# Spotted Climbing Perch



## Ripley (Apr 17, 2006)

Hey guys, 

Not really sure where I should put this, so I just stuck it here. Hope that's alright!

I recently purchased the aforementioned Spotted Climbing Perch (Ctenopoma acutirostre) and I am totally in love with this little fish! And little is right, for 'Spot' is only about an inch long at the moment. He's the smallest fish in my tank (well, the honey gourami's might be a fraction smaller). Anyway, Spot is quite the character, and is a lot more friendly since he's settled in. And in fact, he's figured out that he has to be speedy if he wants to eat the tasty bloodworms, otherwise his tankmates get them first. I really should video him zooming around slurping up the bloodworms - I'm quite amused by it. ;-) 

My plan for the tank as Spot matures is to get rid of his current buddies, so they don't end up as snacks for him and then get a trio of pearl gourami's. (Unless of course, I can talk the parents into a larger tank!!) Because at the moment, the tank is a 33 gallon, and that's about the minimum size for a fish that will get to be Spot's size.

Anyone else have other suggestions for future tankmates for Spot? Anyone else have one of these guys? Experiences?

Picture of the infamous Spot:


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

very cute! is he classified as coldwater?


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2007)

Not at all. They come from the Congo River Basin in Africa.


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

Your "spotted climbing perch" will actually need a tank of about 55 gallons. I suggest bottom dwelling catfish and bichirs. Something that doesn't spook your ctenopoma out too much. Other cten's are also great tankmates- my cousin has two and they love eachtother.


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2007)

I've heard they can be aggressive towards each other, but I might be wrong.


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

I haven't seen them being aggressive with others or read that, so I doubt it. I know one species of cteno is like that- but leopards are usually peaceful with their own kind. I only had one myself- a small one inch one- but my cousin has two 4-5 inchers that follow eachother around.


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2007)

Oh, that's cool.  I must of been thinking of something else.


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## Ripley (Apr 17, 2006)

Well, I've heard they're fairly slow growers. And that about 30 gallons as a minimum tank size for them - so I have time for an upgrade if I do get one. And Scuba Kid, I've also heard that they can be agressive amongst themselves (read it here: http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Ctenopoma_acutirostre.php). But then that they're really peaceful with each other. At this point, because of tank size, I'll just keep Spot as a lonely only. Thanks for the info flamingo, but any other suggestions? Heh, I'm not a fan of many catfish/bichirs. Lol. (Though, if at the end of summer we head across the country and pick up a larger tank from my boyfriend's family, then I'm sure he'll be stocking the tank with something like that!)


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## dakotagirl (Nov 22, 2006)

I have one too and I love him! He was just a baby when I got him not even 2 inches long. I had him in my tank with 3 rasboras, knew that they would have to be moved soon, but he was still really little so I wasn't too worried. Woke up one morning about a week later and I went to feed the tank and guess what??? I only had 1 1/2 rasboras left!! I couldn't believe he was big enough to eat my rasboras as they were good sized. But I watched him and noticed that when he opened his mouth, it was huge. I felt horrible for my little rasboras but I just didn't think that he would be able to get them in his mouth.
I was wrong.

He now resides in a 55 gallon tank with 2 parrots, 1 severum, and 3 australian rainbows and does great with them. 

He is the neatest fish to watch.....he sways with the water instead of just swimming like normal fish. Everyone that sees my tank always comments on him first. I would love to have more than one but have also read that they can be aggresive to their own kind.


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## Jojo (Apr 11, 2006)

I don't know ANYTHING about these guys, but they are awesome looking! Could one go in a way under-stocked 125g with African cichlids? The only violence is between a kenyi and a P.socolofi who love to fight over one side of the tank, there's 9 fish in there right now. And the largest is about 4 in, I'm hoping to get rid of the kenyi sometime in the near future.


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

Jojo said:


> I don't know ANYTHING about these guys, but they are awesome looking! Could one go in a way under-stocked 125g with African cichlids? The only violence is between a kenyi and a P.socolofi who love to fight over one side of the tank, there's 9 fish in there right now. And the largest is about 4 in, I'm hoping to get rid of the kenyi sometime in the near future.


They have different water requirements and the cichlids would tear it apart.

Idk, I haven't seen the aggression issue before- and certainly not with any my cousin has or that i've seen in an lfs. I know a user on multiple forums that's an "expert" on bichirs and ctenopomas- I remember he kept the same species of cten's together with no problems also. My cousin wants to get one or two more to with the ones he has, they're cute fish! I love the swaying mentioned. I called it the "leaf action", because it looks like a rotten leaf floating through the water... pretty sneaky. 

I've seen them with clown loaches, etc. also. Basicaly- anything close to the same size and non-aggressive shoud be okay. A cten and african butterfly fish tank would look pretty nice!


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## Ripley (Apr 17, 2006)

Dakotagirl, that's cool that you have one too! Your poor rasbora's though! Thankfully Spot is too small, for sure, to eat my other fish. They're way, way too big for him to eat. He would explode if he tried! Spot always does the nose down swim (like he is in my avatar) across the tank. The first day he tried doing that by the filter intake, and ended up getting sucked up against it. He's since learned! I can't wait for him to get bigger, right now you really have to look to 'spot' (haha) him. 

Flamingo, I agree that a tank with these guys and some african butterfly fish would be wicked!


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## Jojo (Apr 11, 2006)

flamingo said:


> They have different water requirements and the cichlids would tear it apart.


Okay thank you :smile: . Time for a new tank ;-) .


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