# Anyone ever deal with an African Butterfly Fish?



## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Trying to plan out what I want to keep in my 40g breeder once it is set up. Tank will be heavily planted with _probably_ Congo Tetras and RCS.

How would this fish be in a tank like that? I'd have some plants that did reach the surface and will have some kind of floater, not quite sure what floater I want. I doubt they'd be much of a problem for the Congo's as they are larger fish, the fry may be in trouble if they would happen to spawn.

How has your experience been with the Butterfly Fish? I think it'd add an interesting twist as, to me, it kind of looks like a dead floating leaf/twig. Or maybe I'm just :der:


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I absolutely love the African butterfly's, and would recommend them to anyone who likes their looks.

Burks, your tank sounds like it would be perfect for them with the plants that reach the surface.

I've never had a bit of trouble with them going after any of my fish, except the rare occasion where I've been adding new small fish to the tank and they think I'm feeding them.... I've always kept them in the same tank with fish like Rummynose's and other small ones, and they're completely compatible.
The only exceptions would be small fish that are surface dwellers, or other fish that may bully the Butterfly's and nip at their fins.

You should see how quick they can snap up a freshly swatted fly if you toss it in the tank for them too....


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

It's one of those fish that make you go "ewww" and just stare at it for quite a while. Almost picked one up at Petco (only place I can find them) but had to resist. 

Catching flies and such wouldn't be too hard for them. They eat insects in the wild and I can find a TON around me. Maybe get them crickets every so often or feeder guppies. It would be my "centerpiece" fish.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Yeah, people sometimes tell me that they creep them out, but I just can't see that at all. I guess I'm biased... 

I don't think feeder Guppies would be a good idea, since you don't want to encourage them to eat other live fish (or get them in the habit), but they love little bugs and stuff. The crickets would probably be a bit tough for them too, but I've never tried them, so I'm not sure either.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

JanS said:


> I don't think feeder Guppies would be a good idea, since you don't want to encourage them to eat other live fish (or get them in the habit), but they love little bugs and stuff.


Good point. I thought of that later on. 

How well do they take to freeze-dried and flaked food? Read someplace they will only eat live food but others saying they feed them flaked.


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## Palpatine (Jun 25, 2006)

I've kept them before in a setup with archers. They are a great fish, and very entertaining. They just take some specialised care. They do really like and need live food. 

I used to feed mine 1, maybe 2, live crickets a week and they would be very happy. Just depends on the size you get them at as to what you can feed them.

Eventually I had to get rid of mine as they fought with the archers over food and we're going to get torn to pieces.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Mine have always readily accepted flake and frozen (I don't use freeze dried much because of allergies), and it's fun to watch them stalk the flakes and snatch them up....


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

I don't think they'd have a problem with most of the fish I like. Congo's and GBR's should be able to hold their own. If they do spawn there is always room in my other tanks for the babies until they can fend for their own.

Sorry to hear about yours being beaten up.


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## sarahbobarah (Sep 5, 2005)

These are the fish that people always think are dead because they're at the surface. LOL...... I've kept them with small neons, and everyone was happy as clams. 

And you can get a variety of small insects for them to eat at your local reptile store if you want to give them the occasional treat.


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## David W. A. (Aug 22, 2006)

I have had Butterfly's and they will eat flake. I fed them worms, the kind that come in little plastic containers with a bunch of fine saw dust, forget the name, they are larvae of some sort. Crickets get away - next thing you know you have chirping in the house at 3am. No problems with other usual community fish. I do think that floating plants are nice, makes them feel safe.


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## Svante (Feb 8, 2004)

Some people here say they go well with neons, I wouldn't trust it to go well in your particular tank, because in my tank it sure as hell didn't go well ...

That fish ate, and splitted some of my enons in two pieces, finding a tail in one piece of the corner, or at least I think it was the butterfly, I saw him eat tetras at several ocasions, the ones that were torn apart might have been my large Krib male though ...


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## Mud Pie Mama (Jul 30, 2006)

I have 7 Congo Tetras in my 75g, they're very beautiful and I love them a lot. I think that they LOVE my tank because at least several times a week they regularly spawn in the mornings. Their colors are GORGEOUS then, but I mention this because when they have their 'fun' they need lots of room to run, chase and dance, fend off the competition...etc., etc. I think a 3ft tank might be just a tad small, especially if it is not planted with plenty of open, swim space. (Anyway you can fit in a 4ft instead of a 3fter??? )

The other thing I'm wondering about with the Butterfly & Congo combo is if the Butterfly fish will get a fair share at feeding time. While my Congos were shy and timid when I first had them, not now. They are absolute BIG PIGS and SUPER FAST at feeding. They zoom to the surface with such gusto that I'm often splashed. They also relish and will snap up bugs. I've thrown spiders and moths onto the surface and they'll grab it in a second flat; the winner often being chased around by all their buddies. When I had a large Angelfish in with them they were not at all intimidated by her at feeding time. The group of them would ZOOM all around, even running into her, and taking any and all food in just a few seconds...or so it seemed. I was able to teach the Angel to eat by finger-feeding so she would get enough food for her size.

