Hi, I am new to this site as well as aquariums. I currently have a 10 g with a dragon goby, 3 angelfish and 1 chinese algae eater. This tank has been very fun even though I've only had it for about 2 and a half months now. I think I am ready for a cooler tank. I have a 29 g high and am going to set it up with archers, since I think they are the coolest fish ever. I plan on setting a 10 g tank on top of the 29 g upside down and modifying it so that the archers have room to shoot down insects. Does anyone have suggestions, or just comments?
Archer tank setup
- Thread starter archerman22
- Start date
archers are going to need at least 55 gallons.
they get big and need room at the top to jump and spit.
so you can get a big tank (60Gal+) and keep in around 2/3 full, or you can do what i did and build a cage for the top with some sticks and logs and such, so you can introduce bugs. they'll just about eat anything, but i think red ants are too bitter. but its cool to watch, and they don't need any promting.
they get big and need room at the top to jump and spit.
so you can get a big tank (60Gal+) and keep in around 2/3 full, or you can do what i did and build a cage for the top with some sticks and logs and such, so you can introduce bugs. they'll just about eat anything, but i think red ants are too bitter. but its cool to watch, and they don't need any promting.
I thought about building a cage overtop of this aquarium, but how do you keep the archer from spitting water everywhere. I realize that they don't spit all the time, but when you do feed it doesn't it get water everywhere?
my cage is just a simple wood box with fine mesh screen, a lot of the overspray gets caught in the mesh, but there is a bit of water that gets out.
for me a little mess is worth watching them do their thing, plus when a bug is close enough, they just jump out kamakazi style.
so make sure they wont have any open space around the tank that they can't fall out
for me a little mess is worth watching them do their thing, plus when a bug is close enough, they just jump out kamakazi style.
so make sure they wont have any open space around the tank that they can't fall out
I attached a picture taken with my phone of the box that I came up with. I think it will work pretty well. It is about 12 inches tall giving the archers plenty of room to spit and/or jump whatever they like.
looks a lot like mine, keep a roll of paper towels nearby.
they will outgrow that tank though, but good work buddy!
they will outgrow that tank though, but good work buddy!
Ok so I have a question about everybody being so worried about fish being in the right sized aquarium. I know that when you pick out a fish you should always go by the adult size of the fish. Also in choosing the size of the tank, it is appropriate to have one gallon of water per every inch of fish (by the adult size). Is it not true that a fish of any size in an aquarium will not grow to be bigger than its appropriate size for the size tank that it is in? In other words a fish will not grow bigger than the aquarium. By asking this I am not trying to start a huge argument, only posing a question. I would like to hear what people have to say, but by no means am I trying to stunt the full growth potential of my or anyone elses fish, it is only a question.
i think thats only for certain fish, and archers are not one of them.
archers will literally out grow your tank.
as well as your dragon goby, which will grow to over 2 feet and is also a BRACKISH WATER fish, even though they are kept in fresh at petsmart.
i guess you could keep them (archers and goby)in a tank less than 50 gal, but their lives will suck.
and in my opinion you shouldn't keep a pet if you can't keep it happy.
but thats just like my opinion man.
archers will literally out grow your tank.
as well as your dragon goby, which will grow to over 2 feet and is also a BRACKISH WATER fish, even though they are kept in fresh at petsmart.
i guess you could keep them (archers and goby)in a tank less than 50 gal, but their lives will suck.
and in my opinion you shouldn't keep a pet if you can't keep it happy.
but thats just like my opinion man.
Last edited:
