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FAQs on Pantodon
buchholzi, the African Butterflyfish
Related Articles: Bony Tongue Fishes,
Arowanas, Arapaima, African Butterflyfish, Featherback Knifes,
Mormyrids, Elephantfishes,
Related FAQs: Bony
Tongue Fishes, Aba Aba
Knifefish, Arapaimas,
Arowanas,
Featherfin Knives, Mormyrids,
New World Knifefishes, |
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Tiger barb [and African
butterfly fish] deaths :( 12/31/07
Hey there,
I recently stumbled across your website in a desperate bid for reasons for
tropical fish demise, and finding it both informative and relatively easy to
follow, I thought I could risk a question or two.
<Go ahead...>
Our family are fairly new to fish ownership; my younger brother has had tropical
fish since September. He had three green tiger barbs, one tiger barb, and then
about a week later he got two African butterfly fish and two Dalmatian mollies.
<A terrible combination of fish on so many levels. Tiger barbs are schooling
fish that MUST be kept in groups of six upwards. They are also notorious
fin-nippers, and will nip at Butterflyfish. Butterflyfish are demanding animals
not for beginners because they are quite tricky to feed. They need mature
aquaria with excellent water quality and ideally soft/acid conditions. Mollies,
on the other hand, need hard and alkaline water, preferably with salt added.
Butterflies and barbs do not like salt, so they can't be kept together. Mollies
are really fish for brackish water aquaria unless you are an expert fishkeeper
able to create alkaline, basic water with zero nitrate on a constant basis.
Please buy and read an aquarium book before shopping.>
For the first month or two the fish were absolutely fine. Then one of the
African butterfly fish showed strange behaviour, swimming upside down, floating
to the surface of the water and appearing to lack control of its movement. It
died shortly afterwards [within a day or two.]
<Most likely water quality/chemistry issues. Test nitrite and pH. In a new tank,
you should be doing this every couple of days anyway.>
Approximately a couple of weeks went by. A lot more recently our biggest green
barb showed similar behaviour - swimming sideways and upside down - and then
also died within a few days of this new behaviour.
<Ditto.>
Having noticed this similarity in their behaviour patterns before their deaths,
and upset to have lost another fish, we began to investigate as to why they were
dying. This is when I came across your site.
<Hmm...>
I am sad to say today [30 Dec] two more barbs have passed away - the tiger barb
and another green barb. The last green barb is currently still alive but judging
by the rate of passing we're not sure how long this will be the case.
<OK, this is almost certainly water quality problems. Have you cycled the tank
before adding fish? How big is the tank? What sort of filter are you using? What
books did you read before starting the hobby?>
We wondered at first whether it was an aeration problem - we had a filter
already of course which functions fine, but just to be safe we bought an aerator
separately which is now also functioning in the tank.
<Aeration is a trivial issue in most tanks, and a properly run aquarium doesn't
need any aeration. But filtration is something else: what is the nitrite level
in this tank?>
There are fresh, live plants and the temperature is about 25'C [which we
understand to be a suitable temperature.] The ph is 7 and we wondered whether
this would make a difference.
<pH 7 is too low for Mollies; Mollies must have not less than pH 7.5, which is
of course incompatible with Tiger Barbs and Butterflyfish, which prefer
6.5-7.5.>
We have been informed by our local aquarium [where we bought all these tropical
fish from] that the situation could be to do with the nitrate level etc. and
they are kindly testing a sample of water tomorrow.
<No no no... you need your own NITRITE (with an "I") test kit at home. No-one
starting the hobby should be without this ESSENTIAL piece of kit. Think it's a
waste of money? Too bad... your fish died anyway, likely because of nitrite
poisoning. Test kits are NOT optional.>
The Dalmatian mollies seem as perky and inquisitive as ever.
<Only a matter of time...>
I just wondered if there is any additional information or advice you could
provide about the reasons for my brother's barbs and butterfly fish deaths and
if they are related.
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwset-up.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2oquality.htm
And other related articles.>
If you could make any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated,
Rhiannon
<Read more and try to understand what is happening in your tanks before adding
any more fish. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Tiger barb [and African
butterfly fish] deaths :( 12/31/07
Hello Neale,
Thank you for the quick reply.
<You're welcome.>
I have taken into account everything you've said very seriously.
