Mudskipper tank?

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user_name

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May 23, 2010
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Cam
Hello everybody, this is my first post....

Anyways, is there anybody out there with a mudskipper set-up, or advice on setting one up?

I plan on buying 2-4 Indian Mudskippers for a 10 gallon tank.
 

SubRosa

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Jul 3, 2009
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You should plan on a much larger tank! Boleopthalamus boddarti is what's commonly traded as the Indian Mudskipper and they get too large to keep even a single adult in a 10 gal. And that's not even taking into consideration that males aren't very tolerant of each other even in a 6' long tank. It's good that you posted your intentions before you bought the fish.
 

user_name

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Seriously? I've heard that they only get to 4" and have seen tanks of 2 online.... What if i stuck to 1?
 

SubRosa

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http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=4901 This will give you more accurate info regarding the size of the fish. It lists a max size of 22 cm, which is more like 9". And they like to move alot. If you have to have a Mudskipper stick the little brown ones with the blue band on the dorsal fin. It's a Periopthalmus species that could be the one you're actually talking about. They max out around 3" to 4". Imo a 10 is still too small for a group, but a single could work.
 

Sploke

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Oct 20, 2005
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The species commonly sold as the indian mudskipper is Periophthalmus novemradiatus, which does max out around 4" or so. I don't think I've ever seen one listed as B. boddarti for sale. The other commonly sold species is P. barbarus, commonly listed as the Atlantic or African mudskipper. These get a little larger (6" or so) and are less tolerant of conspecifics.

In any case, I would look for a 20long minimum for a trio of the indians, since as jpappy mentioned, you'll need both land and water areas which can have a pretty limiting effect on how much water volume you actually end up with.
 

Maverick21

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Apr 21, 2010
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Hello!
I just wanted to put in that I agree 100% with everyone else's comments. I just recently built a custom paludarium which was planned out for mudskippers.
I really think you should research the fish and their natural habitat before you even consider moving forward. It will really help you get an understanding of their natural behavior and what you will NEED to have in your tank.

Check out my post that I just posted yesterday,

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227248


Other than that, I will also have to agree with Sploke, Boleophthalmus Boddarti is not the "Indian Mudskipper". The Indian is commonly known as Pearse's Mudskipper. You will hardly ever see Bolephalmus Boddarti for sale from vendors, however I know a couple places that do order them. This species however, should be avoided by aquarists for the simple reason of their diet. They are a herbivorous benthic feeder, where it feeds by scraping the surface of the mud from side to side. One simply cannot provide enough algae on the mud surface to even consider them. :huh:


Good Luck!
 

user_name

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May 23, 2010
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thanks guys! I have yet to find a store in my area that sells em, and don't want to worry about shipping. Until my LFS starts to carry them then it looks like mudskippers aren't a great fit.....
 
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