Caring for a Mudskipper

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tranceFusion

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Mar 21, 2007
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You are awesome! thanks for the responses.

I really like this setup here:
http://www.franksaquarium.com/shellie.htm

Do you have live mangrove in your aquarium? If not, what do you use for the mudskippers to perch on (or do you just have the sand banks?). Is it a big pain to do the live mangrove? It really seems to make the tank more aesthetically pleasing to have live plants in there, and i am sure the mudskippers love it.

I wonder if I can get a couple of the Thai Mangrove crabs from here: http://www.franksaquarium.com/freshwater_crabs.htm

Why don't you recommend putting any fish in? because there won't be enough water?

How often does your aquarium need to be torn down and everything cleaned? How often do you feed the mudskippers?

What type of lid do you use? How do you ventilate the aquarium?

Thanks again!!
 

tranceFusion

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Mar 21, 2007
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Also, does the heat in the aquarium stay fairly contained or will it tend to heat the room? I am just wondering if this will be a reasonable setup for a bedroom or if it will have to be placed elsewhere.
 

Sploke

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Oct 20, 2005
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I started off with mangroves in my brackish tank, they all died for several reasons. After doing some more research I decided not to get more and try again. I have my Atlantic mudskipper in a 40 breeder tank with a violet goby, 8 bumblebee gobies, some mollies and a few fiddler crabs. I watched the mudskipper tear apart one of the crabs the other night. She is almost 6" long. I didn't think she would bother the crabs, but apparently its a possibility. My tank has a RFUG filter, and I have a plexiglass wall 6" high all the way around, so I can fill the tank all the way to the top. I keep the tank covered with glass, and built a platform out of pvc and plexiglass for the mudskipper to climb out on.
 

Sploke

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I have java fern and java moss in the tank right now, both seem to be doing alright. I've heard jungle val tolerates bw very well also. I do a 50% water change every week with a good gravel vac, no "complete tank teardown". The tank now has 2 plates of glass over it to hold in heat and humidity, with a clamp-style shoplight with a screw-in CF bulb for lighting.
 

skipperskipper

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Apr 28, 2011
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Hi, just joined the forum trying to gather info on my Giant Mudskippers! I have a 150L tank with 2 giant Mudskippers about 10 and 8 inches long.They have lived well together for the last 6 months with no problems,the larger one always hides away when approached but the smaller one is not so shy. I came home yesterday to find my larger Mudskipper dead,lying on his back with a gaping hole and all his insides hanging out! Not a nice surprise! My big concern now is what could have caused this and if it was some type of disease do i need to treat my other Mudskipper? Any help would be appreciated,thanks
 

skipperskipper

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Apr 28, 2011
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Hi, just joined the forum trying to gather info on my Giant Mudskippers! I have a 150L tank with 2 giant Mudskippers about 10 and 8 inches long.They have lived well together for the last 6 months with no problems,the larger one always hides away when approached but the smaller one is not so shy. I came home yesterday to find my larger Mudskipper dead,lying on his back with a gaping hole and all his insides hanging out! Not a nice surprise! My big concern now is what could have caused this and if it was some type of disease do i need to treat my other Mudskipper? Any help would be appreciated,thanks
 

Shalmainia

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May 27, 2011
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Tobias
I have a single Mudskipper at the moment due to funds, in a 24" x 12" tank. I plan on getting at least one more of the opposite gender just because I believe my current skipper will be less territorial, although I could be wrong.

Most people I've read keep them in a 50/50 tank, although I'm sorry on this point, but I really don't see the point with a fish that spends 90% of it's time out of water. I've created a gravel/sand tank with more or less a central pond with drift wood around the edges. For the heating, I've used your every day submersible heater but placed it inside of a new plastic 'waste' pipe that I've drilled numerous holes in and submerged to the bottom of his pond so he doesn't burn himself. The temperature I have set at 30c, which he seems to like, it also creates a light mist in the tank which he seems to enjoy as it keeps his skin moist. For food, I bought blood worm and freeze it, then cut about an inch worth off and melt it to feed. For lighting, I just have your average house hold lamp behind the tank for the moment as I need to get a replacement as I have a Juwel 60 tank and the transformer blew. Elvis, my mudskipper doesn't seem to mind but when I get some planting in there, proper lighting is a must.

I only really have two problems;
1) Keeping the water quality decent for him, I don't yet have a filter in the tank so I've been keeping an eye on it and often replacing 10%.
2) Getting some live planting in there, finding a plant that will grow in quite hot conditions, plus the salt. I'd need plants that could handle it's root resting in wet, salty, hot sand and the rest of the plant growing out. I'd love to have mangroves, but they grow too big.


This is a picture of his tank before it's latest incarnation, without the plants which died the next day because I thought Amazon Swords could handle salt water, for some reason. LOL Also I've since added sand to the mix and completely redone the design of his tank. Which he loved, not.
248478_105839616173167_100002413875307_55833_3328503_n.jpg
His Tank, before my changes, yes I know, epic glass beading! It looked so boring :p
Tank.jpg

248478_105839616173167_100002413875307_55833_3328503_n.jpg Tank.jpg
 
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Shalmainia

AC Members
May 27, 2011
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England
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Tobias
Hi, just joined the forum trying to gather info on my Giant Mudskippers! I have a 150L tank with 2 giant Mudskippers about 10 and 8 inches long.They have lived well together for the last 6 months with no problems,the larger one always hides away when approached but the smaller one is not so shy. I came home yesterday to find my larger Mudskipper dead,lying on his back with a gaping hole and all his insides hanging out! Not a nice surprise! My big concern now is what could have caused this and if it was some type of disease do i need to treat my other Mudskipper? Any help would be appreciated,thanks
To be honest, on first thought it sounds like he was assassinated by his tank mate.
 
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