Mudskippers

[TylerFerretLord]

I've been interested in mudskippers for a while now, and since I have a spare 29g tank I thought I should look into them some more. So I have a few questions.

1: What are the species commonly available? I know that there is a dwarf species that is less territorial and thus would be good in my tank.

2: How can I tell the species apart?

3: Would a diet of bloodworm and flake be okay? I've read that they can be fed crickets as well, would they need to be gut-loaded as with reptiles, or dusted with vitamins?

4: SG of 1.005 alright for them?

5: Any links to care sheets or pages of interest?

 

[nmonks]

1: What are the species commonly available? I know that there is a dwarf species that is less territorial and thus would be good in my tank.

It would indeed.

2: How can I tell the species apart?

Difficult in many cases. There are some notes on the more common species on my Brackish FAQ. You really need to spend some time familiarising yourself with mudskippers before you go shopping: some species are very aggressive, and P. barbarus can only be kept "in solitary".

3: Would a diet of bloodworm and flake be okay? I've read that they can be fed crickets as well, would they need to be gut-loaded as with reptiles, or dusted with vitamins?

Variety is the thing. Healthy mudskippers will eat a bit of everything, so just keep the diet varied and you'll not have problems. Live insects like flies and mosquito larvae, as well as small crustaceans such as brine shrimps, are enjoyed, but they will also take flake, so you can use the flake food to provide any vitamins and minerals that might be lacking. Mudskipper expert Richard Mleczko regularly makes the point that you should only use foods they'd find in the wild, so no crickets or mealworms! These have, in his experience, lead to fatal digestive problems.

4: SG of 1.005 alright for them?

At least 1.005 is required, so ideally a little higher if possible.

5: Any links to care sheets or pages of interest?

Richard's chapter on mudskippers in my book is ESSENTIAL reading if you plan on keeping these fish. So go buy or borrow this book before you do anything else. He's kept many different species, and is probably the world expert on them as aquarium fish.

Cheers, Neale

 

[TylerFerretLord]

Thanks, nmonks.

I'll look for your book next time I go out, but I've never been able to find it before.