michelle - 2005-10-08 This fish should not be kept with any slow swimming, long finned, timid species. This fish is an instigator, they like to cause trouble and be in charge. At rare times however, this fish can be very passive and introverted.
Blondie - 2005-04-20 The first Leporinus I brought home is snow white w/blk. bars. I took a second one home the following night and the two swam side by side with mouths open before going at it with scales flying. I brought a third home the next night, and neither showed this behavior towards it. I suspect the first two are males. They still spar, but no out and out fighting. These two seem to have a bit more black edging on dorsal and rear of anal fins. They also have a bit more color on their pelvic fins. They pay attention only to each other, not their tankmates, which are gouramis, headstanders, bleeding hearts, kissers. They are in a 125. They need their own kind to interact with, and lots of room. They love meaty foods, but also love halved cucumber and zucchini held with an elastic on a rock, and spinach and romaine lettuce on a veggie clip, and algae wafers.
michelle - 2005-02-14 I have had my Leporinus now for about one month and have lost several fish since I have had them. I have lost one Gourami, one Gobie, two Bull sharks, two cory cats, and one cherry barb. I do not believe anybody when they say they are not aggressive. The two I have are aggressive. I love to watch them though. I will definately keep them, but try different things with them to see if I can calm them a little with other fish.
Chris S - 2004-10-03 I have kept Leporinus fasciatus for about 5-6 yrs. I got a pair of them (2 really), not knowing how to distinguish the gender! ;) I would strongly suggest that if soomeone purchases leporinus fasciatus, to get more than one. All of the aggression from this fish is between the 2 of them and in 5 yrs they have not harmed each other but seem to quarrel regularly. Many descriptions of this fish describe them as sluggish or lazy. This is strange because they are the most active fish i have kept and they are very long lived from the looks of it. I cannot stress how hardy they are. My fish are under the care of my sister now, in a one hundred gallon. Almost every time she cleans the tank or vaccuums it, one of them leaps out to incredible distances. I am serious, 12 feet was the last distance last week. It seems impossible, but true! Varied diet describes what they eat more than herbivoeous. The various descriptions of this fish are very old for reference and do not seem to ever get updated because they have been available in the hobby for decades. Great fish !!! mine are 7 inches each and they seem to do a crazy courtship-type dance that is tough to describe. No breeding here yet though! But I sure hope they breed! :)
Rae Barrett - 2004-05-02 I have been keeping these fish for the past couple of years. Bigest problem, they jump out of the tank - so keep it covered. They are vey fast and I have not seen any aggressive behaviour. I always purchase them in pairs - I have one about 12 inches long in a tank with large fish. They tend to be shy. Very interesting to observe. Raphael
Tina Sears - 2004-03-09 When I first saw this fish it was in a tank with gold gouramis, so I thought he would be a good addition to my gourami tank. Boy, was I wrong, this "plant eater" killed three of my gouramis within the first two days of being in the tank. One of the gouramis it killed was three times its size. Not a good community fish.
Rob - 2004-02-07 i bought a leporinus a few months ago. he quickly grew large and is very aggressive. I only have one gold gourami in that tank with him. he has nipped off all the gouramis fins. i tried to put a candy striped pleco in the tank and he instantly attacked it. i dont think its common for them to be this aggressive.
Adam - 2004-01-09 I have had my leporinus for about 2 or 3 months and it is doing great. Despite what this website says this fish is not only an herbivore. Mine, which is about 4 to 5 in. in length, eats juvie swords and guppies which I have all bred myself. It does eat algea wafers and lettuce also.
vodies - 2003-12-02 I own a Leporinus fasciatus and he is not aggressive in the least other than if he gets cornered and then he usually just dips his head and shakes his body.
You can guess how old the Black-Banded Leporinus is by counting its black stripes!
This fish should not be kept with any slow swimming, long finned, timid species. This fish is an instigator, they like to cause trouble and be in charge. At rare times however, this fish can be very passive and introverted.
The first Leporinus I brought home is snow white w/blk. bars. I took a second one home the following night and the two swam side by side with mouths open before going at it with scales flying. I brought a third home the next night, and neither showed this behavior towards it. I suspect the first two are males. They still spar, but no out and out fighting. These two seem to have a bit more black edging on dorsal and rear of anal fins. They also have a bit more color on their pelvic fins. They pay attention only to each other, not their tankmates, which are gouramis, headstanders, bleeding hearts, kissers. They are in a 125. They need their own kind to interact with, and lots of room. They love meaty foods, but also love halved cucumber and zucchini held with an elastic on a rock, and spinach and romaine lettuce on a veggie clip, and algae wafers.
I have had my Leporinus now for about one month and have lost several fish since I have had them. I have lost one Gourami, one Gobie, two Bull sharks, two cory cats, and one cherry barb. I do not believe anybody when they say they are not aggressive. The two I have are aggressive. I love to watch them though. I will definately keep them, but try different things with them to see if I can calm them a little with other fish.
I have kept Leporinus fasciatus for about 5-6 yrs. I got a pair of them (2 really), not knowing how to distinguish the gender! ;)
I would strongly suggest that if soomeone purchases leporinus fasciatus, to get more than one. All of the aggression from this fish is between the 2 of them and in 5 yrs they have not harmed each other but seem to quarrel regularly. Many descriptions of this fish describe them as sluggish or lazy. This is strange because they are the most active fish i have kept and they are very long lived from the looks of it. I cannot stress how hardy they are.
My fish are under the care of my sister now, in a one hundred gallon. Almost every time she cleans the tank or vaccuums it, one of them leaps out to incredible distances. I am serious, 12 feet was the last distance last week. It seems impossible, but true!
Varied diet describes what they eat more than herbivoeous. The various descriptions of this fish are very old for reference and do not seem to ever get updated because they have been available in the hobby for decades. Great fish !!! mine are 7 inches each and they seem to do a crazy courtship-type dance that is tough to describe. No breeding here yet though!
But I sure hope they breed! :)
I have been keeping these fish for the past couple of years. Bigest problem, they jump out of the tank - so keep it covered. They are vey fast and I have not seen any aggressive behaviour. I always purchase them in pairs - I have one about 12 inches long in a tank with large fish. They tend to be shy. Very interesting to observe. Raphael
When I first saw this fish it was in a tank with gold gouramis, so I thought he would be a good addition to my gourami tank. Boy, was I wrong, this "plant eater" killed three of my gouramis within the first two days of being in the tank. One of the gouramis it killed was three times its size. Not a good community fish.
i bought a leporinus a few months ago. he quickly grew large and is very aggressive. I only have one gold gourami in that tank with him. he has nipped off all the gouramis fins. i tried to put a candy striped pleco in the tank and he instantly attacked it. i dont think its common for them to be this aggressive.
I have had my leporinus for about 2 or 3 months and it is doing great. Despite what this website says this fish is not only an herbivore. Mine, which is about 4 to 5 in. in length, eats juvie swords and guppies which I have all bred myself. It does eat algea wafers and lettuce also.
Adam
I own a Leporinus fasciatus and he is not aggressive in the least other than if he gets cornered and then he usually just dips his head and shakes his body.