Schomburgk's leaffish

Care at a glance

Overview

Schomburgk's leaffish is a small predator for a shady, planted tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Caring for the Schomburgk's leaffish

Give a Schomburgk's leaffish a shady, planted tank of at least 20 gal (75 L), with leaf litter and wood. Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5.

It is solitary and mostly peaceful, but it is a predator that will eat tiny fish and shrimp. Keep it alone or with tank mates too large to swallow. Feed live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and small earthworms.

It spawns in caves or under leaves, and the male guards the eggs. Breeding it is of medium difficulty.

Good to know

Polycentrus schomburgkii belongs to the small New World leaffish family Polycentridae. It is an ambush predator that hovers motionless, then inhales small prey with a fast gulp.

In the wild

Schomburgk's leaffish is native to coastal fresh waters of northern South America and Trinidad. It drifts among roots and leaf litter in slow, shady water, looking like a dead leaf.

Common questions

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