African Leaf Fish: Amazing fish

[@alexrodriguez8727]

Such a personal fish, such a beauty, trying to get one myself to care for and stare at for hours

[@X.davidWilliams]

Huzzah,, my favorite tank fish. Thank you

[@embracenreborns6997]

I love these fish they grow fast and love blood worms and feeder fish as they get bigger really nice fish i had mines with my fire eel and rope fish which is also two nice fish as well

[@shawnmason8489]

my African Leaf fish is in a very heavily planted aquarium. He is happy and very active. So far he has sustained his light color pattern and as you said he is very carnivorous and hunts constantly. if you are keeping shrimp or any type of small creature (shrimp, snails or tetra fish) steer clear of this fish. If you like a fish with an active hunter instinct and want to feed him live guppies as a treat, this fish is for you. If you prefer to see them extremely active, place them in a tank with logs and stones containing tunnels and hide outs and plants on top as well as bottom. they will hide a lot and sneak through vegetation to hunt. A lot of overhead plants will add a sense of comfort they will become way more active as well as encourage a lighter skin tone for hunting camo purposes.

[@kevinpitts1252]

Leopard Ctenpomas r awesome fish! I used to keep several of them b4, and was able to successfully breed them once.

[@dwsdarius]

That's awesome, I heard that they were tough to breed

[@kevinpitts1252]

@@dwsdarius it was difficult. I almost gave up trying, then out of the blue they bred.

[@dominiclloyd1716]

Bubble nest? Or mouth brooders?

[@Cichlid_4_ever]

Omg are those yo-yo loaches(5:45-5:50) In there with him?! I have two but are no where near that big !!

[@dwsdarius]

Yes mine were about 2 years old and they hunt snails in that tank 24/7

[@chrispatterson3110]

Bro, the music and editing is awesome, always excited for your videos👍🏽I can sit and listen to the music all night lol

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you

[@stevesaquatics165]

Another good one Darius

[@tristannoa8600]

Hey! 😀 beautiful tank! what fish is at 5:36 behind bush fish!!

[@dwsdarius]

Yoyo loach

[@TunedRAMS]

I got my Leaf fish when he was an inch long. He’s now 5” long and ate all my guppies!! He’s my favorite by far

[@Strength_In_Wisdom]

Well you could get another tank filled with guppies to breed as a feeder fish for the leaf fish. Poor guppies though

[@josecolin8957]

I had mine about same as well and she grew so dam fast, loved watching her hunt the ghost shrimp

[@JB-wg9zj]

dope! he's dark because of all the black in the tank. My Dat did the same thing. then I put it in a natural rock back and tan sunstrate set up and boom... crisp stripes. great vid!

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, yes that makes sense!

[@clamskaboo5120]

The full grown one looks almost like an oscar with leopard spotting, the growth speed is unbelievable :0

[@dwsdarius]

Yes he does remind me of in Oscar not just with appearance but also with his behavior

[@AquaApprentice]

Definitely a really cool fish. Love the look and that you don’t see many people keep them. Great video.

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks, yes one day I'd like to have a colony of them

[@1domcouk]

Beautiful fish and lovely aquarium. Do you think the leaf fish would be ok with a pair of Kribensis in a 63gallon aquarium?

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, they may clash if they breed and the leaf fish's natural predator instinct kick in, but in a 63 gallon I don't think it'll be a problem

[@krissarni6074]

I was literally wondering three same thing! I have ONE female Kribensis Cichlid @2-3" max but I have two Leo's one in my 60 Community Tank with the Kribensis and the other Leo is in a 40 gallon.... What if I added just the one female Krib? All I keep hearing is the Acara's Jewel and then obviously bottom feeders and other oddball fish knife fish etc which I'm not wanting to go that route more like this tanks setup... Would that Krib work in the 40? It's working in the 60 but I have Rainbows Dwarf Gourami and Cory's Plecos Hoplo and 5 Bueno Era's Tetra's that I'm rehoming? Anything for advice is much appreciated! TIA guys 🙏🏼

[@1stuwarden]

i have 4 of these and i love um had them since they were babies they are bigger than my hand and still growing i feed mine crickets, fresh prawn, worms, pellets, squid ,spiders and they love flies and waxworms

[@orangeempirebirds3380]

That fish is truly amazing. Great video.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@michaelmccarthy4077]

One of my favorite all time fish! They used to be rare when they were only available as wild imports, luckily those farms in Indonesia started breeding them back in the early 2000's so they are more commonly available. It is surprising that an albino morph hasn't appeared yet given the numbers in which they have been breeding them, maybe one day!

