Archer Fish

[talisker]

i just got a archer fish today which will be kept in a brackish tank, i was wondering if anyone could tell me which one i have, i believe there are 3 different species.
also a i know they like live insects but is there any other kind of food they will take as well maybe some kind of pellet food ?
i've got some freeze dried river shrimp can i use them ?

http/img413.imageshack.us/img413/5675/p05071023230001.jpg

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

"nmonks" on this forum is regarded as a bit of a "fish guru", when compared to "young grasshopper" fish keepers like myself

He has several useful inks in his "sig," including a page about identifying Archers...
http/homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/FAQ/3c.html

Reading that page, I think you have a T. jaculatrix specimen, but read for yourself and perhaps give Neale a quick pm for confirmation.

What feeding arrangements are you using? Some owners press prawns to the tank glass above the waterline, for their Archer to "shoot." Others set up a network of branches above the tank for adding live food.

What's the tank setup like?

 

[nmonks]

Gosh! What a nice thing to say! Thank you.

For what it's worth, I'd suggest this fish was Toxotes microlepis. Although it's hard to be definite without counting the dorsal fin spines, the key things to look for are [a] whether the spots on the dorsal fin merge with the two last bands on the flank; and whether there are small spots in between the bands on the flanks. In the case of the fish in the photo, no, the spots and bands don't merge, and yes, there are spots between the bands. Toxotes microlepis is a freshwater to low-end brackish species and won't be happy kept in strongly saline conditions; SG 1.003-1.005 is ideal. Because they don't get particularly big they're ideal companions for mollies, chromides, knight gobies, etc.

Toxotes will eat most floating foods; my specimens enjoyed Hikari Cichlid Gold. Crickets, mealworms and other live foods are worthwhile, but you can also feed them fish fillet and seafood.

Cheers, Neale

"nmonks" on this forum is regarded as a bit of a "fish guru", when compared to "young grasshopper" fish keepers like myself

 

[talisker]

thanks for that neale, i think you are correct after looking at you descriptions it does look like a Toxotes microlepis, he is in a tank with two mollies for company and it's at SG 1.004 so looks like it's about right.
i've tried it with a few different foods and it seems like it will eat anything and it seems to have a huge appetite