African butterfly fish - Pantodon buchholzi

Pantodon buchholzi, the Butterflyfish, is native to small to large streams in the rainforests of West Africa. This ornamental fish is a very special, bizarrely shaped aquarium inhabitant. It grows to a length of 10 to 15 cm. The strongly surface-oriented ornamental fish has a superior mouth and very striking fin rays that extend far beyond the actual fin on the caudal fin and pelvic fins. The butterflyfish is patterned brown, with many lighter markings and a conspicuously striped lower jaw. The pectoral fins are unusually large, and when you see a photo of a butterflyfish from above, just spreading its pectoral fins, you know where these beautiful fish got their name.

The anal fin in the female has a smooth edge, but the males have a deeply incised anal fin, the middle rays of which form a tube that they use to fertilize the female during mating. During mating, the male holds onto the female's back, riding up for an extended period of time. Butterflyfish spawn below the water surface. You can either skim off the buoyant eggs and transfer them to a rearing tank or leave them in the parent tank. Butterflyfish are not strong spawning predators. The fry are initially fed Artemia and Cyclops and may be fed larger live foods later.

Butterflyfish are best kept in pairs. The aquarium should be at least 100 cm long. Pantodon buchholzi sometimes catch insects by jumping - so the aquarium must be well covered in any case! Soft to maximum medium hard water with a total hardness below 10 and a pH-value of 6 to 6,5 is well suitable, for breeding the water should have a carbonate hardness as low as possible. A peat additive has proven successful, and the water temperature should be at least 25 to 27 °C and may rise to 30 °C.

In the wild, the butterflyfish eats mainly approach food that lands on the water. Wax moths or moths are real delicacies and are also gladly snatched and eaten in the aquarium. Sometimes the fish jump up when the insect approaches the water surface. In addition, Tubifex are eaten, flies and mosquitoes, crickets, XXL white mosquito larvae and other large live food.

With its large mouth, even guppies are popular prey for the Butterflyfish. Socialization with larger fish can work, but small fish, dwarf crayfish and shrimp up to the size of Amano shrimp will become prey. For a normal community aquarium the Butterflyfish is therefore not suitable! 

Our food recommendation: This NatureHolic main feed is a professional staple feed for all aquarium fish. Main feed we supply in the form of soft granules, which thanks to its grain size of half a millimeter can be easily absorbed by small to medium-sized fish. The soft consistency resembles the texture of insect larvae in nature and protects the fish mouth from micro-injuries.

Our plant recommendation: For planting, use NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.