Mudskipper compatability

Fungi

Fungi

Knock-Out Stuff
May 6, 2007
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Melbourne, Australia
I'm looking at getting a tank in the 75gal - 90 gal range and I'm hoping to make this one brackish (quite obviously)
Primarily I'd like it to be centred around mudskippers, I've looked at many other tanks for inspiration but I was thinking that if it's going to be quite large, a family of 4-5 mudskippers may be underdoing it.
I'm wondering if bumblebee gobies,Indian glassfish, guppies and mollys have a similar salinity requirement to mudskippers and if they won't be eaten when the skippers get predatorial.
I know scatophagus argus and monodactylus are way out (needing 180+) but are there any species of toxotidae archers that would do well in a 90gal paladarium?
I know some people may keep them in 50gals (the Species DB says that 55 is the minimum) but I wouldn't want to impinge in any co-habitants' quality of life.
It's early stages and I want to get the research in before I jump in to a decision :read:

Thanks :D
 
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I have a 75 with an atlantic mudskipper, a violet goby, about 8 bumblebee gobies, and a bunch of mollies. I just upgraded from a 40 so its kind of bare. I'm not sure about keeping that many skippers together, I know they tend to be territorial. I wanted to get an archer, but they get up to about a foot long, and my research indicates that they prefer groups, and I didn't want to push the stocking levels that much, trying to go for 3-4 12" fish. The glass fish are an option, I might look into those. I am also thinking about trying a puffer, either a GSP or a fig8, but I'm torn because I know it could either go fine or it could tear apart a bunch of my fish. I keep my SG at about 1.010.
 
So you have a single atlantic skipper?
I hadn't considered violet gobies an option, are they difficult to keep?
We don't get any puffers down here, I think quarantine prevents their importation, so the options for a brackish tank appear quite sparse...
If archers get over a foot long, then they're way out of the picture...
With 8 gobies, does that put any pressure on available territories? I read that they need lots of caves to establish their grounds...
If I do go ahead, I might lower the skipper numbers to 3-4, depending, I'll check out the feedback, always helpful :)
You've set me off on some new trains of thought, thanks sploke :D
 
The more space for the skippers, the better, IMO. They are territorial, they are extremely active, the can hop quite far, and they like both ground and water to skip across. I ended up taking my BBG's out of the tank because the skippers are so messy that it was hard to keep clean for the other fish (mudskippers are quite hardy compared to pretty much anything else). Also, the mudskippers will team up and bully stuff that is too big for them to eat.

Are you talking about Atlantic or Indian? I have 4 Indian (the smaller ones) in a 30G and I would love to give them twice as much space.

I would recommend that you get the mudskippers first and then if you still feel like the tank is understocked than add other stuff.. but you aren't going to be happy if you spend a bunch of time and money putting other fish in there just for them to sit scared in a corner until they day from ammonia released by bug guts being slung all over the tank by the skippers. plus, the skippers are way cooler than pretty much anything else you are going to put in there.
 
I feed my tank pretty lightly, they get frozen bloodworms, mysis and brine shrimp. The violet goby is pretty easy to keep, although mine is a bit thin. I've been feeding extra after lights out, since I've read that they are partially nocturnal, in hopes that it will find some extra food. I have a lot of shells and barnacles all over the tank so the gobies seem to get along fine, they seem very peaceful with each other. I'm planning on probably doubling their numbers. I've also read that atlantic skippers can be pretty territorial, if you were going to have 3-4 I would probably give each one a separate platform in its own corner to hopefully avoid fighting over land areas.
 
Okay, so the Indians are smaller than the Atlantics?
I've only read about Atlantic skippers,
Thanks for all the advice guys :D
 
Yeah Indians are like 4" and Atlantics are like 8". If you are determined to put other stuff in the tank, I'd definitely go with Indians. I think a tank of the size you are talking is going to house like 4 Atlantic skippers maximum. You also are going to want a tank that is short with larger width/depth.. height isn't going to matter that much to them (as long as they have a few inches of water and dry land).
 
Just noticed this in your sig. Fungi.... Have you already set up your skipper tank?
There is at least one other type of mudskipper that can be found, but usually only online. The Alantics and the Indians are more common. I have scene an Indian mudskipper a while back at my lfs that was 6inches, so i would stick with the Indian dwarf mudskippers... I think those only get up to 4inches or so....

I'm not sure if you already have your skipper tank set up yet or not... but you know, you can also have the Indian skips in freshwater? I have a few Indian dwarf skips in my 75gal, fw. If your interested, ill find the link and show you...

Also, about keeping multiple skips in one tank... just remember, as mentioned above, that they are territorial, but then do like the company... no matter what size your tank, it is always extremely important to have plenty of hiding places where they can chill without being in the eye sight of the others.
But I must say, when they do duke it out, it is very interesting to watch... and if you notice nipped fins, i wouldn't worry, I have scene mine fully recover within 24 or so hours...

Well, I'm not going to ramble on about their living habitat or anything just yet, if your interested in my two cents, id be glad to help... anything from feeding, to some good ideas on keeping their gills and eye lids wet (so they don't have to dunk themselves in the water) or if your just wanting some good links about them and their natural habitate... Just let me know.... I'm not saying I know everything, but they are my fav. fw 'fish'. ;)
 
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