<Cool.>
Although I would like to say that I really don't appreciate the implication that
we don't care about the fish because that is far from the case.
<My mistake, and no offence meant.>
Our family didn't just go out and buy the fish. Before purchasing the fish we
owned A buyer's guide to tropical fish which states that mollies should have
ph7-7.4, and that barbs are unfussy within normal parameters, and as for the
necessity of the nitrite testing kit at home - our aquarium failed to inform us
of this necessity as well as telling us that barbs, mollies and butterfly fish
were compatible.
<Often the problem. These fish basically AREN'T compatible for the reasons
outlined. While Barbs can certainly thrive in hard, alkaline water (lots of
people keep them in southern England for example) most barbs do not tolerate
salt well, and sooner or later Mollies end up needing to be kept in salty water.
Sure, some people keep them without salt, but the simple fact is half the time
Mollies are sickly under such conditions, so why not make life easier for them
and for you and keep them in brackish water from the get-go. Aquarium shops
*can* be good sources of information, but it depends a lot on who you talk to,
and what the store specialises in. There are some aquarium store owners I
happily defer to when discussing healthcare of certain types of livestock. But
then there are other stores where staff are far less experienced/trained.>
So as far as we had known everything was fine and we had all the equipment we
needed, and now maybe our confusion is a little bit more understandable.
<I hope so to.>
Well before your reply things got worse and we were left with one green barb and
two Dalmatian mollies.
<OK.>
We had the water sample done and the aquarium said that the levels were fine and
that the deaths could have been caused by shock at the disturbance of their tank
when we added the aerator and could have churned up too much dirt when cleaning
their tank.
<Hmm... "levels were fine" covers a lot of ground. So rather than telling me
subjectively what the water chemistry/quality is, how about some numbers? Or let
me put things this way: Both fish need zero ammonia and nitrite. Mollies also
need nitrate levels less than 20 mg/l when kept in freshwater (in
brackish/marine conditions they are less sensitive). Barbs want a pH between 6.5
and 7.5, while Mollies want something between 7.5 and 8.0. Hardness is also
critical. Mollies absolutely MUST NOT be kept in water with a general hardness
less than 20 degrees dH; Barbs prefer softer water, around 5-15 degrees dH. In
terms of salinity, I STRONGLY recommend Mollies be kept at a salinity of at
least 3-5 grammes per litre; Tiger Barbs at least cannot tolerate this level of
salt for long (there are some brackish water barbs to be sure, but they're
mostly the larger species). As should be obvious, there's no overlap in what
Mollies and Barbs want, hence my advice -- based on experience -- that these
fish shouldn't be mixed. By all means try to go against Nature, but you'll
lose...>
Also, to answer your question our tank is 60 litres. [That is the measurement we
are aware of.]
And unfortunately three more mollies had been purchased before I read your
email.
<OK, 60 litres is quite a small tank, and while adequate for small community
fish like Neons, it isn't really viable long-term for any of the fish you've
got. Depending on the precise strain of Dalmatian Molly, adult females can get
to something around 8-10 cm in length, males a little less. Males can be
aggressively possessive of access to females, and a tank this size is very
definitely one male only! Black Mollies are marginally smaller, around 7 cm or
so when mature. While they could be kept in a 60 litre tank, I'd recommend
something a bit bigger.>
So, evidently it seems an increasing mess. We have one green barb and three
black mollies, and two Dalmatian mollies.
<Oh.>
We were told that the conditions and everything is fine. So it's hard to know
where to go from here.
<Horses, stables, and bolting come to mind here. In any case, I can only
reiterate something that you probably understand now anyway: fish need to be
researched before purchase. Here's the thing to do: First start off by figuring
out your precise water chemistry in terms of pH, hardness (the dH scale), and if
you can, carbonate hardness (the KH scale). Decide whether you want to add salt
to the tank or not. Then try and return the fish you currently have, and
exchange them for smaller fish suited to the tank you have. Endler Guppies,
Neons, cherry barbs, Sparkling Gouramis, Bumblebee gobies, Cherry Shrimp, dwarf
species of Corydoras, Kuhli loaches, and so on would all be inexpensive, easy to
keep animals ideally suited to 60 litre tanks. Keep suitable numbers where
required, i.e., trios (or more) of the loaches and catfish, at least six Neons,
etc. Basically you want fish no more than 3-4 cm/1-1.5" in length, except in the
case of wormy things like Kuhli that happily make do in small tanks since they
wiggle about rather than swim.>
Thank you.
