African butterflyfish tank size: what is the minimum?

A tank at least 90 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Standard tank or larger.

African butterflyfish tank mates: what can it live with?

It gets along with 53 of the 99 freshwater species in the catalogue, such as Sailfin molly, Boesemani rainbowfish, and Scissortail rasbora.

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African butterflyfish

Pantodon buchholzi

It sits motionless at the surface like a leaf, then explodes from ambush.

The African butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi) is a tropical freshwater fish of the family Pantodontidae. Adults grow to about 11 cm; the largest on record measured 11.9 cm (total length). In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 90 cm long and water at 24–29 °C.

Size: 11 cm
Smallest tank: 90 cm
Temperature: 24–29 °C
Care: Moderate

In the aquarium

Temperature24–29 °C

pH6.0–7.5

Hardness2–10 °dGH

Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Activity: Calm
Water layer: Surface
Group: Lives on its own
Plants: Plant safe

These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.

Which tank it fits

Nano60 cm · 65 litresToo small
Standard90 cm · 180 litres15 of them
Wide120 cm · 300 litres25 of them
Living room180 cm · 650 litres54 of them
Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres100 of them
Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres120 of them

Who it lives with

Gets along53 species

and 29 more species

Caution39 species

Narrow shared temperature range

Not together7 species

Water temperatures do not overlap

In the wild

Water type: Freshwater
Climate zone: Tropical
Largest on record: 11.9 cmtotal length
Aquarium trade: Traded commercially

Conservation status

Classification

OrderOsteoglossiformes
FamilyPantodontidae
GenusPantodon
SpeciesPantodon buchholzi
Described byPeters, 1877

In other languages

English: Freshwater Butterflyfish
German: Schmetterlingsfisch
Spanish: Pez mariposa de agua dulce
Italian: Pesce farfalla dulciacquicolo africano
Dutch: Vlindervis
Russian: Рыба-бабочка
Japanese: バタフライフィッシュ

Quick answers

African butterflyfish size: how big does it get?: Adults reach about 11 cm. The largest on record measured 11.9 cm (total length).
African butterflyfish tank size: what is the minimum?: A tank at least 90 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Standard tank or larger.
African butterflyfish water parameters: what does it need?: Temperature 24–29 °C, pH 6.0–7.5, hardness 2–10 °dGH.
African butterflyfish tank mates: what can it live with?: It gets along with 53 of the 99 freshwater species in the catalogue, such as Sailfin molly, Boesemani rainbowfish, and Scissortail rasbora.
African butterflyfish: alone or in a group?: It can be kept on its own.
African butterflyfish and plants: is it plant safe?: Yes, it leaves plants alone.