Archer Fish

[Web Gazelle]

Anyone have experience with Archer Fish? I saw some at the LFS and they looked so cool. I had only ever seen them on Animal Planet before that. What are they like to keep?

[Sploke]

I did a lot of research on them, because I wanted to get one for my brackish tank. Ultimately I decided not to get one, because its only a 40gal breeder. From everything I read, they get to be large, powerful fish, 10-12" long. A few habitats I've seen have one fishtank upside down over the other with tree branches in the upper part to release bugs, etc for the archer to hunt. That way when it shoots water, it doesn't end up all over your walls. It also prevents the fish from jumping out.

I've read different reports, some say they do better alone, some say they're schooling fish, so I'm not real sure which one is true. They are very cool fish, but I don't think I'd try to keep one in anything less than a 75gal tank. I expect they tolerate a spectrum of brackish conditions. Perhaps someone who has more firsthand experience can give you some more info.

[Web Gazelle]

Thanks for the info. Interesting idea to place one tank upside down on top of another. They are pretty cool but it sounds like it wont be a possible fish for me to keep right now.