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: African Knife
Problem and other questions 12/31/07
Hello again,
<Hello for the first time...>
I hope you don't mind me asking you another question. I have a 65 gallon
tank 48" by 13" and 24" tall (kinda odd shape). I am currently just
running an AquaClear 70 filter. I am worried about the oxygen levels in
the tank.
<Oh? Well, the two things to concentrate on are circulation (moving the
water from the bottom to the top) and supplementary aeration (basically
"splashing", anything that increases the surface area at the top of the
tank). Of course, if you aren't overstocked, you won't have problems.
The traditional approach is to allow 10 square inches per 1 inch of
small fish like guppies and Dwarf Gouramis. Allow two, three, four times
more "square inchage" for bigger fish. So your tank, with 624 square
inches could support 62 and a bit inches of small fish, and rather fewer
bigger fish.>
I plan on having a
African Knife, three Gouramis, 5 Congo tetras, couple Cory cats, snails,
and I'm going to try a full size Singapore Shrimp (the AK seems pretty
satisfied with his krill and blackworms at the store, I think it will be
fine).
<Hmm... famous last words. But do watch out with African Knives; though
quite placid when young, at least some specimens become rather mean as
they mature.>
No live plants, only lots of fakes. I decided against the peace lily
idea.
<Sounds wise. A dying plant will only consume oxygen...>
Do you think I need
to supplement the oxygen with a bubbler or something?
<Maybe; but do remember its circulation -- not bubbles -- that matter.
So what you want is something that pulls water from the bottom to the
top of the tank. A decent airstone will do this if weighted down to the
bottom of the tank, but so too will a filter or powerhead. Try
sprinkling some flake food at the bottom of the tank; if it sits about
or moves slowly, then you may need more circulation.>
I appreciate your time and advice.
Julie
<Happy to help.>
PS Happy New Year!
<Likewise, happy new year! Neale.>
Re: Tiger barb [and
African butterfly fish] deaths :( 12/31/07
Hiya
[Is yours an American site by the way? Just curious]
<The founder and queen bee of Wet Web Media, Bob Fenner, certainly is a
citizen of the Good Ole' US of A, but yours truly is a Brit.>
Thank you very much for all the advice.
<No problems.>
It's very helpful and hopefully now we can provide a better future for
our fish.
<Glad to help.>
Tetras were going to be the original choice - shame [understatement
really] that we didn't stick with that.
<Is always the way. Read first, plan second, buy third.>
We'll see what we can do
<Cool. Enjoy your fish, Neale.> |
FW Butterfly fish eating time
11/28/2007
Hi, I have an African butterfly and I have a problem. How do I feed it
mealworms? This is because whenever I put floating food pellet or flakes down,
all my other fishes eat before he does. Are African butterflies nocturnal? If so
is it better for me to feed it at night? And if I drop the mealworm in front of
his face it sinks and it doesn't have a chance to eat it. Should I hand-feed it?
Will he bite me if I hand-feed it? If they do happen to bite me what should I
do? Last, is African butterflies blind? Because when I put food somewhat near
them (by their tail) they don't eat it unless it's right in front of their face.
Also, he always hides in the back of the tank, is this normal? Please write back
asap. Thanks for all your help I hope I wasn't annoying):(
Thanks, Greg
<Greg, Pantodon buchholzi will only eat food within a "strike range" about 2-3
cm from the head and in two 90-degree arcs stretching out from each eye.
Everything else is ignored, end of story. What they want is small insects or
livebearer fry. Things like wingless fruit-flies work brilliantly and are cheap
and easy to obtain from reptile-centric pet stores. Or else scrabble about the
house and garden and fins small bugs. Flies, spiders, mosquito larvae and so on
are all good. Once you understand that they will only strike prey within this
kill zone, feeding them is easy. Yes, you can hand feed them, though use forceps
to hold the food near the head. If you use your fingers the fish will be scared.