So I don't know for sure as I've not had an African Butterfly with them, perhaps it's unusual looks might scare them...or not. You could try to throw a bunch of pellets in the opposite corner for the Congo and then go feed the A. Butterfly... like really fast. Or throw a dozen bugs in all at once and watch the mayhem...might be fun?!?op2: 


PS. 
ANYONE MIZS SPELLCHECK AS MUKH AS MI?


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## toddnbecka (Sep 20, 2006)

I had a pair of them many years ago. They thrived on live waxworms as the main diet, supplemented with flies, etc. Sadly, I added a small Leporinus fasciatus to the tank, having read that they were vegetarians, The Leporinus apparently never read that book, and actually ate part of the female butterfly fish, a little bit at a time. I looked into the tank a few days after adding the Leporinus, and found the female butterfly was missing a large part of her abdomen. She was full of eggs, clearly visible. I watched the Leporinus swim up under her and nibble off another little bit, while she seemed unaware of what was happening, didn't even move away from the attacking fish. The Leporinus was returned to the lfs, and the buttterfly was euthenized. There was too much damage done for any hope of recovery.


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## GraFFix (Feb 24, 2005)

I loved mine when I had it...Unfourtunatly he found the one hole in the top of the tank and well you can guess what happened then. I wasnt happy when I got home from work and found him on the floor. 

Im still looking for another one...I kept mine with Kribs in a low tech tank I have. they always got along and it made for an interesting tank to say the least. 
I fed him everything from pellets, baby freeze dried shrimp, bloodworms, flake, crickets. he took it all. RIP little fella! 

Be warned they are jumpers..no open tops for those guys. I have one hole open on my tank towards the back thats maybe 2x2 and somehow he found it...


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## toddnbecka (Sep 20, 2006)

Butterfly fish are actually a FW flying fish. They live in huge schools in the wild (hundreds to thousands, from what I've read). In an aquarium, the males are territorial, though not so much w/females as with other males. They do need some swimming space.


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## beeman (Oct 3, 2006)

I have 2 buterflyfish, I keep them in the 40 gallon breader "critter cage " which works really well , it has a screen top so then can't jump out and any bugs that go in stay in. I keep the water a few inches below the surface to allow them to jump around. They are really avid jumpers when given a chance, I've seen mine do some cool things skipping around the surface of the tank.

I feed crickets every other day or so, and any other bug I find around the house. The crickets are really a blast to wach get eaten, I time shows for when friends come over sometimes. The guppies also privide a nice foodstream for them, as would any top-dwelling fish. Usualy they only eat the babies and don't touch the adults but sometimes, like last week they will go for your favorite male guppies tail. They also eat some flake food, but I find freeze dried krill to be the best non-live food. It has a bit of bulk to it, It naturally floats, it has enough smell to get them to go for it, and finaly its soft enough to eat it in one swallow, such as the butterflyfish prefers 

picture!


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## snowy (Jun 6, 2006)

Great fish butterflies, but as mentioned you had better remember to put the lids back on after feeding else you may find them on the floor the next morning.

I have one in a tank with a couple of Arnoldichthys spilopterus (red-eye congos) and Chalceus erythrurus (pink tails) and although the characins are the first to reach any floating food, the butterfly always manages to get a few floating pellets or fd shrimp (SF Bay brand pacific plankton are its favourite). I also hand feed it live flies, small cockroaches and any other little insects I catch in the house. Curiously it seems to know when I have something live for it and is ready to rip the bugs out of my fingers before they hit the water!

They love floating lilly leaves to lurk under and I think they should be fine with small fish that don't hanng around the surface. Here's a few pics of my old girl.


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## JERP (Feb 4, 2003)

The FW butterfly was my 2nd favorite fish next to the ropefish when i was a kid. They feed exclusively from the surface. In fact, they'll jump out of the water to get food. They will not attempt to get food that is submerged even just a little bit. The ignore small fish too, except when they swim to the surface...

During feeding time the BF would swim to within a few inches of the Bloddworm table while the tetras and the like would go crazy picking at it. If there was an opening, even for 0.1 seconds, the BF would then be a foot away with the entire thing in his mouth. They can move! but usually don't.

Just my experience.


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