Keeping African butterflyfish?

[Eaglefeather_]

Hey, so one of the fish that I've been fascinated by for a very long time, but never had the resources to invest in, is the African butterflyfish. I know that they need brackish water, live plants and (at least some) live food, but my big question is... how high can they jump? Everything I've read thus far insists that butterflyfish must be kept in a sealed aquarium, but I'm wondering if it would be possible to have a shallow, open tank. Say I had a 40 gallon with a height of 16 inches, with the water level only 6 - 8 inches high (with a few rocks and/or driftwood above the water level for visual interest). Is it possible that the butterfly fish could leap 8 - 10 inches into the air from such a shallow depth? I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts.

 

[schpanky]

Are you sure they are brackish? I had no idea.
Hope someone can help with the height of their jump. Anyone?

I just wanted to share one of my favorite videos. Isn't this tank the best?

I can see why you want one!

 

[Eaglefeather_]

Wow! That's a gorgeous tank.

 

[coralbandit]

They might not jump out successfully with a lowered water level.
The set up idea sounds good.
Very cool....
They definitely are NOT brackish.
Soft water is their preference. Unlike many fish that can be kept under 'general' conditions, the butterfly may be a bit more demanding for water and especially feeding.

 

[Eaglefeather_]

They might not jump out successfully with a lowered water level.
The set up idea sounds good.
Very cool....
They definitely are NOT brackish.
Soft water is their preference. Unlike many fish that can be kept under 'general' conditions, the butterfly may be a bit more demanding for water and especially feeding.

Oh that's encouraging! I recalled that some of my first "how-to aquarium" books stated that butterflyfish thrive in brackish water, but I might have been thinking of a relative or similar fish.