FishProfiles.com Message Forums

werd... Git.. you're so SMART!!

well i guess thats a no on salt for me... as i have 7 panda cories in that tank.... either the mollies will have to deal.. or.. well.. they'll deal with it

*Chelle*
_______________________________________________
I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

(blushes)



ahem , that quite threw me.lol.

I checked baensch for answers on the leaf fish just to confirm the details for Polycentropsis abbreviata and refresh my memory, and it could well be that Ingo hit the nail on the head with the ID.

This is a small species, about 8cm, nocturnal, bubble nester (territorial around breeding, and generally crotchety the rest of the time!), predator with a strong preference for live foods to the degree that it probably wont take flake, but might take frozen with some training. It occurs in both brackish and freshwater in parts of its range, so presumably youd have to do a bit of experimentation to see which water it prefers. If it wants brackish youve got a problem, because this fish psychologically REQUIRES plants for cover,and likes dim lighting, and is unlikely to do well without them, and frankly keeping nice plants in brackish water isnt the easiest thing to do. Likes the water around 26-30c, and ph 6 -6.5 ish, and medium hard water. Basically keeping one will be arduous.

There are lots of other species described as leaf fish, all differing in appearance, ranging all the way up to 8 -10 inch plus like the Small mouthed leaffish (pristolepis), Nandus , and Coius campbelli. But having checked out a few genera I think I actually like The south -american leaf fish ( monocirrhus polyacanthus) best, which looks more like a proper leaf imitator than the rest and is freshwater and gets up to a fairly manageable four inches. Apparently its capable of eating nearly its own weight in fish daily, which I guess is quite a drawback. , but its probably easier to keep than an african leaf fish.They regularly keep them in stock at my lfs too

One thing they all have in common though is the love of livefoods and smaller fish, so if live feeds and piscivores offend you, dont even consider them.


Hope this clears stuff up for you

On the subject of "African Leaf Fish", it's wise to check out a few things beforehand.

The fish I associate with this common name is Polycentropsis abbreivata, which Ingo mentioned above. This is a Nandid, and a very close relative of the South American Leaf Fish, monocirhus polyacanthus. In fact, the two fishes are so closely related that they provide yet more evidence for plate tectonics!

However, other fishes are called "African Leaf Fishes", most notably Labyrinth fishes of the Genus Ctenopoma. There is one ready way in which you can separate Polycentropsis abbreivata from the rest of the motley crew of so called "African Leaf Fishes", though, and it's this. The hard rayed parts of the dorsal and anal fins will be colour-matched to the body. The soft rayed parts of the dorsal and anal fins, and the tail fin, will be so transparent that at first glance they will look as though someone has amputated them with a sharp scalpel! You'll have to look pretty close to see that the fins are actually present, they're that translucent in healthy specimens, and the soft rayed parts of the dorsal and anal fins will also be seen to be gently on the move. The fish apparently uses these subtle movements to fine tune its position before launching an ambush attack upon unsuspecting prey.

Polycentropsis abbreviata will need live food in its diet, and as it reaches adulthood, this means live fishes. Breeders of show guppies use this fish among others for culling purposes. For its size, it has alarmingly capacious mouthparts - wait until you see one yawn, and be astonished at how far forward it can telescope its mouth to engulf prey! This is another feature that will help you distinguish it from the Ctenopoma Labyrinth fishes (which all have coloured soft dorsal and anal fins anyway).

Actually, if you can provide it with the diet it needs, Polycentropsis abbreviata is a suprisingly enchanting fish to keep. One of its notable features is a set of 3 dark lines radiating from the eye, which adds a certain charm to a face that is otherwise very manifestly that of a dedicated predator!

The fish breeds in a manner akin to that of Cichlids, but with less advanced parental care, and the parental responsibility is usually left to one fish, more often than not the male.

It's a lover of soft, acidic waters, likes bogwood pieces it can hide amongst as well as reed type plants such as Vallisneria, prefers slow moving water, and quite simply can NOT be trusted in an aquarium with fishes smaller than itself as it will try to eat them. If you can set up a species aquarium for it with leaf litter at the bottom of the aquarium, then it will display magnificently just how good it is at mimicking dead leaves, though it's still not quite as masterful at the art as its South American relative.

The Venerable Innes Book has a lot to say about it. Innes was apparently quite a fan of this fish.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

That Calilasseia is a bit smart too mind, she wont steer you too far wrong.

Sometimes she makes me feel a bit stupid Its good for my humility

My name is Earl.

well.. Earl.. nice to be formally introduced (over a computer) I'm Chelle (ounced SHELL) and im 21 and currently a Biology major. thats it.. story of my life.. WHEW!

*Chelle*
_______________________________________________
I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

Gee thats polite My name is earl is a tv comedy, but I do have a few resemblances lol.

er im sorry if I keep referring to you as a she cal, its the name, and I chat with callatya often so I get confused

Longhairedgit, ( Gittus hursutia domenicus spp) good skills with arts, photos, computers, lizards , fish , and small mammals, even good at long term relationships.
Sucks bigtime at observation, useless at sexing humans correctly. Tends to avoid rio de janeiro for this reason.Finds communication without swearing difficult (british species). Eats too many chickens, will be among the first to die of bird flu. Believes the way to cure global warming is to remove humans from the planet, whatever way happens to be quickest. Which is probably global warming.
Prefers warmer water 86-120f preferably conditioned with radox and juniper extracts, not a community fish, has a tendancy to fin nip and can be surly if forced to socialise. Strongly territorial , especially concerning the area near the computer. Has never been bred in captivity. Females in the immediate vicinity of this male will tend to become too fat to breed , due to excellent cooking habits. Feed chickens prepared fried, twice daily.Vitamin supplements can include chocolate, cigarettes, and beer for added colour. Will not touch vegetable matter and can be safetly housed with plants. Colour is uniform black with white areas thats have become almost blue from this creatures ritual avoidance of brightly lit areas. Nocturnal, mixes well with other species of animal, frequently aggressive near humans. Substrates can be minimal, this animal will litter the floor and has as yet not learned to use the vacuum. Messy feeder, will not do washing up although meals are lovingly prepared. Will attempt to mate with many different colour variants of the species, but drab courtship displays usually fail to impress females. Particularly e to aggression and violence around the christmas period.Primarily sedentary.

Now were introduced chelaine

yeah.. i think i missed something!

*Chelle*
_______________________________________________
I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

Sucks bigtime at observation, useless at sexing humans correctly.

Not wrong there!

Check my gender icon ...

Mind you, try sexing Pandas prior to them spawning. Now THAT'S a challenge!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002