Sanaga elephantnose (elephantfish)

Where they come from

Sanaga elephantnose (Campylomormyrus phantasticus) comes from the Sanaga River system in Cameroon. Think warm, tannin-stained water, lots of leaf litter, roots, and quiet margins where they can poke around after dark.

They are part of the mormyrids (elephantfish) - the electric fish that use a weak electric field to navigate and hunt. That little "trunk" is more like a sensitive probe for finding food in the substrate.

Setting up their tank

This is one of those fish where the tank setup makes or breaks the experience. If you give them a calm, dim, soft-bottomed home, they act like a completely different animal than in a bright, bare tank.

• Tank size: I would not do less than 55 gallons for a single adult, and bigger is better if you want tankmates. They use more floor space than you expect.
• Layout: open sand areas to forage, plus tight cover like root tangles, driftwood caves, and clumps of plants (real or fake).
• Substrate: fine sand is the move. Gravel can scrape their snout and makes feeding harder.
• Light: keep it subdued. Floating plants, tannins, and a shaded scape go a long way.
• Flow: moderate at most. They like calm zones where food can settle.

Water-wise, aim for warm and clean. I keep mine around 78-82F. Soft to moderate hardness has been easiest, and they tend to settle faster in slightly acidic water with some tannins. What they really react to is unstable water, so keep your maintenance steady and your filter mature.

• Use a mature biofilter before the fish arrives. They do not handle cycling stress well.
• Keep nitrate low with regular water changes. I do smaller, more frequent changes rather than big swings.
• Cover the tank. They can spook and jump, especially during lights-on moments.

What to feed them

They are picky in a very specific way: they want real, meaty, sink-to-the-bottom foods, and they want it on their schedule. Mine basically acted like the tank was empty in the daytime, then turned into a vacuum cleaner after lights out.

• Best staples: live or frozen blackworms, bloodworms, tubifex (from a trusted source), chopped earthworms, and frozen brine shrimp as a treat.
• Good options: sinking carnivore pellets, but only after they are settled and you have them feeding confidently on frozen/live.
• Feeding time: dim the lights and feed after dusk. Target feeding with a turkey baster or long pipette helps a lot.

Watch the belly and the behavior, not just whether you see it eat. A settled elephantnose will cruise slowly, probe the sand, and take food with confidence. A stressed one hides constantly and does those quick dart-and-freeze moves.

How they behave and who they get along with

They are peaceful in the "not looking for a fight" sense, but they are not community fish in the usual way. They are easily outcompeted, and they do not like chaos.

• Good tankmates: calm, non-nippy fish that do not swarm food. Think mellow midwater fish and peaceful bottom dwellers that will not harass them.
• Avoid: fin nippers, hyperactive schoolers that rush food, aggressive cichlids, and anything that will pick at their snout.
• Also avoid: other mormyrids unless you really know what you are doing and have lots of space and hiding spots. They can get electric-stressy with each other and bicker.

They are mostly nocturnal, and that is normal. You will get more "daytime" activity if the tank is dim and you keep traffic low around the aquarium. Once they trust you, they will come out for the feeding baster like clockwork.

Breeding tips

Breeding Campylomormyrus phantasticus in the home aquarium is rare. Most of what you see available is wild-caught, and the species does not hand you obvious male/female differences like some fish do.

If you want to take a swing at it, think seasonal river cues: heavier feeding for conditioning, then a period of cooler or slightly drier routine, followed by larger, more frequent water changes with slightly cooler water to mimic rain. Lots of cover helps, and you would likely need a group and a big tank to even have a shot.

Common problems to watch for

• Not eating after purchase: super common. Dim the tank, add more cover, feed after dark, and start with live/frozen worms. Do not keep blasting them with bright light and daytime feeding.
• Starvation by competition: they can look "fine" for weeks while slowly losing weight. If tankmates rush food, you need to target feed or rethink the stocking.
• Snout damage: rough substrate, sharp decor, or aggressive tankmates can mess up their sensitive snout. Use sand and smooth hardscape edges.
• Hidden water quality issues: they react badly to ammonia/nitrite and do not love big parameter swings. A mature filter and steady water change routine makes life easier.
• Skin parasites and import stress: wild fish can come in with hitchhikers. Quarantine if you can, but keep quarantine calm and covered with a soft bottom or at least a sand tray.

The biggest giveaway that something is off is behavior. If your elephantnose is suddenly out in full light, breathing hard, or wedged behind the filter intake, assume stress and check water and tankmate issues first. With this species, fixing the environment usually fixes the fish.