[@dwsdarius]

Yes these fish are awesome, I imagine an albino would look epic!

[@CoreyHecker]

They are a cool fish. Very unique in the hobby

[@dwsdarius]

Thank You

[@kevinpitts1252]

Have u seen the ornate ctenpomas? Epic...!

[@men-o-mayhem1840]

What did you feed this beauty? I want one or two for my 125 Congo biotope to go with my bichir

[@dwsdarius]

Mine eat hikari sinking cichlid gold as a staple

[@men-o-mayhem1840]

@@dwsdarius thank you the one I ordered is an inch currently

[@dwsdarius]

@@men-o-mayhem1840 Awesome, at that size they have a nicer pattern

[@IsabellaM._]

Very beautiful. Thank you.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@msresearchspeaks]

They are very unique and beautiful. Yes with more plant coverage he will have darker areas. Really cool fish.

[@josemontalvo4532]

Beautiful fish. It’s not for everyone though. Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed watching!

[@dwsdarius]

Thank You!

[@pertainedsix5917]

Does anyone know what the little fish with the yellow fins are called? Maybe some sort of tetra or something? Around 2:21 any information would be great appreciated. Cheer's

[@dwsdarius]

Roseline sharks aka torpedo barbs

[@pertainedsix5917]

@@dwsdarius hay thank you very much for the response. New Zealand won't import them so I can't get them anyway. Cheer's

[@john.norris]

i was drawn to them because i love datnoids. they are mini tiger fish....lol i just started up again after 35 years cant wait to get one. cheers nice tank btw

[@hannahdemon]

I got 3 when they were about the size of postage stamps and one of them is about 40% bigger than their siblings now I love them so much they are the stars of my big freshwater tank

[@natan8704]

Can i put a purple spot goby and bichir with it ? And the fluval flex 32.5 gallon tank would be correct for this fish ? Pls answer

[@kilrkitty0818]

What do you feed your Leaf Fish, brand and type of pellet? I love my two leaf fish I've had them for 4 years now

[@dwsdarius]

Mine eat hikari sinking cichlid gold as a staple diet with raw shrimp occasionally

[@thefishylife6823]

Yeah I love these fish!!! I kept one years ago. .... Amazing fish!!!! ✌️🐟☮️

[@dwsdarius]

They are awesome!

[@galapagos6186]

They kind of resemble a brown archerfish.If you want an african river themed tank ,this is the best predatory fish you can get. From what i've seen they seem to be peaceful towards fish the sale size but at the same time they have an appetite for small critters.

[@dwsdarius]

That's true, mine did get a bit aggressive towards my cichlids, but nothing to worry me to much

[@want.to.b3.gamer670]

An African tank from the Congo, Niger, and Madagascar Mix sounds really fun. Those are the main places for tropical low ph setting I can think of. One of my bucket list type of tank. With fahaka or congo spotted puffer.

[@roxannew4777]

How can you tell the genders apart? I purchased two st the same time, 1 slightly more yellow & has stayed an inch long, the other is darker currently about 1.5 inches wide & 3 inches long - I also see no "gill spikes" that claim males have

[@azizahnajwa5616]

Can the fish be big?

[@loganhenson1491]

Can these fish be with Congo tetras and Colombian tetras?

[@dwsdarius]

Adult congo tetra yes, Colombian tetra are little smaller so its more of a risk for them to be eaten.

[@rondecaro]

I might have to get one of those

[@Thomas.T8]

I have a juvenile half the size of yours! Cant wait! Do you know if they can live with spotted headstanders?

[@dwsdarius]

They should be able to, as long as the head standers aren't small enough to be eaten...the leaf fish stays to itself mostly

[@johndin7730]

What are those Barbs that you keep with the leaf fish?

[@mrroboto2009]

John Dinesh it looks like he has two species of barbs on camera, juvenile tinfoil barbs, and Denison’s barbs which are the long ones with red around their nose!

[@johndin7730]

@@mrroboto2009 thanks Andrew Olson 😊

[@dwsdarius]

Yes he's correct

[@timpaulcaivinpiguing3938]

i like your videos

[@captainobvious9230]

Could they live with a betta and Senegal bichir?