No, he can't bite you! No, they're not blind: they actually have extremely good
eyesight. Yes, they are shy, and seem to work best in tanks with plenty of
floating plants. They hate open water and strong water currents. What they like
is shade. They sometimes do better in groups than singly, though they are
territorial, and this isn't a good idea in a very small tank. Pantodon is one of
my favourite fishes. See here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/almosperffshmonks.htm
. Cheers, Neale.>
FW Butterfly Fish Feeding
Hi, I was wondering, can I feed a African butterfly koi pellets, some
crickets and mealworms? Are they omnivores or carnivores? Also, when I feed it,
most of the other fishes always take his food. What should I do? How much should
I feed it and how many pellets or insects? Last, are they nocturnal? If so is it
better for me to feed it during the night so that no fishes will eat it? Thanks
for all for your help.
< This is a great little oddball fish from Africa. It eats insects that have
fallen into the water. It love mealworms and crickets. It cannot compete with
other fast swimming fish so it has to ambush its prey. Get some floating plants
and it will hang out in the plants for awhile. Quietly feed him a couple insects
by tossing them in front of him before know that he is bring fed. Usually they
will eat during the day and usually don't eat commercial foods.-Chuck>
African butterfly, fdg.
11/29/07
Hiya, I was wondering, how often should I feed my African butterfly? Every
day, every other day or so on? Also, how many crickets or mealworms should I
feed it? Last, do you know any good floating plants I can buy for a cheap price
and is very common to find at a pet store like PetCo or PetSmart? Thanks for all
your help.
<Ideally, feed African Butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi) should be fed a modest
amount each day. As with any fish, the idea is not to stuff the fish so that it
looks bloated, but to provide a reasonable amount that keeps the fish healthy
without compromising water quality. Just make sure that the belly is gently
convex. An adult specimen probably needs 1-2 small (~5 mm body length) crickets
per day. Not feeding the fish one day per week will do no harm at all. Mealworms
need to be very small: large mealworms are often indigestible when given to
small fish. I'd personally go with other foods; wingless Drosophila (fruit
flies) can be picked up at any reptile store and make an ideal staple. I would
encourage you to train your specimens to take flake/pellet foods; these provide
a convenient and balanced diet. Crickets, unless gut-loaded, do not make a good
staple for any fish; their nutrient content is all wrong. Hand-feeding frozen
bloodworms using forceps and patience can also work very well. As for floating
plants, it's always a bad idea to buy plants simply on the price. Plants will
either thrive in your aquarium or not, so you need to establish your conditions
first. Pantodon buchholzi likes soft, acidic water conditions and not too much
strong lighting. Given that, your best bets are probably Ceratophyllum species
("hornwort") and Limnobium laevigatum ("Amazon Frogbit"). You can also never go
wrong with Ceratopteris cornuta ("Indian floating fern") so that's always an
option. Floating plants grow rapidly, so if money is tight, simply buy less of
them! If you have adequate light and the proper water chemistry, they will grow
very rapidly. Cheers, Neale.>
Feeding regime for Pantodon buchholzi
Hello!
<Hi there!>
I must first say how much I love this site and enjoy the forum, there is a
wealth of knowledge here. Thanks to all involved with it.
<Thank you for the kind words!!>
Now, on to my question (it can't ever be just a thanks, can it ;)
?). About four days ago, I added the first one of three
African Butterflyfish to be placed in my 72 gallon plant tank; this one is
female, I plan on another female and a male. I know these fish
require meaty, and preferably live, foods. I have heard / read that
crickets and other insects, frozen meaty foods, small earthworms (I'm not sure
how to keep 'em from sinking, but I'll find a way!), and beef heart are good
food options for these fish. So far, I've been feeding with only
small (1/2 to 3/8 inch) crickets.
<Sounds like you’ve done your research!>
The biggest piece of info I can't find on these guys is how much and how often
to feed them. I know I'll get it through trial and error, but would
like more details, if possible. The first night, I fed her two
crickets. After the second, I could quite clearly see the bulge of
her stomach, so I've been feeding only one cricket daily for the other three
days I've had her. She seems to be in great health, and gladly snaps
up the little bugs. Is this a proper amount of
food? Should I be feeding more? Less?
<I would go with a piece of meaty food every other day and flake food on the
days meat isn’t offered. This will provide her with other things she needs
besides the meat.>
And a second part to this question (can't get off that easily,
eh?). I have a proliferation of little house spiders in my
house. Some of them are not so little, but smaller than the crickets
I've been feeding. I'm a softie, so my husband, the spiders, and I
all live peacefully- unless I can feed them to something ;).
