50 Gallon Tank Crazy day- I have been gifted a new tank and leaf fish?

Hey, guys. Well, I am now an owner of a 50 gallon tank and a 7-year-old leaf fish? Maybe my gouramis don’t have to be given away? Will they be okay in there with the leaf fish? He’s apparently very peaceful. Will my angel be okay in there, too? I have no idea what I’m in for with this leaf fish. Anyone know any helpful information about them? Any experience with them? I fed the fish a couple times and it was living in a bare bottom tank with a big tetra-like fish. I think it died. Would it be safe to have gouramis in there? Are there any bottom feeders/algae eaters that aren’t plecos that would be okay in that tank? I assume Otis are too small (I now own 3). What about corys? Thanks, everyone.

I have no idea what I’m getting into. Fish keep magically coming into my life. first Cory and platy fry……. And now an 8 inch+ leaf fish.

 

Leaf fish are well know to sometimes eat other slow moving fish. Or any fish that fit inside there mouth. How big is he ? There’s a chance he could be okay, but I don’t reccomend it with the previous experience I’ve had with them .

 

He’s about 7 years old, probably 6-8 inches. I don’t have him physically yet but from taking care of him in the past, his mouth is not so big. My angelfish is bigger than my 6 inch gouramis.

 

Hmm that tough . I don’t want any of your fish to die or get severely bullied but at the same time they may be perfectly fine. I guess you can try it out and watch for signs of aggression

 

My gouramis, at least the male, is on the aggressive side so I think he’d be okay. Scrappy thing. but thanks for the advice and caring about the welfare of my fish! I’ll see how it goes. The leaf fish had tank mates and is on the chill side. It’s worth the shot and if they don’t get along then I got two back up plans.

 

Oki that sounds great. I was just sharing from my previous excoeirence with them. I’m glad thing seem to work out.
Have a good day

/ Tropical flow

 

What care do they need? Are they high-maintenance? What am I in for? I assume they’ll need substrate, unlike what the fish was living in and more than two plastic plants?

 

This is the problem
My man, this is what I’m talking about. I’m pretty concerned about your fish . I will tell you there care requirement and all they need . I have tooken care of 3 leaf fish before all of them lived a long ish life

 

Oh dear. Don’t know if it helps but the one I’m getting is a smooth version, the African leaf fish? Does that make a difference?
Leopard Bushfish Care Guide | Oddball Fish Forum | 488895

 

No, it does not make a difference . I would recvomend for this dude to first of all be in a tank by himself mostly
Unless semi big snail
PH Levels :Soft and acidic water is preferred so 6.0 - 6.5 would be acceptable

This is a fish that likes quite a warm water temperature . Around 78-88 is a good temp. I kept mine at 83-84 and it was happy

 

Good to know! I’ll see what the owners, another fellow aquarist, and my LFS knows about this big guy. Thank you so much for your advice! I’ll be compiling information like an encyclopedia until I get this guy!

 

Oki dokie! If u ever have question come back to this article and I will answer

 

Okay, I don't know why the hobby started calling Ctenopoma species "Leaf Fish", but the fact is that they are not actually Leaf Fish, which are a different family. Leopard Bushfish are basically cousins to your Gouramis, and are often known to be aggressive and predatory.

An 8 inch Ctenopoma will probably try to eat Corys. The mouth opens up much larger than it looks. I would not put it with the fish that you have, as the teeth are more formidable than your other fish.

 

And one more for the category "Why you shouldn't gift random fish to people."

An 8 inch Ctenopoma will probably try to eat Corys. The mouth opens up much larger than it looks. I would not put it with the fish that you have, as the teeth are more formidable than your other fish.

Agree. Also if it tries to eat a cory it will likely end bad for both fish.

 

I’ve been doing a lot of research and I now know he is a leopard bush fish. I’ve contacted one of my friends who has an uncle with one and she is double checking if my big blues can make it in the tank with “Mr. Leaf”, otherwise, I’m rehoming them. Thank you for the advice. I’m feeling pretty confident about this big guy and I’m going to keep him in his tank alone for a while before I introduce any more fish. The tank conditions for him weren’t ideal so I’ll have to make sure he is healthy. If anyone has any other advice, I’m willing to hear it! Thank you, everyone. I would be hopelessly lost when it comes to this fish without you all. I’m excited to house my first predatory fish!

And one more for the category "Why you shouldn't gift random fish to people."


Agree. Also if it tries to eat a cory it will likely end bad for both fish.

I’ve taken care of the fish before for my neighbors, who I have known for many years, and they know I am good with all animals, especially fish. But still, it’ll be a challenge until I see how this guy reacts at home with me 24/7.

I’ve done a boat load of research on them and yeah, Corys are a bad idea, especially since they have that armor. Thank you for making sure I knew that!
Oh, I was wondering what is your opinion on chilids and bush fish being together in a 50 gallon tank?

 

I thought he looked more like a bush fish lol