[@dwsdarius]

The should do well with bichir, betta is questionable considering how closely related they are

[@toiletshark6368]

They might try to eat and harass the betta because their predatory instinct

[@toiletshark6368]

The leaf fish and the bichir

[@numbers0660]

They really r amazing

[@prasadkushe8446]

Does the colour n the pattern of this change from when it is juvenile to when it becomes an adult ?

[@dwsdarius]

As a juvenile the body was more yellow whereas as an adult is more of a light brown

[@krissarni6074]

Since a lot of people seem to have this fish also... I have two one in a 60 gallon tank and a 40 gallon tank.... I'm looking for tank mates I like this setup not trying go with knife fish etc I have a female Kribensis Cichlid would that work with him on a 40 gallon tank and they'd be ok? Amy help is much appreciated 🙏🏼

[@dwsdarius]

They should be able to coexist with cribs, the leaf fish may show some aggression to establish its rank, but shouldn't be too bas

[@krissarni6074]

@@dwsdarius Really? The Krib is kinda more territorial the leaf fish is that timid and sneak up predator fish ones..... Soo that be interesting I'm going ty have to try and see anyways I have 3 Convict fry that are @2-3"s that I dkkk what I'm going to do with

[@Trippyrockstarr]

What local pet store sell them

[@amazingaquaticsandexotics3030]

i think these are one of the coolest odball fish

[@ISilvxrsI]

Can I keep a leaf fish in a community tank

[@dwsdarius]

As long as the fish in the community are not small enough to be eaten, yes

[@ISilvxrsI]

DWSDARIUS FISH TANKS ok thank you

[@skeehee]

Great info and content 👍🏾

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@jeffalbillar7625]

A fish smoking? Not possible.

[@looneyirish007]

I had to downsize in recent years to a 33 gallon, A pair of Leaf Fish was my first choice. Bloodworms, live fish for hunting and crisp fish food has kept them in excellent condition. Very hard to find, but worth the purchase.

[@jackiemoore9095]

I have one about 5” wonder how it would do in my Oscar tank 🤔

[@dwsdarius]

Mine held his ground with Oscar's while they were the same size, and once the Oscar outgrew it the didn't see him as a threat so didn't bother him...but all Oscars have different personalities

[@domofunk1876]

Where did you get urs?

[@dwsdarius]

Liveaquaria.com

[@Larry-rr6ko]

I got home from work and my albino Cory wasy torn to pieces. IDK if it died and he ate it or if the Lil guy killed him. He's only like an inch.

[@Amir-f6m6b]

What about temp?

[@dwsdarius]

76°F-82°F, sorry if I missed that in the video

[@amazingaquaticsandexotics3030]

such a unique fish

[@InternacionalBoxing]

I really wished they stayed small, they look amazing tiny, big they are pretty mehhh lol

[@artificialecosystems5874]

Perfect, I wanted to put mine in a 70g community with my eb acara

[@dwsdarius]

Mine get a long fine with my acara

[@timpaulcaivinpiguing3938]

can you make a how to pet puffer fish video?🐡

[@robw7914]

I HAVE WAITED SO LONG FOR THIS VIDEO!!! WOOHOO

[@MotörheadMickey]

Oooh I like that fish! I might get me one of them suckas... Fanks for the vid!

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks, they are awesome!

[@timpaulcaivinpiguing3938]

i like fish

[@quakiethefakie8754]

Hey Darius can u give me a few tips on keeping African cichlids

[@dwsdarius]

Hmmm...so off the top of my head: -tank size, get as big of a tank as you can...the more cichlids you have the less aggression pains you'll have. -High oxygenated water by creating a lot of surface agitation with help raise pH and over tank health -I mixed mbuna haps and peacocks in my tank, but as a beginner I'd recommend mbuna OR haps and peacocks. -Buying Juveniles will heighten chance of less aggression as adults, but you want be able to know males from females as juveniles -When aggression gets too out of hand, rescape the tank and to destroy territories, I did rescapes almost monthly at one point. -When you stock your tank always add fish in groups, that way aggression is divided on new residents and not focused on one fish. -Frequent water changes will help increase color, and growth

[@jenniferbowen7353]

I had a pair, bought together very young. As long as they are introduced at the same time at a young age they don't get aggressive with each other. I lost one in an extensive power outage and tried to introduce another young one without success. Surprisingly docile for a predator, but will kill a juvenile. I introduced 2 blood parrots later on and was happy that the parrots did not recognize my leaf fish as a fish at all. caution putting anything tiny in the tank as the leaf fish can and will bite off more than it can swallow and did get a small feeder stuck in its mouth at one point. Luckily I was able to pull it out easily and my fish lived another day. I finished off my tank with a few medium barbs, and occasionally added ghost shrimp for a good clean tank and a treat for the apex predators.