<Ugh! I’m terrified of spiders so you’ve really given me the creeps!>
You see where this is going. Can I safely feed spiders to my
butterfly? Is there any chance of her getting harmed by
them? I won't do anything to jeopardize her, but it would sure be
nice to thin down the spiders. If I really look, I can probably find
a dozen of them. It would also be nice just to know I have something
for her to eat, should I run out of crickets and not have time to run to the
store that day. Any thoughts?
<Some websites say houseflies and small spiders are safe foods for these fish
but I don’t know for sure. I would assume that in the wild they eat any bug
that gets onto the waters surface so you’re probably safe.>
And thanks a million! -Sabrina Fullhart
<You're welcome! Ronni>
Re: freshwater butterfly fish
Hey Bob,
My wife was checking out a freshwater butterfly fish, I looked them up
pretty cool its a Pantodon buchholzi .
Would they be compatible with my Bichirs (Polypterus senegalus) they appear
to be from the same general regions?
<A great choice... the Bichirs on the bottom, your African Butterflyfish at
the surface...>
Oh 1 more thing I found 2 different Ph recommendations for my Bichirs 1 was
7.2-6.8 the other was 7.0-8.0 which is more accurate.
<The former>
They don't seem to be in any danger they re very active and eating like
great whites hahaha
Thanks
Dave Siecinski
<Good. Bob Fenner>
African Butterfly
Hello all at WWM,
I recently purchased an African butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi) I've had him
for 2 days now and have been trying to get him to eat flakes or frozen food. So
far nothing. I don't know what else to try to feed this guy. Will it eventually
eat the flake or frozen or pellets I feed it?
<Probably, no.>
Or will this guy really starve himself to death?
<Much more likely.>
Thanks for all your help.
<If you had typed Pantodon buchholzi into the Google search engine on
www.WetWebMedia.com prior to purchasing, you would have found this, "While
we're at mentioning Bony Tongue fishes used by aquarists, let's mention the
African or Freshwater Butterflyfish, Pantodon buchholzi, Peters 1877. A great
favorite, and fabulous jumper... To four inches in length. Feeds on live
crustaceans, insects and fishes." -Steven Pro>
Pantodon buchholzi
Hello -
<Hi.>
I can't find any info on what the "African Butterfly" (Pantodon
buchholzi) uses the twin sets of lower, frontal spines for.
<I'm pretty certain I saw a response to this by crewmember Chuck Rambo, but just
in case, I'll toss in my $0.02. Heh, these are one of my favorite fishes,
anyway!>
Can you help me figure out what function(s) they serve, and how
important they are to the fish? Are they feelers, stabilizers, defenses?
Do you know if they are nerve-rich sensors, or primarily just spines?
<These are the spines of the ventral fins. They are very elongated, and are
specialized to help them know if there's someone below them that poses a
threat. Because they are so flexible, like little threads, they are quite good
for this purpose. I also agree with Chuck's opinion that they are a great
camouflage with floating plants. My two Pantodon are in a tank with a whole lot
of floating plants, and I must say, it can be quite a task to find them. The
ventral spines really do look just like dangling roots.>
I've seen African Butterflies with these spines nipped off by aggressive
tankmates, and wonder what effects this has on the fish.
<Well, besides being painful, it reduces their ability to tell what's
around/below them - kinda like covering up your peripheral vision, in a way. It
will also weaken the fish by opening the door for disease - any site of damage
can allow bacterial or fungal infection to set in. And, as we all know, once
one fish is sick, illness is easier to transmit to other tankmates. It is my
opinion that Pantodon should not ever be kept with aggressive or nippy tankmates
for these reasons.>
Thanks, Gabriel
<You betcha. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
African butterfly question
Hello -
I can't find any info on what the "African Butterfly" (Pantodon
buchholzi) uses the twin sets of lower, frontal spines for.
Can you help me figure out what function(s) they serve, and how
important they are to the fish? Are they feelers, stabilizers, defenses?
Do you know if they are nerve-rich sensors, or primarily just spines?
I've seen African Butterflies with these spines nipped off by aggressive
tankmates, and wonder what effects this has on the fish.
