Anyone have experience with the so called "freshwater" flounder? Just saw some at an LFS and am wondering if they are true freshwater or brackish? I see them hanging from the glass as well, are they algae eaters?
freshwater flounder inquiry
- Thread starter phanmc
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I had a fw flounder and he only lived about 4 months. I NEVER actually saw him eat but he was very intersting. I did not have brackish water just the normal aqua salt that is added regularly. I say try one if you are game just don't get real upset when he goes to fishy heaven.
If you don't mind sharing, how much were they asking for them and where are you located? I work in the lfs and special ordered my lil guy as the sotre has a hard time keeping them also.
If you don't mind sharing, how much were they asking for them and where are you located? I work in the lfs and special ordered my lil guy as the sotre has a hard time keeping them also.
I'm from the bay area of sunny california and the LFS was asking $6-7 for one. They're tiny, about an inch.
Did you have it in a community tank and does other fishes bother it?
Did you have it in a community tank and does other fishes bother it?
I housed him in a 30 gal tank with angels, rosy barbs, swordtails and scavengers. Noone bothered him and he was really cool as I added a sandy beach in a portion of the tank and he would burrow in it and change his color pattern to match the substrate. He did stick to the sides ALOT and since I never saw him eat I assumed that he lived off of algae and left overs!!!
I only paid <1.00 for him as I work at the store but we would only have sold them for around 2.50.
Good Luck and let me know if yours lived longer than mine and if so what did you do different??? I was thinking of getting a few more but picked up a pretty betta instead
I only paid <1.00 for him as I work at the store but we would only have sold them for around 2.50.
Good Luck and let me know if yours lived longer than mine and if so what did you do different??? I was thinking of getting a few more but picked up a pretty betta instead
Never seen one
So theyre kinda like the freshwater puffers where they say theyre freshwater but then theyre not? yeah, that happens. Id like to see one of those. Ive seen flounder plecos though.
So theyre kinda like the freshwater puffers where they say theyre freshwater but then theyre not? yeah, that happens. Id like to see one of those. Ive seen flounder plecos though.
around here....
A lfs here has them in stock (Western Maryland) but the ppl at the store didn't really know how to take care of them at all. They were kinda disappointed because they usually are very informational when it comes to the fish they stock. I asked them if they were always FW or if the started FW and moved to SW. What I'm finding on here is that they are definitely BW, but they may be hard to feed and don't really get along well with other tankmates because as one person said "if they can kill it, they'll eat it." They're really cool and interesting, but seems like a TON of work and species only based tanks. If you get the chance to see them, take it, it's cool. They actually surprised me at the lfs because I saw a few stuck to the glass but couldn't tell what they were. Suddenly, one came wiggling across the substrate and scared the crap out of me because I was up close to the tank and didn't expect to see anything like it, LOL. It would be neat to see them kept in an established tank successfully.....
JOSH
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A lfs here has them in stock (Western Maryland) but the ppl at the store didn't really know how to take care of them at all. They were kinda disappointed because they usually are very informational when it comes to the fish they stock. I asked them if they were always FW or if the started FW and moved to SW. What I'm finding on here is that they are definitely BW, but they may be hard to feed and don't really get along well with other tankmates because as one person said "if they can kill it, they'll eat it." They're really cool and interesting, but seems like a TON of work and species only based tanks. If you get the chance to see them, take it, it's cool. They actually surprised me at the lfs because I saw a few stuck to the glass but couldn't tell what they were. Suddenly, one came wiggling across the substrate and scared the crap out of me because I was up close to the tank and didn't expect to see anything like it, LOL. It would be neat to see them kept in an established tank successfully.....
JOSH
<><
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"Freshwater" flounders (Achirus sp.) are brackish to marine (though they exhibit a broad range of salinity tolerance, especially when young, when they often ascend rivers) and coldwater; when adult, some specimens may reach lengths in excess of 16 inches. They are difficult to wean off live foods (they prefer brine shrimp, daphnia, and small "worms" at the size most aquarists obtain them - 2 to 3 inches in length), but some have had success with feeding them frozen and freeze-dried meaty items. They will never thrive in a tropical freshwater community, and should be provided a sand-based substrate, as they become stressed out and "frayed" over gravel bottoms - this substrate choice precludes both burrowing and proper callibration of their chromatophores as a camouflage measure (especially so over mottled "natural" tones).
I believe there are Peruvian/Amazonian and Australasian true freshwater soles, but they are hard to come by.
I believe there are Peruvian/Amazonian and Australasian true freshwater soles, but they are hard to come by.
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