Ropefish

The ropefish belongs to the same family as the bichirs, but its body is as thin and long as a snake's, and it has no pelvic fins. Its olive-green back turns yellow-orange toward the belly, and there is a small black spot at the base of the pectoral fins.

It breathes air from the surface with a lung-like air bladder and tolerates oxygen-poor water. It is curious; it glides among roots and searches for food at night. In the aquarium it usually reaches 30–40 cm.

Its biggest problem is escaping: it slips out through cable holes, filter gaps and lid corners, and dries out and dies outside the aquarium.

It lives in the coastal lowlands of West-Central Africa, in reedy swamps and slow-flowing, vegetated river branches. These waters are warm and oxygen-poor, which is why the ropefish regularly comes to the surface to gulp air.

• Volume: at least 200 liters and 120 cm length for several individuals.
• Lid: close every gap. Plug hose and cable openings with sponge or mesh; leave an air gap between the water surface and the lid.
• Decor: sand substrate, roots, pipes, dense plants. Dim corners.
• Water: clean, with stable values; gentle flow.

Carnivorous. Bloodworms, worms, pieces of shrimp, mysis and sinking pellets. It eats slowly; if there are fast bottom-dwellers, feed it in the evening near its hiding place so it does not go hungry.

Peaceful and curious; it gets along well with its own kind. However, at night it eats small fish that fit in its mouth (neons, guppies) and dwarf shrimp.

Good companions: medium-sized, calm species: large tetras, gouramis, angelfish, Senegal bichirs, African butterflyfish, elephantnose fish.

Avoid: small schooling fish, shrimp, aggressive cichlids, fin-nipping species.

It is more comfortable in small groups with its own kind; 2–3 individuals roam together and share the same hiding place.

It rarely breeds in the aquarium; the eggs are laid among plants and there is no parental care. Most of those sold are wild-caught.

• Escape and drying out: the most common cause of loss.
• Starvation: fish that cannot get food in a competitive aquarium lose weight.
• Medication sensitivity: it is sensitive to some parasite medications; apply doses carefully.
• Blocked air breathing: if the water level rises up to the lid it cannot take air from the surface.

Males have a broader, thicker anal fin; the female's is smaller.