How to Care for African Leaf Fish
The African leaf fish is a semi-aggressive, carnivorous fish from West Africa, and it is most often found in the countries of Benin, Cameroon and Nigeria. It camouflages itself from prey by changing color to match its surroundings. Its shape and movement mimic a dead leaf underwater and allow it to sneak close to prey before quickly sucking up the prey with its mouth. You can find these fish in most fish stores in the United States, but be sure to set up your tank correctly before buying one.
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Things You'll Need
- Freshwater aquarium setup
- Vegetation and driftwood
- Soft acidic water
- Aquarium water test kit
Instructions
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Fill the bottom of a 30-gallon aquarium tank setup with real or fake vegetation and strips of driftwood. The African leaf fish spends most of its time hiding in this vegetation, which is essential to its hunting strategy.
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Fill your aquarium tank with soft acidic water that has a temperature between 79 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit. The recommended pH range of the water is between 6.0 and 6.5. Refer to your aquarium manual for specifics in temperature control for your individual setup. Daily checkup on water levels is essential as this species of fish is particularly sensitive to changes in the water.
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Add the African leaf fish to your tank one by one. If you have multiple African leaf fish, wait five minutes before adding the next one to the tank. Other similar-sized, semi-aggressive fish can exist in the tank with the African leaf fish.
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4
Feed the fish small earthworms and bloodworms. Be sure the worms are still alive so that the African leaf fish will hunt them; the fish will not eat dead food.
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Tips & Warnings
Purchase an aquarium water test kit to measure its pH levels. Dramatic changes in pH levels within a 24-hour period can kill your fish, so use the pH-lowering product in your test kit to drop the water's pH level back to normal.
References
- Photo Credit Jochen Sands/Photodisc/Getty Images