[@jenniferbowen7353]

Side note, They are incredibly shy and antisocial. They will not bond with you the same way a blood parrot or goldfish will come to the front of the glass to greet you and beg for food.

[@Thirsty4Thirst]

Aka not as cool

[@jamalwalker2104]

I just discovered these fish. I have two juviees in my tank with two juvenile angels and 8 neon tetras. As they mature, I will house them in a larger tank with the angels. That will begin a chiclid tank.

[@dwsdarius]

They are awesome, just be careful with those neon tetra because they may be eaten

[@Minunmaani]

Pantterikiipijäkala in Finnish, I was supriced it is "leaf fish".

[@artificialecosystems5874]

How much do they cost?

[@dwsdarius]

As a juvenile mine was $24

[@thehendowski]

Thats very expensive. Here in my country it just cost $3

[@tehutimes1]

Asia, South America, Australia, & parts of North America are continents with hot regions also. Where ever they're from leaf fish eat flesh. Giving worms to swordtails & mollies is predator fishkeeping. Cool Diamond Spot or Panda Corydoras.

[@ephraimcampos5232]

My bush fish be chilling with the parrots and flower horn fish

[@timpaulcaivinpiguing3938]

cuz i have a pet puffer fish green spoted

[@DaFishKeepah]

Great song

[@andrewcastaneda2128]

If u put lighter gravel he will have more color

[@jackenglish9826]

I might just get one!

[@dwsdarius]

Its definitely a cool fish to keep

[@vannakkeo7453]

Nice!

[@dramaticexperiment144]

Whats your favorite fish

[@dwsdarius]

My favorite fish is always changing...but as of today I'd say its my flagtail prochilodus

[@neverrevenge7335]

Can your keep them with a school of nice adult sized Asian rummy nose rasboras

[@dwsdarius]

No tone of these would definitely eat them

[@Darkhalo314]

I've had an African Leaf Fish in my tank for 12 years. It has eaten every fish in my tank and I can't wait for it to die so I can get more fish. This fish might look cool and be "semi-aggressive", but this thing is very aggressive and will eat everything in the tank.

[@claireslifevlogs9906]

Helllo i just my first 6

[@cichlidkingaquatics5988]

I keep mine with south American

[@coleleiker4045]

Btw with my experience of this fish it is very aggressive. It has even killed one of my lobsters before.

[@Darkhalo314]

Same with me man. 12 years ago I got a brand new 110 gallon tank and within the first week, it's eaten 6 of my fish. My leaf fish is still alive and has been the only fish in the tank for past few years. I can't put anything else in the tank until it dies

[@Proxyyy825]

@@Darkhalo314 you can put other fish just make sure they are big unless the tank is small then you can’t put anything else

[@kenet362]

Super interesting as both of mine has joined the big group of Congo tetras and single turkana jewel cichlid in a big “African school” with them showing zero aggression.

[@triple10tanks10]

I wish they stayed small

[@dwsdarius]

Yes he looked so much better!

[@dododoang9051]

wow...👍😎🐟

[@adminaquatics5668]

Could I put one with a peaceful Oscar

[@dwsdarius]

Mine lived with an Oscar for some time without problems, so yes

[@adminaquatics5668]

DWSDARIUS FISH TANKS cool thanks could I put some tiger barbs in with that same Oscar to

[@keroppi4224]

if only I have the space

[@bryanluigi3955]

Can i put them in my aquarium with 2 oscars?

[@alvaroooo17]

I had this fish for a couple years now and put in a baby Oscar sometime last year Oscar out grew him and they don't have any aggression issues. However Oscar is quick eater. My leaf fish isn't I had to put food on different sides of the tank so he could eat not sure if it's just mine that is a slow eater.

[@syiefaabdulaziz1560]

Your loach is FAT CUTE!

[@chromequest707]

First