Armoured Stickleback
Indostomus paradoxus
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 3 cm
- Minimum tank
- 16 litres
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C
Species profile
Amazon Leaffish
Monocirrhus polyacanthus
Common names: Amazon Leaffish, South American Leaf Fish, South American Leaf-Fish
Recognized speciesOddballs
Adult size
Up to 10 cm
Up to 10 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A mature, stable aquarium
Think carefully if
- You keep smaller fish, which it may eat
- Your tank is newly set up
- You keep shrimp you want to protect
An astonishing fish that looks and drifts exactly like a dead leaf, complete with a stem-like barbel on its chin. Keep alone or in a small group in 68 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
An astonishing fish that looks and drifts exactly like a dead leaf, complete with a stem-like barbel on its chin. It eats live fish, and it needs soft, acidic water, so it is one for specialists.
Check the scientific name when buying, as common names vary between sellers and countries.
Sexes are usually hard to tell apart.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 270–340 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 75–100 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 68 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 75 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 1
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low to moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Allow plenty of room, use a very secure lid and fit strong filtration. Predators produce a lot of waste, and many are strong jumpers.
Behaviour and Tankmates
A predator that spends much of its time watching and waiting for prey.
Usually best alone, or in a very large tank with others of its size.
Many are intolerant of their own kind.
It will eat any fish that fits in its mouth, so keep it with fish too big to swallow, or alone. It is likely to eat shrimp. Choose its tankmates with care.
Water Parameters
Fairly tolerant of different water, if it is clean and stable.
Parameter caveat
Add this fish only to a mature, fully cycled tank, and keep up regular water changes.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Carnivore, Predator
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Quality carnivore pelletsWorth training it onto these, as they are balanced and clean.
- Frozen prawn, mussel and fishUse a variety. Avoid a diet of feeder fish, which can bring in disease.
- EarthwormsA good food, and most predators take them readily.
A specialist that eats live fish and usually refuses dead food. Plan for a steady supply of live fish.
Feed small amounts, and remove anything left after a few minutes.
Breeding
- Breeding difficulty
- Not commonly bred
- Parental care
- Unknown
Little has been recorded about breeding this fish in aquariums.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, South America, Venezuela
- Natural habitat
- River
- Aquarium contexts
- Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Intermediate
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Monocirrhus
- Family
- Polycentridae
- Species group
- Fish, Oddballs
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Banded Archerfish
Toxotes jaculatrix
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 30 cm
- Minimum tank
- 432 litres
- Temperature
- 25–30 °C
Barred Bichir
Polypterus delhezi
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 35 cm
- Minimum tank
- 243 litres
- Temperature
- 24–30 °C
Black Barred Silver Dollar
Myloplus schomburgkii
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 12 cm
- Minimum tank
- 173 litres
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C