# What types of Fishes can go well with Leopard Ctenopomas?



## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

Hey people

I was wondering... I have never ever ever raised the ctenopomas before, and I'd really love to try and raise them 

I just want to know what types of fishes can they go with??

Angels, tetras, cichlids, Gouramis?? any of those?


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## aspects (Feb 22, 2009)

nandus nandus, datnoids, archers, butterfly fish


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## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

aspects said:


> nandus nandus, datnoids, archers, butterfly fish



Archer fishes?? aren't they brackish?


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## aspects (Feb 22, 2009)

Both archers and monos can be acclimated to full fresh water as they are found in both in the wild (depending on the speciea)
I just listed some of the fish I have personally kept with ctenopoma.


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## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

aspects said:


> Both archers and monos can be acclimated to full fresh water as they are found in both in the wild (depending on the speciea)
> I just listed some of the fish I have personally kept with ctenopoma.


Oh I see. So Archer Fishes can live in pure freshwater for their entire lives?

Can they go with Angelfishes?


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## aspects (Feb 22, 2009)

they need to be properly acclimated, but yes, they can live in frest water for their entire lives. as far as goldfish go, i wouldnt mix them personally, however, as i have never tried it personally, i dont have any first hand experience saying it can not be done.


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## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

aspects said:


> they need to be properly acclimated, but yes, they can live in frest water for their entire lives. as far as goldfish go, i wouldnt mix them personally, however, as i have never tried it personally, i dont have any first hand experience saying it can not be done.



Alright so is there only one species of Archer fish?


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## aspects (Feb 22, 2009)

no. there are a few actually, though most are not common in the hobby.

Toxotes blythii , Toxotes chatareus, Toxotes jaculatrix Toxotes kimberleyensis, Toxotes lorentzi, Toxotes microlepis, Toxotes oligolepis


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## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

aspects said:


> no. there are a few actually, though most are not common in the hobby.
> 
> Toxotes blythii , Toxotes chatareus, Toxotes jaculatrix Toxotes kimberleyensis, Toxotes lorentzi, Toxotes microlepis, Toxotes oligolepis


Lol thanks  are there any other brackish fishes that can stay in a FW environment? like the Scats?


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## aspects (Feb 22, 2009)

Scats, monos, archers, , datnoids (AT & NGT), gobies. There may be more alsi


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## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

aspects said:


> Scats, monos, archers, , datnoids (AT & NGT), gobies. There may be more alsi


Oh, so they can be in pure freshwater for life?


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## Fishboydanny1 (Jun 13, 2008)

> Can they go with Angelfishes?


Absolutely not. Monos are notorious fin nippers, seemingly much like tiger barbs.


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## Nature neil (Jan 15, 2009)

Please be really careful when considering adding brackish fish to freshwater, many will suffer and succumb to fungal infections if kept in freshwater, Their is only one species of Archer that is occasionally found in freshwater T.microlepsis but even so it is hard water that increases in salinity depending on the season, and although they will survive for a year or two in freshwater they will thrive for 8-10 years in brackish water. The same goes for scats and some Datnoids. Another key point is that the Ctenopoma acutirostre, prefer soft water were as Scats archers etc need hard water. You will be far better combining them with large peaceful fish, like ropefish, Plecs, Gouramis, Angels, congo tetras etc.
So good luck and why not buy 4 or more and keep them in a well planted species tank and breed them?


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## aspects (Feb 22, 2009)

they are easily acclimated with no adverse effects. but by no means can you just take a brackish fish and throw it in fresh water.


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## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

Nature neil said:


> T.microlepsis, I don't know if that really is an archer fish... because the latin name for them is _Toxotes_.





Nature neil said:


> Ctenopoma acutirostre


Those are freshwater fishes... I think they are also known as leopard gourami. I have seen scats in salt water (pure) and they are huge fishes... that can grow really big. 



Nature neil said:


> Another key point is that the Ctenopoma acutirostre, prefer soft water were as Scats archers etc need hard water. You will be far better combining them with large peaceful fish, like ropefish, Plecs, Gouramis, Angels, congo tetras etc.


I have gouramis, and angels. So are you saying that I can fit some scats into pure freshwater tank?


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## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

Nature neil said:


> T.microlepsis,


I don't know if that really is an archer fish... because the latin name for them is _Toxotes_.



Nature neil said:


> Ctenopoma acutirostre


Those are freshwater fishes... I think they are also known as leopard gourami. I have seen scats in salt water (pure) and they are huge fishes... that can grow really big. 



Nature neil said:


> Another key point is that the Ctenopoma acutirostre, prefer soft water were as Scats archers etc need hard water. You will be far better combining them with large peaceful fish, like ropefish, Plecs, Gouramis, Angels, congo tetras etc.


I have gouramis, and angels. So are you saying that I can fit some scats into pure freshwater tank?


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## Nature neil (Jan 15, 2009)

Ok I will try to clear a few points up. The leopard ctenopoma or spotted climbing perch, is a freshwater soft water species. It will combine with larger non aggressive species like your angels and gouramis.
T.microlepsis is the shortened name for the toxotes microlepsis archer fish, also known as the golden freshwater archer or small scale archer fish. It does occasionally live in freshwater but it will suffer, so do not keep it in your tank with angels etc. They are also very active and can be agressive so don't mix well with the species you have anyway.
So in conclusion you can keep angels gouramis and leopard ctenopoma (spotted climbing perch) (ctenopoma acutirostre) in a tank together, as they come from similar biotopes and water conditions. You can but should not keep any monos, scats, archers with them as they will suffer and die quickly or outgrow the tank, if you want archers etc and they are great fish, get a new tank and have a brackish setup. 
I hope this helps and good luck 
I don't mean to go on but it upsets me so to see brackish fish sold and kept as freshwater, only for them to suffer and die when in fact many of our freshwater fish are happy in brackish water like mollies and guppies!


