Leaf Fish

[Spider]

Hey, does anyone know about leaf fish? There is one at my LFS, but he just sits arround all day. Is that normal? I think he looks cool and would love to get him, I just would like some advice on the matter.

[OrionGirl]

Leaf fish tend to be sedentary. Their normal behavior is to drift along in the current until they are close enough to any small fish, which they then eat. They have an extendable mouth peice which shoots out to catch their prey. Anything about 30% their size or smaller is fair game, maybe a bit larger. They are a neat fish, but won't appreciate a tank with a lot of current, will want some surface plants/debris (floating wood), and are not good community fish.

I have heard of people having big problems getting them to eat. I wouldn't recommend them to an unexperienced aquariast.

[wetmanNY]

OrionGirl's advice is good. You really need an endless supply of baby guppies. Leaffishes aren't interested in any kind of flake feed.

[Faramir]

Saw one of these on a nature programme on the telly once. Thing was gobbling cardinals like there was no tomorrow. I was there thinking "Hey! Eat something else! Those things are over a quid each!"

[Spider]

Well, I do have a preagnent guppy and no place to put the babies and nothing to do with them. Free Food?