Leporinus arcus

Leporinus Arcus or Red Lipped Leporin, scientific name Leporinus arcus, belongs to the Anostomidae family. A fairly large fish with a modest coloration and a difficult disposition, in need of a spacious aquarium. All this makes it not too popular with aquarists. Not recommended for beginners.

Habitat

They come from South America from numerous river systems, including the Orinoco, flowing through the territory of Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. They live in various biotopes: from rivers with a moderate course to calm floodplain lakes and swamps.

Brief information:

• The volume of the aquarium – from 700 liters.
• Temperature – 20-28°C
• Value pH — 6.0–7.5
• Water hardness – 1–12 dGH
• Substrate type – any
• Lighting – moderate or subdued
• Brackish water – no
• Water movement – light or moderate
• The size of the fish is 25–30 cm.
• Nutrition – any feed with plant components
• Temperament – conditionally peaceful
• Keeping in a group of 3-4 individuals

Description

Adult individuals reach a length of 25–30 cm. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed, males and females do not have pronounced visible differences. The body pattern consists of two dark stripes on a light background, stretching from head to tail. The back is dark grey. Red pigmentation is noticeable on the head and near the mouth, which is reflected in the name of this species – Red-lipped.

Food

An omnivorous species, in nature it feeds mainly at the bottom of algae, invertebrates and organic detritus. The home aquarium will accept a variety of foods such as dry flakes, pellets, frozen or live foods. It is important that the products include a large number of herbal ingredients.

Maintenance care, arrangement of the aquarium

The optimal size of the aquarium for a group of 3-4 fish starts from 700 liters. The design is arbitrary and usually includes the following elements: sandy substrate, large boulders, driftwood floating on the surface of the plant. Rooting vegetation may be damaged due to the diet of the Leporinus Arcus.

Successful long-term management depends on the provision of stable water conditions within an acceptable temperature and hydrochemical range. For these purposes, the aquarium is equipped with the necessary equipment, primarily filtration systems, and regular maintenance is carried out: weekly replacement of part of the water with fresh water, timely removal of organic waste, monitoring of the concentrations of nitrogen cycle products, etc. Also, taking into account the size of adult fish, water should be rich in dissolved oxygen, so additional aeration will not be superfluous.

Behavior and Compatibility

Behavioral features depend on the number of fish kept together. Alone, Red Lipped Leporins can follow, chasing smaller neighbors around the aquarium. When in a group of 3-4 individuals, they become more tolerant of other fish of a comparable or slightly smaller size.

Fish diseases

A hardy, unpretentious fish, provided that it is kept in a suitable environment. The deterioration of water quality (high levels of pollution) inevitably leads to immune suppression, which in turn makes Leporinus Arcus prone to various infections. As a rule, placing the fish in an optimal environment leads to the disappearance of the symptoms of the disease. However, if they persist, medical treatment will be required. Read more about the causes, symptoms and methods of treating diseases in the section “Diseases of aquarium fish”.