ok, i've reset-up my 20 gal in order to move some of my b/f's fish. still at his aparment are his 55 oscar tank, (one oscar, one angelfish, one pleco) and his 10 gal tropical with two spotted leaf fish. one hatchet fish, one lace cat, and one pleco. if the sign i read when he bought them months ago was right, they are spotted leaf fish, supposed to get from 3-5 inches, and are moderately aggressive. granted at one point he had TWO hatchet fish and one disappeared without a trace, but they have left the other one alone. i'm basing my info off of goldies and given that they have grown a lot since he got them, i'm figuring they are due for a move to a bigger tank. problem is... i don't know anything about that kind of fish and am having probs finding info on the internet. i'm guessing they are from south america, semi-brackish? if anyone has any info, i'd love to have it.

such as:
are they brackish?
how much salt if so?
how much filtration?
how much aeration?
food preference?

this is sad... he's had them for months and while i could just continue with the regieme they have right now, i want to do the best for them i can.

any info anyone???

Hi,

I was reading about Leaf Fish yesterday!!! How weird is that?! Now then...

Is this them? Sorry about the pics, too them from the book on my phone - bad quality gaurenteed!! Pic one just looks like a bunch of leaves!! LOL

If the above pic, or the one to come don't lookquite like your b/f's then don't worry as the book says they can vary greatly in colour.

It says "rarely seen in the trade but we chose to illustrate some of their needs"

Ooooooh - posh fish!!

Anyway, it says...

"We include it here so that you don't inadvertently buy one and put it in your community" - D'oh

"These fishes are out and out predators and will not accept dead foods at all...remember they will regard small tankmates as snacks."

"Need to be kept in a species aquarium...include bogwood, be well planted with large Amazon sword plants."

"Set-up needs to be mature with slightly acidic soft water"

"They should be kept only if a continuous supply of small live fishes can be provided as their food."

It doesn't say anything about them being brackish. But it does say "gentle filtration so there is little water movement".

I hope this has helped. Oh, if you are interested the book I got them from was The New Guide to Aquarium Fish. By Mary Bailey and Gina Sandford, 1996.

hmmm... ok, well i know i have some pics on a disk around here somewhere, but i can't find them. :angry: oh well. thanks CS! i the few pics i saw on the web were similar to that, only his don't have the "stem" on their mouths and are litterally spootted. very distinct black spots on yellow bodies. thus far they have been eating flakes and kept at high 70s temp. whisper 5-15 on the tank and a short bubble bar. and we have HARD water here in town. is there anything i can do abotu that for them? the gf don't seem to mind it, nor does my betta, and i guess they really havent' either thus far. they were about an inch when he bought the pair (he goes for aggressive looking fish) and they've probably grwon about another inch thus far. the lace cat has gotten HUGE!!! hence why i think tank upgrade is necessary now. for the 20, i have a whisper second nature (10-20 gals?) and i'm going to add his whisper 5-15 to help keep it clean. i refuse to feed live fish, so any diet suggestions? cichlid pellets maybe for protien?

they really are neat fish, not something you see everyday. i'm thinking of calling the store where he got them later today and seeing if they have any ideas too.

wish me luck and i'll post pics when i can!

there so werid. How much do they cost

ummm... i think they were about 6 bucks each... when the roomie gets home i'll have him help me with pics... you have to see these guys... they look like little leopards...

Did you not read what was said about them?!

They are not suitbale for anyone other than experienced really, unless you can't help the circumstances.

I wouldn't consider them, far beyond me.

update...

they are all moved into the 20 gal and i bought a bunch of plants today as recommended. i got a large lace java fern, three amazon sword plants, and some anarchis (sp?) true to the info and advice given, they love it and seem to be quite content in their new home. i'm still looking for more info if possible.

the other thing is that i have given some thought to the live food thing. still nto going to do it. i'm going to vary their diet with bloodworms in gel, tubifex worms, tropical granules and the flakes they have been eating thus far. i'm not going to risk them by buying live feeders like neons since the petstores around here aren't the greatest sometimes in their tank mainenance. maybe look into mosquito larvae???

anyway, that's the story.

and no, i don't know that i would recommend them. i think they were getting by in their last tank, but i'm going to try to do things right for them and i think it's going to be harder than i thought. but i'll post pics tonight.

update...

they are all moved into the 20 gal and i bought a bunch of plants today as recommended. i got a large lace java fern, three amazon sword plants, and some anarchis (sp?) true to the info and advice given, they love it and seem to be quite content in their new home. i'm still looking for more info if possible.

the other thing is that i have given some thought to the live food thing. still nto going to do it. i'm going to vary their diet with bloodworms in gel, tubifex worms, tropical granules and the flakes they have been eating thus far. i'm not going to risk them by buying live feeders like neons since the petstores around here aren't the greatest sometimes in their tank mainenance. maybe look into mosquito larvae???

anyway, that's the story.

and no, i don't know that i would recommend them. i think they were getting by in their last tank, but i'm going to try to do things right for them and i think it's going to be harder than i thought. but i'll post pics tonight.

oops...

Cool

I look forward to seeing pic, seem like interesting fish!!

By the way, I wasn't getting at you in my last post. I just wouldn't recommend them.

As fot the catfish question you sent me, I will look around for you tomorrow. He could be 2 different cory species offspring. Maybe you could ask on Planet Catfish 'id my catfish' forum. Can you get a pic?

B)

i will def get pics tonight. i'm really curious about these guys. i even asked my lfs guy about the leaf fish and he said there were a couple of different species. but you know, i can't find anything on the net that looks like these guys. at all. every pic of the leaf fish has them being mottled in color. these guys aren't. they are a definite yellow body with black spots. the body shape is generally right although these guys are a bit rounder or at least, less angular. take the above pics, slightly round the sharp angles, take away the prong at the mouth and give them the colors i have described and you have these fish.

i can't wait until the roomie gets back... i want to show you guys these fish!!

ok, this is getting closer... now... bright yellow, big black spots... but the body is right.

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