Amazon Leaffish
Monocirrhus polyacanthus
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 10 cm
- Minimum tank
- 68 litres
- Temperature
- 23–29 °C
Species profile
Zig-zag Eel
Mastacembelus armatus
Common names: Zig-zag Eel, Tyre Track Eel, Zigzag Eel, Marbled Spiny Eel
Recognized speciesOddballs
Adult size
Up to 91 cm
Up to 91 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A keeper with room for a large aquarium
Think carefully if
- You keep smaller fish, which it may eat
- You cannot provide about 432 litres for a fully grown fish
- You keep shrimp you want to protect
A long, spiny eel with a dark, tyre-track pattern, also called the Tyre Track Eel, that reaches about 90 cm. Keep alone or in a small group in 432 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
A long, spiny eel with a dark, tyre-track pattern, also called the Tyre Track Eel, that reaches about 90 cm. It needs a soft sand bottom and a very tight lid, and it fights with its own kind.
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 860–1,300 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 425–650 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 432 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 120 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 1
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low
- 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.
Water Parameters
Keep the pH steady, because this fish is sensitive to swings. Keep the temperature steady.
Parameter caveat
Keep up regular water changes, and acclimatise new fish slowly.
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 large burrowing predator. Feed earthworms, frozen shrimp, mussel and bloodworm at night.
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
- Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka
- Natural habitat
- Freshwater Stream, River
- Aquarium contexts
- Large Freshwater Aquarium, Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Specialist
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Mastacembelus
- Family
- Mastacembelidae
- Species group
- Fish, Oddballs
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- Care level
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- Adult size
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- Minimum tank
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- Temperature
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- Adult size
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- Minimum tank
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- Temperature
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- Adult size
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- Minimum tank
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- Temperature
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