Reedfish Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

The Reedfish is a long, snake-like freshwater fish with a slender body, small eyes and a series of distinctive dorsal finlets along its back. Its olive-brown to grey-brown colouring provides camouflage among roots, leaf litter and aquatic vegetation, while the pointed head and elongated form give it a prehistoric appearance.

Despite its name, the Reedfish is not an eel. It is a member of the ancient Polypteridae family and is closely related to bichirs. Its paired, paddle-like pectoral fins help it manoeuvre around the bottom, and its body is covered in tough, diamond-shaped scales.

Reedfish are primarily nocturnal and tend to become more active in the evening and after the aquarium lights go out. They spend much of their time exploring the bottom, resting among cover or weaving through plants, and can show curious, deliberate behaviour once settled.

In the wild, this species inhabits sluggish streams, floodplain pools, swamps and vegetated margins. It can breathe atmospheric air using modified lungs, an adaptation that allows it to tolerate warm, poorly oxygenated waters and survive for periods in damp conditions outside the water.

A well-established Reedfish can be a fascinating long-term aquarium resident, but its size, predatory feeding habits and remarkable ability to escape make it better suited to a spacious, carefully secured aquarium than a typical community tank.

Reedfish are native to tropical West and West-Central Africa. Their range includes slow-moving and still waters in countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A single Reedfish should have an aquarium of at least 300 litres, with a footprint of roughly 150 cm long by 45 cm wide; larger dimensions are preferable for adult specimens or groups. Use a secure, tightly fitting lid with no gaps around equipment, as Reedfish are accomplished escape artists and must be able to reach the surface for air. Provide a soft sand or fine rounded-gravel substrate, shaded areas, sturdy plants, smooth wood, caves and other forms of cover, while leaving open floor space for foraging. Gentle to moderate water movement and subdued lighting are usually appreciated.

Reedfish can reach about 37 cm (14.6 inches) in total length, although many aquarium specimens remain closer to 30–35 cm (11.8–13.8 inches). Females are generally larger and heavier-bodied than males.

Reedfish are carnivorous predators that naturally feed on worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, small fish and other aquatic animals. Offer a varied diet of earthworms, bloodworms, blackworms, chopped prawns, mussel or fish pieces, and good-quality sinking carnivore pellets. Feeding in the evening or after dark suits their natural activity pattern and helps ensure they receive enough food in a community aquarium.

Reedfish can live with peaceful, robust tankmates that are too large to be swallowed, including larger peaceful barbs, medium to large characins, Congo tetras, peaceful severums and other similarly sized bichirs or polypterids where the aquarium is large enough. Avoid nano fish, shrimp and other small invertebrates, as they may be treated as prey. Highly aggressive cichlids, fin-nipping species and boisterous feeders are also poor choices because they can injure or outcompete this slow, nocturnal fish.

Reedfish breeding is uncommon in home aquariums and has rarely been achieved consistently. In nature, seasonal changes in water conditions and heavy rainfall appear to stimulate spawning. The pair scatter adhesive eggs among dense vegetation, where the male receives and fertilises them before the eggs are dispersed. There is no parental care, and any successful fry need very small live foods and protection from larger fish.

Females are typically larger and broader through the body. Males usually have a thicker, more prominent anal fin, while the female's anal fin is smaller and more streamlined; these differences are clearest in mature fish.