't realize how miniscule they are! Literally less than an inch. And as far as puffers go, they're quite docile. And less than bite size, even puffed. But that reminded me, you could try an amazon/ south American/ bumblebee puffer (all names for the same puff). They're peaceful, large enough to not become a snack, and very cute.

 

[Jessica-lee]

That sounds great thats for the comments!! I like to get others opinions first I just love my leopard though we havent had him long, he was a take in, he has sure always taken anything I fed him. He is a big guy
Id love to add 3 Clown Loaches, 1 Butterfly, 1 Eel, 1 Knife, like one or two leaf fish, the puffer u mentioned, a shark, cat, and pleco. And the jewel and a male jewel... But wat about the frog? Odd but I love the frogs

 

[Horsegirlmaddy]

Now that my leaf fish is at least twice the size of my frogs' mouths, I've made them roommates. I am slowly planting the tank as well, and all inhabitants are LOVING it! A note, though- clawed frogs thrive in a variety of temperatures but in my experience only sing in cold water. For this reason, I have the temp on the lowest side of tropical 23-24) and everyone is happy. But I think the jewel might find froggy arms too tempting to resist...so watch out for that. Try to get bigger frogs, perhaps- then you'll know their temperaments. My guys are really chill- they adore all food, but couldn't catch a feeder fish if their lives depended on it- they're perfect for tank mates for the leaf fish. However I've met a few who could and would take down giant feeder goldfish- if you start them out never eating feeders, though, and hand feed them, they won't look at tank mates as food-only your fingers!