i am planning on getting a 40 gal with indian mudskippers. what are some good tankmates? how about freshwater stone/lionfish? (i know they are brackish) sorry about all the questions
tankmates for skipper
- Thread starter mudskipper10
- Start date
From the research I did when I got mine, there are no good tankmates. Big fish scare them, little fish they may try to eat, or just catch and kill. Mollies or guppies may work, but they may or may not kill them. Ghost shrimp work and so do nerite snails, both of which I have in my tank for cleanup, but the skippers may decide to eat the shrimp one day. Several sources said a red claw crab may be a good tank mate, which I know nothing about, but I read several people said their skippers ate them when they molted. Soooo IMO get some ghost shrimp or maybe mollies, but that's about it. The tank should focus on the skippers. Anything else pollutes the water up and skippers are messy.
Oh and I think you'd asked about where I got my indian mudskippers - bought them online at livefishdirect.com and had them shipped to my home.
If you're ready to buy the mudskippers and just finding a source, I'd really recommend getting your tank all set up and running if you haven't already. That takes some time and is important to have done and running before they arrive. I would wait to add the marine salt until you find out the conditions they have their skippers in. Mine came from freshwater, which they can do ok in short-term, so I'm slowly bringing up the salinity. That works great for my shrimp and nerites that have been accustomed to freshwater. These mudskippers REALLY appreciate running water so try to create a waterfall with the filter you use. They're most entertaining when you give them what makes them thrive.
Oh and I think you'd asked about where I got my indian mudskippers - bought them online at livefishdirect.com and had them shipped to my home.
If you're ready to buy the mudskippers and just finding a source, I'd really recommend getting your tank all set up and running if you haven't already. That takes some time and is important to have done and running before they arrive. I would wait to add the marine salt until you find out the conditions they have their skippers in. Mine came from freshwater, which they can do ok in short-term, so I'm slowly bringing up the salinity. That works great for my shrimp and nerites that have been accustomed to freshwater. These mudskippers REALLY appreciate running water so try to create a waterfall with the filter you use. They're most entertaining when you give them what makes them thrive.
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Canister filter is best. However depending on how many fish you have (bioload) and how much water you'll have, etc. you might be able to get by with a whisper internal filter. The mudskippers aren't terribly sensitive to water conditions, however their health and happiness is the primary point of keeping them, so if you go with a lesser filter, you need to do more water changes. I am doing 50+% weekly. They get so excited when the drought comes, and then I fill it up with new water! It evaporates down throughout the week and then I syphon out about half and fill it up to the tops of their rocks again.
About 4-6" will do. They don't like really deep water, so a few inches is good, enough to get the filter going good. They really like waterfalls, so if you can create that they'll be very happy. Also, one of their favorite places in the tank is the shallow "beach area" where the bank is. So if you can create a slope for them to sit on with shallower water, they'll like that too.
:dance:thanks. you have been alot of help. i am not being lazy and just getting stuff from you. i mean that in a good way
No problem - while I strongly encourage you to do some researching on your own, because I'm sure there is TONS more info I don't know, I really love talking about skippers and am glad to help with any questions!
