Description
African Butterfly Freshwater Aquarium Fish
Pantodon buchholzi
Native to: West Africa
pH: 6.0-8.2
dH: 2-10
Temp: 70-86F
Max Size: 4” in the wild
Swimming Level: Top / Surface swimmer
This is indeed a Rare fish that is not always available, so if you can add them to cart, order them while we have ’em! These are a really bizarre looking fish that is easy to raise and enjoy. The Butterfly fish will likely hang out mostly on the top portions of your aquarium level. They can handle unheated and heated water, so tht means you can stock these fish in your warmer South American Discus exhibits, as well as your African Cichlid Tanks. The only trick with these is you must offer them some floating plants for refuge and habitat. Offer them freeze dried blood worms. They will also eat other fish frye (babies), so if you need a population control fish for your live-bearers like Guppies, Mollys, Platys, Variatus, etc these fish can help with that.
As the name suggest this fish is native to West Africa. They can be a bit intolerant of other surface swimming fish when kept solitarily, but when kept in large schools this fish will be more tolerant and accepting of other fish. They are a predator and will eat small fish. But on a positive note, they also become quite tame and will eat food from your fingers.
The Butterfly Fish like a loosely planted shallow aquarium, housing them in a shallow 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) deep aquarium or pond is ideal. Butterfly Fish prefer a large surface area aquarium that offers lots of surface space to swim freely. If you want to keep these butterfly fish in a taller aquarium it is best to toss in live floating plants to provide ample cover and habitat. Plants like Frogbit, Hornwort, Anacharis, Red-Rooted Floaters, Java Ferns, etc. They do like having the floating plants to lurk and rest under as well.
We ship these fish at about a 1.5”+ size. Order 1 or a colony!