African Butterflyfish

[Fishyfanatic]

As you can see, I am posting MANY questions today. I am going home tonight from a business trip and am so excited to see the 150 gal setup. This weekend we are going to finish arranging the decor. Anyways, on to the question.

It was mentioned in here about a week ago that someone was wanting to purchase an African Butterflyfish (to avoid confusion, I am talking about this one- http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1593 ). I have always wanted to have one but never thought that I would be able to beacuse of the lack of room. Now that we have the 150, would it be possible to put 1 or 2 of them in the tank? I read online that they are agressive and since our Cichlid's are also from Africa, and agresive, would they be ok together?

Also, do you think it would be ok to move the small parrots from the 29 into the 150? They are smaller in size but MUCH quicker. AUGH, we have so many fish, yet I want so many more. If it would be ok to move the parrots, maybe we could put 1 or 2 Butterflyfish in the 29?

 

[sonoma2nv]

I had a African Butterflyfish once just make sure theres now gaps on the hood.mine jumped out and my dog got it.

 

[Toirtis]

1. the parrotfish are not African. I would not mix them with your Africans, were I you.

2. The African cichlids you do have could potentially chew up the pectoral fin rays of your butterfly fish something terrible.

3. Butterfly fish are not so much aggressive as predatory...they usually show aggression only on a territorial basis toward conspecifics.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I know that the parrots are S.A. (technically hybrid) but they have been working very well together with the Africans.

Since they probably won't work in the 150, do you think it would be ok to move the small parrots into the 150, and put 1 or 2 Butterflyfish in the 29 with something a little more semi-aggressive?

 

[Toirtis]

Sure...perhaps some larger labyrinths.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Quick off thread question, tonight I setup my old 55 gal at my brothers house. I used the same sand that was previously in it and put the filtration unit that we gave them on our 150 for a couple days to try to pick up some bacteria. I dumped in the sand (didn't wash it since it came from an established tank), filled the tank up with dechlorinated water, put in the filtration unit (Penguine 330), power head (the original from the tank), air stone (from the original tank), heater (from original tank), and put in some new decor. I let the tank run for about a half hour and tested the readings and it said Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20. Could the tank already be cycled?

I tore down the tank yesterday and kept old tank water in the sand to keep it wet and the bacteria alive. When I transported the filtration unit, I took the pads out of the unit and into a ziploc bag filled with used tank water so they didn't dry out. I was so excited when I saw the readings. What could cause it to have 0 Ammonia and Nitrite's and have present Nitrates unless it is cycled?

I took great care in making sure to preserve the bacteria. She (my brother's girlfriend) added Stress Zyme (I think that's what it's called) and put in some Neon's. I told her that it could be a fluke, but she will most likely have an ammonia spike and that she should test the water tomorrow night to see if it has been drastic.

 

[mattrox]

You may well have kept the bacteria alive. A test tomorrow will be definative.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

She will be so excited if it is already cycled. They bought the tank from me for their son (just turned 1) and she is not a patient person. I told her that it might take up to 2 months to cycle and she just wanted to cry. The tank looks great. It's cloudy (probably from the sand being kicked up so much) but they all love it. Little Hunter's eyes lit up when we turned the lights on. Then he started pounding on the glass with his hands, scaring the little neon's half to death. I'm thinking there is too much of a current in the tank for them but she plans on eventually getting something that's colorful and fun for him to watch. She saw our 150 and said she wanted all of those fish in her tank. Those cichlid's are addicting.

 

[oldshell4481]

i had a butterfly fish (jumps alot!) and none of my other fish bothered him and he never bothered anyone.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Well I came home tonight and my fiance had went out and bought a butterflyfish already and put it in the 29 gal. He heard me talking about them and how bad I wanted one so he got one. He bought it on Monday when I left and he said that the fish has just been hanging out, not being picked on. There's plenty of greenery that drapes on the top, giving him some hiding places. The woman at the lfs gave him wax worms. How often should we feed him? She only gave us 2. Where do we buy more wax worms? I have never seen them before so I don't know if they are something that most fish places have. Thanks!

 

[oldshell4481]

i dunno about your lfs but at ours they have a supply of crickets, mealworms, and other live foods.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The Butterflyfish will eat crickets? Wow! That would be pretty interesting to watch. How often do you feed them? The woman at the lfs said that she had just fed the fish three days earlier. So do they get fed once a week or were they starving the poor guy? Also, in regards to the crickets, do you just throw a live one in and leave him in the tank until eaten? Would the cricket then be the staple food? I know nothing about the feeding of the Butterflyfish so anything that you can offer will be greatly appreciated. I'm going to the lfs tomorrow to get some ghost shrimp (hopefully it won't lead to another tank purchase) and to pick up something for the Butterflyfish to eat.

 

[Fruitbat]

I'm currently keeping a trio of African Butterfly Fish (Pantodon buchholzi) and have kept them (and once successfully bred them) many times over the years. Here's some basic information (I feel the need to write another profile all of a sudden....but here's a digest):

African Butterfly Fish are Osteoglossid (Bony-tongue) fish, closely related to the Arowanas and the Arapaima. They reach a maximum length of about 6 inches, though 4 inches is more common in the aquarium.

They are strictly surface feeders and will ignore any food that sinks more than a few millimeters. They will eat any insect that is small enough to fit into their rather large mouth. I have fed mine small crickets but prefer to feed them other types of floating food. One of the foods I've had the most success with is San Francisco Bay Brand Freeze-Dried Plankton. These are small 'shrimp-like' organisms and the freeze-drying process makes them float. I simply sprinkle a few onto the surface of the water and the fish do their thing. I've also been able to get mine to take frozen blood worms and bits of frozen beef heart from my fingertips. They will also eat small fish that swim at the surface. Some of them will also take flake food as long as it floats for a while.

Male African Butterfly Fish can be a bit territorial and having more than one in a tank can lead to some 'scraps'. Currently I have two males and a female in a 20 gallon Long aquarium. Each of the males has claimed one end of the tank and they will fight (with no harm being done) when they meet in the middle. The female is free to swim wherever she likes. African Butterfly Fish do like floating plants but they also need plenty of open surface area to find their food. Feeding them once a week is not adequate. Mine get fed daily.

Hope this helps. Check the Profiles Section in the next few weeks and hopefully I'll have a chance to put something together.

-Joe

 

[oldshell4481]

when they get bigger i believe they can eat small ones, i always threw whatever live insects i could catch in and he loved em. i always fed mine twice a day along with all my other fish. he seemed to eat whenver he saw it fit. some days head turn his head way others his huge mouth would go to work and hed jump at his food. pretty interesting fish, he jumped out of my tank 1 time but i was just about asleep and heard him flapping and saved him.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Thank you so much, both of you! I think I'll try some freeze dried foods for a while until he/she gets bigger, currently its about 2 1/2 to 3 inches. How can you tell if it's a male or female? It's in the 29 gal Eclipse so the only way that it'll ever jump out of the tank is during water changes or feedings......thankfully.