< These "Spines" are extended stiff rays from the ventral fins. The
fish is a surface feeder and is constantly looking up for a insect to fall into
the water. These fish love mealworms or small crickets. So these rays are
sensors telling the fish when something is coming up from underneath. If they
are getting nipped off then the fishes warning system is being reduced. This
would make them more likely to jump. I also think there is bit of camouflage
involved too. These rays look just like the roots of some floating plants. If I
can find someone who has personally collected these I would love to know
myself.-Chuck>
Thanks,
Gabriel
2 more African Butterfly questions
Thanks for the reply.
I've been watching mine a lot (love this fish), and in addition to the
other uses those ventral fin spines no doubt have, my butterfly seems to
primarily use them to stay in place among the plants floating just
beneath the surface, in the slight current from the filter. In this way
he stays in a place where bugs might come floating by him, but can do so without wasting energy or drawing attention to himself by swimming in
place.
New question - is there any truth at all to the reports of these fish
flying or gliding or jumping up to 6 feet above the water? I have my
doubts.
< It is so funny that you bring this up because a friend of mine and I were just
talking about that last weekend. Apparently the collectors years ago noticed
them "flying" out of the water while trying to catch them., I know at the
wholesaler that I frequent often that they talk about finding then in other
tanks as far as 12 feet away. They may simply jump out of the water and glide
some distances away. There may even be some movement of the pectoral fins too.
Currently no scientist is working on it but it could be down with all the modern
photography technology that exists today.>
I just don't see how they can get up the required speeds with that long
flowing tail - I wonder if the appearance of "wings" on the fishes'
sides have given credence to tall tales. It seems to me that the
fishes' design and behavior are much more consistent with the less
glamorous activity of imitating a leaf, than about aerodynamics. Those
"wings" don't seem flight worthy, but they sure help conceal that it's a
fish!
I don't know if this is common, but my Butterfly is even darker on one
side of the body than the other - from above, this rare bilateral
asymmetry really enhances the appearance of a dead leaf floating partly
in and out of the water - at first, I was totally fooled into thinking
that the fish was sticking half out of the water! The dead-leaf illusion
is aided by the transparent patches found on the wings and sideways
through the body (visible when looking up at the fish with the light
above).
Second new question - the African Butterfly is classified as a
"bony-tongued fish" - so does it have such a tongue?
< yes it does.>
Are there "teeth"
on it?
< Itis more likely used to plug up the mouth of the fish and force water back
over the gills.>
Does it use it to chew up live prey before swallowing?
<Not really. It usually uses it's mouth to position the food and swallow it
ASAP.>
Mine won't
cooperate and chew with his mouth open, and the internet is full of the
same old aquarium info, plus a whole lot of scientific papers on their
eyesight ... Can't find a thing on their tongues.
< Without people taking an interest in the fish then there will be not serious
work done.>-Chuck>
Thanks for the quality info.
Gabriel
Pantodon buchholzi, Behaviour - 08/07/2004
My butterfly fish is timid. It's always hiding in the corners and under the
flow of the filter. I don't think it's eating either. Is it sick?
<Not sick, no. Probably hungry - but more on that later. African butterflies
are very specialized fish, that require a nice, hidden spot with little (or no)
water movement where they can hang out, preferably in hanging plants. These
fish are very, very active at night - sneak out an hour or so after lights out
with a very dim flashlight and watch the butterfly - notice the extreme
difference in color from night to day, and its swimming behaviour
differences. If African butterflies are given proper care, they are very
exciting animals, both to feed and to watch at night!>
I read that butterfly fish are known for jumping out of the tank, but mine is
always hiding.
<Not at night, I'll wager - if the fish is healthy, it will be *very* active
after dark, cruising around all over the tank, jumping and playing.>
I tried feeding it live food, flakes, frozen and dried, and haven't seen it eat
anything.
<What live foods have you tried? This fish is an extremely specialized
insectivore - many individuals will not accept any foods at all other than live
insects. My female Pantodon is this way; she will not accept *anything* other
than live bugs, dropped at the surface near her. If I stop feeding her for a
while, she'll start picking off small fish and invertebrates in the tank at
night. My male, on the other hand, will eat just about anything, as long as
it's at the surface. I'd recommend that you immediately offer the fish some
live crickets (you can get them from most stores that sell reptiles, even chains
like Petco and PetSmart). You can keep the crickets in a container and feed
them a high-quality flake food for a couple days to make them more nutritious
for the butterfly. When you feed, turn off your filtration if it makes the
surface of the tank very turbulent, or the fish won't be able to feel the
insects' movements to tell where the bug is. I use a straw to hold the bug in
one spot near the butterflyfish; sometimes this is not at all necessary, if the
fish can tell where the bug is very easily.>
Is it possible that the other fish are in it's way?