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## Heiko Bleher (Nov 11, 2008)

Hi guys,

this is Heiko Bleher and I really cannot believe some of the suggestions made here for mates of C. acutirostre (Leopard Ctenopoma or whatever common name you want), which comes from very acid, black water - extremely soft. 

I collected many and this species lives far inland only, (1000 km from the Sea) and most of the fish here, like Toxotes species (Archer fishes), mono, scates etc. are brackish and marine living species of completely different water parameters - very alkaline, high pH, very hard and mostly clear or turbid habitat with mangroves. 

It seems to me you all must learn a lot about fishes and you should consider what fishes want. If they are used to live with certain mates (and in an biotope near to their natural habitat). 

Butterfly (Pantodon buchholzi) is the only correct mate I have seen on this thread. Some habitat of the C. acutirostre you can see on my website under Bleher's Biotopes. Also mates could be Gnathonemus petersii, Synodontis species (pleurops, ornatipinnis, nigriventris, etc.), Distichodus species (lussoso, sexfasciatus, etc.), Hemichromis species, Polypterus species, etc.

Think fish, that is what I always say and if you do, you have a fantastic aquarium and your fishes will thank it to you and feel so much better and spawn very fast... 

with kindest regards from one who should know (after 100 African-field-trips).

Always

Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com


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## aspects (Feb 22, 2009)

Well there you go. The man has spoken.


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## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

Nature neil said:


> Ok I will try to clear a few points up. The leopard ctenopoma or spotted climbing perch, is a freshwater soft water species. It will combine with larger non aggressive species like your angels and gouramis.
> T.microlepsis is the shortened name for the toxotes microlepsis archer fish, also known as the golden freshwater archer or small scale archer fish. It does occasionally live in freshwater but it will suffer, so do not keep it in your tank with angels etc. They are also very active and can be agressive so don't mix well with the species you have anyway.
> So in conclusion you can keep angels gouramis and leopard ctenopoma (spotted climbing perch) (ctenopoma acutirostre) in a tank together, as they come from similar biotopes and water conditions. You can but should not keep any monos, scats, archers with them as they will suffer and die quickly or outgrow the tank, if you want archers etc and they are great fish, get a new tank and have a brackish setup.
> I hope this helps and good luck
> I don't mean to go on but it upsets me so to see brackish fish sold and kept as freshwater, only for them to suffer and die when in fact many of our freshwater fish are happy in brackish water like mollies and guppies!


Wow you really helped me clear things up  thanks.


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## Heiko Bleher (Nov 11, 2008)

Hi guys,

just for the sake of it:
1. There is no such common name as spotted climbing perch for Ctenopoma acutirostre, simply as climbing perch is applied to Anabas species, because they climb out of the water and over land (some say even up into trees - many years ago was an articled about this in National geographic). And Ctenopoma acutirostre cannot go out of the water, nor climb. Leopard Ctenopoma, or Spotted Ctenopoma is its normal common name. 
2. Gouramis and Leopard Ctenopoma NEVER come from similar biotopes and NEVER from similar water conditions. The former is mostly alkaline, hard water, and rarely very soft - the latter lives in extreme acid water and extreme soft water conditions. Also Gouramis live in lake areas, hardly ever flowing and with lots of aquatic vegetation (which they also need to built their nests in, specially under floating plants) and Spotted Ctenopoma live in river habitat and rarely plants, mostly sand, gravel and rocky areas with driftwood.

This just to put it correct and to give you a little information on the habitat of these two, the Asian (Gourami) and the African (Spotted Ctenopoma) fish. 

I think people should study a little bit more (and not only in the Internet) before engage themself in some comments they do not know anything off, which naturally will lead to wrong information and the questioners (and even worse their fishes) will be disappointed.

All the best,

Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com


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## aspects (Feb 22, 2009)

Heiko Bleher said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> just for the sake of it:
> 1. There is no such common name as spotted climbing perch for Ctenopoma acutirostre, simply as climbing perch is applied to Anabas species, because they climb out of the water and over land (some say even up into trees - many years ago was an articled about this in National geographic). And Ctenopoma acutirostre cannot go out of the water, nor climb. Leopard Ctenopoma, or Spotted Ctenopoma is its normal common name.
> ...


Great post heiko. Thank you.


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## Nature neil (Jan 15, 2009)

Hello Heiko
Thanks very much for clearing that up. Sorry about the confusion over the common name Spotted Climbing Perch, for C. acutirostre, I got it directly from one of my reference books G. Sandford _Illustrated Encylopedia of Aquarium Fish_ (1998). So thanks for clarifying the issue, I guess thats why using the proper scientific name is always best.

I was concentrating so much on making sure the brackish fish did not go into freshwater, I had forgotten about the Gourami and its requirements. So thanks again and now we can be certain there will be some much happier fish thanks to this discussion.

Talking of research, could I just take this chance to tap into your vast knowledge?
Do you know what conditions a small Goby with the common name of "Tiger Goby" requires. Unfortunately I have only got the common name to go on. I have put a few pictures up if you want to have a look.
(Fish Gallery) 
I think it is Gobius tigrellus (Nichols, 1951) (Although I hope it is not) unfortunately none of my books have it in and the Keys on fishbase only go so far without killing the fish.
Thanks Neil


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## Heiko Bleher (Nov 11, 2008)

Hi,

just fast: Can you get me a better picture of this goby?
And is it possible to find out where it was collected or at least where imported from?

This already would help for me to identify and give you some information on it. As I dought that it is Gobius tigrellus from Indonesia.

best regards

Heiko


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