Pantodon Butterfly

African Butterfly Fish (Pantodon buchholzi)

🌍 Origin: Slow-moving waters of West & Central Africa
🐠 Adult Size: 10–13cm
💧 Water Parameters:
• pH: 6.0–7.5
• Temperature: 24–30°C
• Soft to moderately hard water
🍽️ Diet: Carnivore – loves live/frozen foods like insects, small fish, mosquito larvae, bloodworms, and floating pellets
😈 Temperament: Peaceful with similar-sized fish, but predatory toward small tankmates that fit in its mouth
🏝️ Tank Setup:
• Minimum 80L tank with low flow
• Tight-fitting lid – they're powerful jumpers!
• Floating plants for cover
• Dim or shaded lighting preferred
• Open top space – they rarely leave the surface
🌙 Activity: Mostly surface-dwelling and crepuscular (active at dawn/dusk)

🧬 Fun Fact: Their large, wing-like pectoral fins give them a gliding motion on the water surface — they can even leap short distances across the air to escape predators!