African butterfly fish life

Perhaps we often suspect that the only relatives arowana fish just arapaima (Arapaima gigas) from Amazon river. In fact not the case .. Arowana included in family-tounge Bony (tongue bone), and in this family there are two other fish species, namely: African Knifefish and butterfly (Pantodon buchholzi). African butterfly is the only fish in the family Pantodontidae. This fish is very similar to arowana fish and knifefish Osteoglossidae included in the genus, because it is still included in the one family that is in the family tounge Bony fish (Osteoglossiformes).

African butterfly or butterfly fish comes from the tropical waters of western Africa, particularly Nigeria, Cameroon and Zaire in the south of Niger, Lake Chad, the Congo and northern Zambezi river.
These fish live in water level in the rivers that flow slowly

and in puddles of water surrounded by lush trees and filled with tree branches that jutted into the water.
Environment like this, of course, rich with insects that became the staple food of these fish. As inhabitants of the waters above, butterfly fish can be kept in shallow water tank.

This fish is not fussy about food, but in order to stay healthy, they require insects as one of the main menu. Although the butterfly fish is a predator, this fish tends to not eat the fish smaller.
Even so, it would be better if it did not mix this fish with other fish that also has a swimming area in the waters above, such as Hatchetfish. Instead Butterflyfish can be mixed safely with the fishes that swim in the middle and bottom, because these fish have never recorded foraging in the water, other than on the surface. If you want to maintain it, the surface water in the aquarium should be quiet, and does not flow. They search for food based on contact with surface water. That is one reason why it is not advisable to mix this fish with fellow residents of the waters, because the other fish movements can disrupt the instinctive butterfly fish. Butterfly fish known to only grow about 10 cm only.

One interesting fact of this fish is that they get the name from pectoralnya fins that look like butterfly wings. The fins are not fully help the fish to 'fly', but rather assist in floating position. They will jump to grab prey. To be sure the fish is able to jump as far as 2 meters. However they do not float or fly using the 'wings' (fish that actually fly using the wings is hatchetfish fish from South America).

Because the habit of "flying" this, it is advisable to grow floating plants like duckweed to reduce these habits, while still providing an area free of plants. Tank itself, of course, must be sealed very well.

The condition of water needed for life to be soft Butterfly fish (<10 ° DGH) and slightly sour acidity level (pH <6.5). Filtration through peat is highly recommended. Lighting should not be too bright, because of its natural konsisi own these fish live in the forests are filled with plants, so that the water itself, of course, filled with rotting leaves, acid water conditions, and sunlight difficult to penetrate the water because the trees are very dense . Male fish have the anal fin is curved, while female fish have fins that is straight. Although it is quite easy to distinguish, but the breeding of this fish in the aquarium quite difficult. Water temperature is not too critical as long as not too extreme (too hot or too cold)
In general, butterfly fish is a fish that is very unique, and very exciting to be maintained. Although not look too pretty, fish fish fish still is an amazing collection.