<This is entirely possible. What size tank is it in? What other fish are
there? Do you have any floating plants for the butterfly to hide in? If the
fish doesn't have sufficient places to feel secure, it will become stressed out
and may decline in health.>
I haven't had it that long, is it possible that it isn't established in the tank
yet? Do you have any advise, or is it just an odd fish.
<It *IS* an odd fish, that's for sure. And one of my absolute favorites, I
might add. Provided the tank is large enough (I wouldn't keep one in any less
than a 20g tank - and that's really pushing it), and the tank is not overstocked
or have inappropriate tankmates, I think you will find this to be a very
interesting animal. Wishing you and your Pantodon well, -Sabrina>
Pantodon buchholzi, Behaviour - II - 08/11/2004
I found out the other night that my fish is nocturnal, I was glad to see it
move around.
<Ah, glad to hear it. These are fascinating fish, if you take the time to
appreciate them.>
The tank is 55g and the other fish aren't really at the top much so I don't
think that was the problem, I think it was me more than the fish. I just had to
learn it's habits.
<That you are learning about it is very commendable - thank you for taking the
time to research your animals' needs.>
I'm gonna try night feeding tonight, I think it will be successful.
<I feed my butterflies day or night, they don't mind either way. But really, I
would bet that your fish won't accept anything but live floating insects for the
time being. You really must get the fish eating - who knows when its last meal
was. Mosquitoes, houseflies, crickets (store-bought or caught), just about
anything live and wigglin' will do to get the fish to realize there is food
there. If for some reason you are unable to feed live insects, at the very
least try something high-protein that will float and use a straw to wiggle it as
though it were alive. Alas, even these tricks won't convince my Athena to bite,
but my male, Snare, will take even floating prepared foods (flake, pellet,
whatever) that I offer to the rest of the tank. It's hit-or-miss with whether
they will take dead food or not.>
I don't have any floating plants either, (what a butterfly amateur I am, the
poor fish)
<Hey, you're learning! That's what counts.>
I'm getting some though.
<Ahh, good to hear it. The fish will appreciate it immensely. Some floating
plants I use are Riccia fluitans, Hydrocotyle sp., Ceratopteris sp./water
sprite.... Oh, who knows what's all in that tank now. The fish will
*definitely* enjoy some cover.>
Thanks for the help.
<And thank you for your interest in this amazing little insectivore. Wishing
you and your Pantodon well, -Sabrina>
My question wasn't answered. Would a Freshwater Butterflyfish eat Blue Rams
if I were to get them?
< The key to compatibility is size. The FW butterflyfish and rams have pretty
similar water conditions. The butterflyfish loves mealworms and small crickets
floundering around on the surface of the water. If the butterflyfish are well
fed and the rams are too big to fit into their mouths then they should get along
just fine. If you are gone for a while and the butterflyfish gets hungry it may
attempt to take a nip at one of the rams but they will really need to be hungry
to try that.-Chuck>
Jahner
Are African Butterflies Brackish? No
Hi Everyone!
I had a run in with a snotty fish 'expert' at my LFS. He claimed
that African Butterflies (Pantodon buchholzi) were brackish and would
only live about a year in a freshwater tank. I did a lot of research on
all of my fish before I got them (while I was planning the layout of my
new tank). No where did I read that Pantodons were brackish. I'm just
wondering who was right and if I need to take them out and build a
brackish tank. He also claimed that my Senegalus polypterus were
brackish as well.
Thanks for any info you can provide!
Josh
<Mmm, Pantodon is a freshwater species... see here on fishbase.org:
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=2075&genusname=Pantodon&speciesname=buchholzi
Don't know where salts would come from where this fish occurs... And I kept them
for years in just straight fresh (though hard and alkaline tap...). Polypterids
are also freshwater... though they will "tolerate" some salt content (often used
on arrival from wild-import to whack at their Owees, external parasite fauna)...
Please share this input with your retail clerk and manager. Bob Fenner>
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