# Companions for spotted leaf fish



## rcl7 (Apr 8, 2014)

I've recently started a planted tank in my 25 gallon (L). Currently I have a young (1 inch) spotted leaf and a dwarf gourami. Not looking to crowd the tank but give it some life. Anyone have experience with these guys and have recommendations. I'm certainly a fan of oddballs too if it helps


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

If you bought what I think you did (this - this) also known as leopard gourami, spotted climbing perch, and mis-labeled by Pestmart as 'African leaf fish" (real African leaf fish) It will need 50 gallon *minimum *for itself so you are overstocked already. Don't get any torpedo like fish, that bugger can open its mouth a lot wider than you think and suck 'em down. Dwarf gourami may be safe.. silver dollar, tinfoil tetra, larger barb species, and other wide/tall fish might also survive, but again, going to be overstocked with that fish solo in a 25 gallon.
If your fish is not the one i linked first 2 images to.. then never mind my whole post ^^


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## rcl7 (Apr 8, 2014)

Wow that is exactly what I have. Great info. Thankfully, I will be setting up a 50g in June so I guess I can migrate him there once the time comes


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## JustJen (Jun 20, 2011)

Ditto the other. I've not kept them, but my best friend had one first in her 33, then in her 55. He was a COOL fish, but he would eat absolutely anything he could even kinda fit in his mouth, and he grew fast. He took out fast moving danios like they were sitting still. He'd go after her swordtails and take out their tails or basically as much of the fish as he could get a hold of and eventually do enough damage to kill them even if he couldn't just swallow them like the danios and tetras. The 55 was a cichlid tank, and he was fine in there as the fish were all larger deeper bodied and similar in size to him. Only got rid of him because she decided to go a different route with the tank and she obviously couldn't put him in any of the community tanks.

Long story short, he's likely going to outgrow your tank VERY quickly, so best to have his next tank already in the works, and not a lot of fish that are compatible, especially in his current tank.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

It takes a long time for these guys to get big. They usually max out at 5-6 inches so they can go in a tank that's at least 110L. If you want to add appropriately sized tank mates, you'll need a bigger tank. Smaller upper jaw bichirs, rope fish, and butterfly fish are good tank mates for _Ctenopoma acutirostre_.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Yep its not a mean fish BUT it is a predictor and it WILL eat anything it can manage to fit in its mouth. Any tank mates you get now, make sure are bigger than him and will stay too tall/wide to be eaten as he grows. 
I wanted to build a monster fish tank with my existing leopard sailfin pleco, one of these fish, a sexy datnoid (seriously awesome looking fish), maybe a bichir, and an arowana.. but take a lot of $$$$ to get a tank big enough for that monster group (min 6x4x4 foot tank), and a lot more $ for all the fish (no local sources gotta pay shipping x.x).


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

AquaAurora said:


> Yep its not a mean fish BUT it is a predictor and it WILL eat anything it can manage to fit in its mouth. Any tank mates you get now, make sure are bigger than him and will stay too tall/wide to be eaten as he grows.
> I wanted to build a monster fish tank with my existing leopard sailfin pleco, one of these fish, a sexy datnoid (seriously awesome looking fish), maybe a bichir, and an arowana.. but take a lot of $$$$ to get a tank big enough for that monster group (min 6x4x4 foot tank), and a lot more $ for all the fish (no local sources gotta pay shipping x.x).


If you can drive over to NY or NJ, you can find stores that sell the larger predatory fish.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Monster Fish said:


> If you can drive over to NY or NJ, you can find stores that sell the larger predatory fish.


I'll keep that in mind, though it will take a while to get enough $ for a monster tank (and to build a monster sump for it).


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Mine got from < 1" to about 2.5" in 2 months and is finally eating guppy fry. Will he eventually graduate to Golden Wonders remains to be seen.

v3


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## Deflected (Jan 12, 2014)

I have two large ones. I agree with those who say not to keep them with fish that will fit in their mouth. Ottos are not even safe if they are small. Throw some ghost shrimp in the tank and they will be gone before they hit the bottom.


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