Caring for a Mudskipper

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angelfish123

AC Members
Feb 24, 2006
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hey, any of you guys know about the care of a mudskipper? Biggest piece of information I need is tank size. Was thinking about putting one in a 10 gallon, but after looking it up, I've found a 10 gallon might not be enough. Had a crazy idea to take the sides off of two 10 gallon aquariums, then seal them together with aquarium sealent and make a 20 gallon. Any thoughts on that?
 

monkey_toes

"Maybe it's a hybrid"
Feb 7, 2006
512
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Southwest Florida
Had a crazy idea to take the sides off of two 10 gallon aquariums, then seal them together with aquarium sealent and make a 20 gallon. Any thoughts on that?
Yes — I think it's a crazy idea. And you'd also need a custom cover. I would think in order to build a decent haul-out areawhile also maintaining a good water depth, you would need more height than a 10 gallon. Also, mudskippers can get to a pretty impressive size. I've seen a few pushing a foot at one LFS. I would suggest a tank with a footprint not less than 30" x 12" and a height not less than 18" (29 gallon). Bigger, if you plan to have tankmates. BTW, you know they need brackish water, right?
 

Siren

Mythological Creature
Make sure you post this in the brackish forum, you'll get more answers there....
 

muddskipper26

Mudskipper Man
Jan 28, 2007
371
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michigan
i have mine in a 20 gallon long. if you get the indian mudskippers they will top out at 4 inches. they eat basically everything you give them and are the coolest fish i kno of, if you have anymore questions just ask.
 

muddskipper26

Mudskipper Man
Jan 28, 2007
371
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michigan
Yes — I think it's a crazy idea. And you'd also need a custom cover. I would think in order to build a decent haul-out areawhile also maintaining a good water depth, you would need more height than a 10 gallon. Also, mudskippers can get to a pretty impressive size. I've seen a few pushing a foot at one LFS. I would suggest a tank with a footprint not less than 30" x 12" and a height not less than 18" (29 gallon). Bigger, if you plan to have tankmates. BTW, you know they need brackish water, right?
i dont get what your saying, all you need is length and width, height is not a major issue. you could have 6 indian mudskippers in a 30 gallon long but i think that is pushing it.
 

muddskipper26

Mudskipper Man
Jan 28, 2007
371
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michigan
"
Having been in the hobby for many years, I am always on the lookout for something unusual. Mudskippers are surely a fish that fit the description.
While most fish are content to live their lives fully immersed in water, mudskippers (fishes of the genera Periophthalmus, Periophthalmodon, Boleophthalmus, Scartelao, and Zappa, of which the first two are commonly seen in the hobby) not only live IN water, but unlike most fish, mudskippers spend much of their life OUT of water! In nature, at high tide, you can find them at the water's surface, resting on rocks, roots or anything else they can find to perch on, usually within reach of their burrow. At low tide, mudskippers can be seen walking (yes, walking!) on mudflats, actively foraging for food.
But how do mudskippers, which are fish, walk on dry land? By using their highly modified pectoral (swimming) fins much like legs. And by flipping their bodies, they can "skip" across the mud (and water), which is a great way to avoid predators. They are poor swimmers, and will also use these fins to walk underwater (mudskippers move faster ABOVE water than BELOW it!).
Another unusual aspect of mudskippers is that they are one of the few fishes that can actually drown if held underwater. They need to be able to poke their heads above the water's surface and gulp air. Mudskippers retain water in their large gill chamber that closes tightly when the fish is above water. This keeps the gills moist, and allows them to function. You will often see them rotate their eyes to mix the water in the gill chamber and keep the gills from sticking together while at the same time supplying them with oxygen.
Yet another amazing fact about mudskippers is that they can actually breathe the same air that we do. They absorb oxygen though blood-rich membranes found at the back of the throat. They can also absorb air through the capillary-rich skin providing the skin remains wet.
Mudskippers: A Fish Out of Water and Walking!
Mudskippers, usually Periophthalmus barbarus, the Atlantic mudskipper, are sometimes seen offered for sale in aquarium shops. However, as their needs are vastly different from those of other fishes their lifespan can be, unfortunately, short. It behooves both the shopkeeper who sells them and the customer who would buy them to learn about the special needs of this most unusual fish. For example, mudskippers require a fairly large tank as most species get large (about 11" for the Giant mudskipper Periophthalmodon schlosseri). A 50 gallon tank (36" x 18" ) is ideal to house a trio of 'skippers that large ('skippers can be territorial, and should not be crowded. One male to two females is advised).
For those hobbyists without a lot of room, there are the smaller species of mudskippers, of which Pearse's mudskipper, Periophthalmus novemradiatus, is the most commonly imported. Reaching about 4" in length, a group of 4-6 can be housed in a 20 gallon long (30" x 12") tank. The tank should be filled half way with brackish water (brackish water is a mix of seawater and freshwater). Usually one part seawater to two parts freshwater is fine for them (using a synthetic sea salt mix, use one third the advised amount per gallon of water).
Would-be mudskipper owners also need a good filter (a canister filter is advised) as well as a tight fitting cover (being able to walk makes 'skippers GREAT escape artists!). Fine oolitic aragonite sand is perfect as a substrate as it buffers the water and provides a smooth bottom for the fish to walk on. Driftwood, rockwork, etc., some of which should be sticking above the water's surface, should then be added."
 

tranceFusion

AC Members
Mar 21, 2007
280
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43
Frederick, MD
I too want to know about this!

I have a 30 gallon aquarium that has a footprint of about 3 ft x 1 ft. Is this sufficient? What species of mudskipper should I get? How many can I put in there? Are there any other gobies or small brackish fish that I can put in the water portion of the tank?

How do I keep the sand from leveling out when I put the water in there - will the banks just stay up by themself? I need to keep the tank heated right? Do I use a heat lamp? Do I need to keep it lit 24/7 (was gunna put in my bedroom)?

I can't find mudskippers at the store - can I order them from somewhere?

Any help is more than appreciated.. thanks.
 

muddskipper26

Mudskipper Man
Jan 28, 2007
371
0
0
32
michigan
1. yes it would be sufficent
2. the banks stay up for me but i have sand on the bottom and crushed coral on the top so it works perfectly
3. no heat lamp at all, just heat the water with a normal heater.
4.http://www.franksaquarium.com/brackishwater_fish_farm.htm
the Idian Mudskippers are exactly the ones you need, you could have up to four of them in that size of a tank you
5. get a canister that can be put in lower water conditons
6. No other fish at all is my opinion, but i have a hermit crab for scavenging
 

muddskipper26

Mudskipper Man
Jan 28, 2007
371
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32
michigan
you do not need to keep the tank lit 24/7, about half of that. hope this helped and if u have any more questions about mudskippers, you can PM me.
 
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