Common name
Ropefish
Scientific name
Erpetoichthys calabaricus
Category
Freshwater fish
Group
Oddballs and specialist fish
Environment
Freshwater
Origin
Coastal river, floodplain and swamp systems from Nigeria to Cameroon
Care level
Advanced or specialist
Adult size
Up to about 37 cm standard length, with total length greater
Expected lifespan
Commonly 10–20 years in long-term aquarium care
Minimum housing
At least 400 L with a long floor footprint, completely sealed lid, guarded equipment and unrestricted surface access
Temperature
23–28 °C
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness / minerals
Species-specific
Salinity
Freshwater
Lighting
Normal aquarium lighting
Placement / swimming zone
Bottom and lower water with mandatory surface access

Identity and search names

Single-species profile for Erpetoichthys calabaricus. Preserve the permanent AquaNexus ID and route; retain former scientific combinations and trade names only as searchable aliases. Search names include Ropefish, Erpetoichthys calabaricus, Reedfish, Snakefish, Calamoichthys calabaricus.

Environment and housing

Long, mature, completely sealed aquarium with smooth substrate, dense refuge, gentle-to-moderate flow, strong filtration and open atmospheric-air access

Feeding and nutrition

Feeding ecology: Worms, crustaceans, molluscs, insect larvae and nutritionally complete sinking carnivore foods; avoid routine feeder fish

Feeding routine: Offer measured meaty or complete sinking foods after lights dim and confirm every individual feeds without swallowing substrate or equipment parts.

Breeding and reproduction

Adhesive eggs are scattered among vegetation or spawning media; captive breeding is specialist and adults provide no dependable care

Breeding plan: Adhesive eggs are scattered among vegetation or spawning media; captive breeding is specialist and adults provide no dependable care Parental care: No parental care.

Compatibility plan

Research adult mouth size, feeding method and sensory needs before choosing tankmates.

Filtration and aeration

Filtration: Use mature biological filtration sized for the adult group and feeding load, with protected intakes and a flow pattern suited to the species.

Aeration: Maintain dependable gas exchange and dissolved oxygen with surface agitation or supplementary aeration while preserving sheltered resting areas.

Maintenance

Test water routinely, remove waste and uneaten food, service filtration without destroying biofilm and review stocking as animals mature.

Adult projected load

Adult projected load includes mature body mass, social-group size, territorial space, oxygen demand, feeding waste and breeding output.

Welfare and risk

Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. This fish escapes through tiny gaps and swallows small tankmates. An unsecured lid or blocked surface access is a lethal husbandry failure.

Main risk: This fish escapes through tiny gaps and swallows small tankmates. An unsecured lid or blocked surface access is a lethal husbandry failure.

Biosecurity and release

Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.

Overridable warnings

Warnings may be overridden only after adult size, group structure, filtration, aeration, compatibility and maintenance capacity are recorded.

Sources