Hey Mudskipper, listen up. I'm a parent myself, albeit a strange one. Have you ever seen the old show called The Munsters? I'm like Herman. =) Anyways, I think I kind of know what you're going through so read this carefully and maybe we can still help you out.
I have some questions for you first and I need them answered so maybe we can get you on the right track. The other posters here cannot hold you hand on this and I think you're really trying your best to do it on your own, which I admire... however, you're dealing with living things, and to most of the other people who post on this site, it is really mean to not do your research about a fish you want before you decide to buy one. That said, these same posters were and probably still ARE wanting to help you succeed in your Mudskipper project. So here we go... this is going to be like home work... it might not be the most fun, BUT if you do it right, you'll have a real Mudskipper in that nk and it'll be happy, the posters will be happy, and most importantly... you'll have done it yourself. Ready for class? Let's begin! =)
I found this website online and it looks like a great place to start:
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile35.html
I'm assuming since you haven't mentioned your parents much that they're not into having a mudskipper like you are, so you're gonna have to do it on your own. It's not easy, no one ever said it was, but I know you can do it. I want you to prove a lot of these people wrong and if you do, you'll be welcomed here all the time! =)
I want you to read the ENTIRE website above, keep a piece of paper next to you and WRITE DOWN all the things you think you'll need to know about your Mudskipper. Things you'll want to look for are: Tank size, what they eat, the amount of water you'll need to keep in there to make them happy. You also want to write down what KIND of rocks, dirt and other stuff (called Substrate) that you can keep in there with it. Honestly, since you want other pets, I would keep them in separate tanks for now. I know it'd be cool to have a lizard in there but what if you were stuck in a small room with a teacher you hated and had to LIVE there? You wouldn't be happy right? Well your mudskipper wouldn't be either, SO... just work on your mudskipper tank for now and then once you know the mudskipper is happy, you can do another tank for your lizard, ok? So, write down all the stuff you'll NEED to know about what a mudskipper is, what it eats, the best kind of water for it, what you'll need to do to the water to make it good for the mudskipper, the right lights for it, and how to make it happy. It's gonna be the biggest book report you've ever done and yes, it might be boring... but it'll be worth it.
Once you have everything written down, I would separate the list like this:
-What my Mudskipper eats and can eat and how many times I need to feed it.
-What I need to do with the water to make the Mudskipper happy and what I need to do to KEEP the water the same to make it happy.
-What tests do I need to do to the water to make SURE the water is the same all the time.
Now that you have your lists separated, put them up on the wall behind your tank and try to memorize them the best you can. Always look at your lists before you do anything or try anything in the tank. If it doesn't say you can feed the Mudskipper your brother sister or cousin, then don't do it. Got it? =)
It looks like you have the tank set up already so this is where your lists come in handy again, and if it's not like the list, you will have to change things so it IS like the list before you can make the mudskipper happy. Questions I can think of are:
Is the water level too high?
Are the rocks and stuff good for the mudskipper?
Is it the right kind of water for the Mudskipper?
If it's not, you'll have to do some MORE research about the kind of water Mudskippers like.
I found you this website to read up on Brackish water and how to do it.
http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/brackishfaq.html
You'll have to get that paper and pencil out again and write down everything you need to know about:
What equipment you need for the Mudskippers tank
What tests you need to do to make sure the water stays good.
*plus anything else you think would be good for your Mudskipper*
Now, you're off to a good START. Yep, this is just the start for you... I know it looked easy at the beginning, but if you keep at it, it'll get easier I promise. =)
Still with me?
Once you have the tank set up right, the water right and have food ready for the mudskipper, it'll ALMOST be time to get one. I'm pretty certain you'll have to "cycle" the water in the tank first, so that the Mudskipper will feel at home. Think of it like this: It takes time to clean your room, right? It's going to take a couple of weeks to clean up the Mudskipper's tank so it'll be happy.
Here's ANOTHER website on Cycling... got your paper and pencil ready? You need to do the same while reading this website. It's a lot of writing and boring stuff but your Mudskipper needs it, so it's worth the time, I promise.
http://www.wallaquariums.com/cycling.htm
Basically, you're a parent now... and you have an ugly kid. I'm just playing! =) You are a parent though, so you have to take care of the Mudskipper like it's your kid. It's a lot easier than you think and you'll still be able to do all the weird things 11 year olds do, but I know you're friends are gonna be jealous because YOU have a Mudskipper and THEY don't. Even better, you'll know HOW to take care of it and if they tried, they'd have to come and talk to YOU first. How cool is that?
I hope this gets you started right, I hope you listened, I hope you did exactly as I said because if you didn't, your Mudskipper won't be happy and everyone here will be right. So, prove them wrong and once you get your Mudskipper and have kept it happy for a while, post some pictures and show us! We'll all be proud of you!
- I am not an expert in brackish water, Mudskippers, or answering questions. You will have to look around on the internet or ask specific questions on here to get the right answers. The most important advice I can give you is this: Don't get frustrated, don't get bored and give up, and don't let anyone get you down, ok? YOU CAN DO IT!
**Note to the AC posters: I do agree with you, but you gotta cut an 11 year old a little slack. I respect everyone's opinion and advice to Mudskipperfan and this is not meant as a flame to your advice. I'm just trying to help a kid out.
PS: How do I become a moderator? =)
