Mudskippers

[PerryClem0842]

Hi, over the past few weeks my mud skippers have been fighting between each other. I don't know whether this is because they are both males and cannot live with each other or just the fact that they are fighting for dominance over the tank itself (70 litre).
I have had no females in there since I've had them and feed them one blood cube each every other day.
Just wondering if anyone had any ideas why else they might be doing this and how I can fix the problem?

 

[nmonks]

Hi, over the past few weeks my mud skippers have been fighting between each other.

Is what they do.

I don't know whether this is because they are both males and cannot live with each other or just the fact that they are fighting for dominance over the tank itself (70 litre).

Either or both.

I have had no females in there since I've had them and feed them one blood cube each every other day.
Just wondering if anyone had any ideas why else they might be doing this and how I can fix the problem?

Mudskippers aren't sociable. Males defend territories that include their burrows and nests. Overcrowding can work well with the smaller species; keep six or more. But the bigger species are more difficult to house, and Periophthalmus barbarus is psychotic, and invariably ends up being kept singly, whether deliberately or by the biggest male killing off all the others.

Cheers, Neale.

 

[PerryClem0842]

Hi, over the past few weeks my mud skippers have been fighting between each other.

Is what they do.

I don't know whether this is because they are both males and cannot live with each other or just the fact that they are fighting for dominance over the tank itself (70 litre).

Either or both.

I have had no females in there since I've had them and feed them one blood cube each every other day.
Just wondering if anyone had any ideas why else they might be doing this and how I can fix the problem?

Mudskippers aren't sociable. Males defend territories that include their burrows and nests. Overcrowding can work well with the smaller species; keep six or more. But the bigger species are more difficult to house, and Periophthalmus barbarus is psychotic, and invariably ends up being kept singly, whether deliberately or by the biggest male killing off all the others.

Cheers, Neale.

Unfortunately mine are the periophthalmus barbarus species. But thanks anyway, maybe ill keep them separated also how big can they get?

 

[nmonks]

They can get big. 25 cm/10 inches, I believe, in the wild. Aquarium specimens perhaps not quite so big, but still large by mudskipper standards. Males simply won't tolerate one another. A tank divider might be useful, but they could well climb over it!

Cheers, Neale

Unfortunately mine are the periophthalmus barbarus species. But thanks anyway, maybe ill keep them separated also how big can they get?

 

[PerryClem0842]

They can get big. 25 cm/10 inches, I believe, in the wild. Aquarium specimens perhaps not quite so big, but still large by mudskipper standards. Males simply won't tolerate one another. A tank divider might be useful, but they could well climb over it!

Cheers, Neale

Unfortunately mine are the periophthalmus barbarus species. But thanks anyway, maybe ill keep them separated also how big can they get?

Thanks this is really helpful, I might buy a tank divider, didn't realize they got that big.
Mine are only 15cm at the moment but thanks for the heads up!

 

[iliveinazoo]

[/quote]
Thanks this is really helpful, I might buy a tank divider, didn't realize they got that big.
Mine are only 15cm at the moment but thanks for the heads up!
[/quote]

I have 2 of the same species, I wish I had only bought one though, they lived peacefully for a few months but eventually I had to make a divider, I've got them in a 1m long tank at the moment and there seems barely enough room for the both of them giving that they are approx 18cm long. I might end up doing a lengthways divider but making the filtration work will be difficult.

Every now and again they will charge at one another and hit the divider which could easily collapse if it wasn't secured in place given how powerful they are for their size.

 

[magamimudskipper]

what kind are yours ? the atlantic ?

what do you feed them ?

 

[iliveinazoo]

what kind are yours ? the atlantic ?

what do you feed them ?

P. Barbarus. They'll eat anything I feed them mostly frozen foods from bloodworm to cockles they've even devoured flakes.

 

[PerryClem0842]

P. Barbarus
they do eat as you said just about anything but i have noticed they have got a taste for guppies!!

at the moment i am feeding them bloodworms and daphina