My Introduction And Tank Plans

[Gnoflet]

Hello. I'm new to the forum. I currently have no fish tanks but I'm planning on getting a brackish 20 US gallon long for some mudskippers and fiddler crabs. I'm also hoping to later get a small 10 US gallon tank for something. My brother has a 10 US gallon tank with some chubs, a homemade small wooden terrarium with three blue-tailed skinks, and another 10 gallon terrarium with several frogs.any advice on mudskippers or jawfish would be great.

  

 

[Byron]

Hi, and welcome to TFF.  I can't help on jawfish, but I have kept mudskippers.
 
There are a number of species in several genera, but the more commonly seen in the hobby will be species in Periophthalmus which attain around four inches.  If you intend more than just one, acquire them together.  I would suggest three or four in a 20g long.  I would not recommend keeping them with fiddler crabs; mudskippers will be better on their own.
 
You undoubtedly know that they require "land" and water.  Three or four inches of water depth would be good, with an area of "land" built of sand and/or wood.  Keep the aquarium covered well; not only for warmth (the air must be warm like the water) but also to keep the mudskippers in.  I had one that fed off my finger and one day it became so excited when I opened the cover that it jumped out and I had to chase it around the room.
 
Many of the common frozen fish foods make up a good diet; chunks of frozen squid (thawed obviously) are ideal, along with worms such as bloodworms or blackworms (live or frozen), frozen plankton, and small crickets.  The food needs to be moving, which is how I got my mudskipper feeding off my finger.  Initial live tubifex worms got it associating food with my appearance, and I moved up to using a small stick (a piece of broomstick works well) to move around small bits of frozen squid, etc.  Before long he was on my finger.
 
Byron.

 

[Gnoflet]

Thank you. Do you know if they can eat mealworms?

 

[Byron]

Thank you. Do you know if they can eat mealworms?

 
Yes, but don't feed these often.  I'd forgotten mealworms, as I was at the time I had the mudskippers raising mealworms for my frogs and newts, and African Butterfly Fish.  I used to feed the beetles sometimes too.  The problem with mealworms is the fat plus the calcium.  But one a week won't hurt.

 

[Gnoflet]

Ok. Do you where to get live bloodworms? Also I was thinking of hatching brine shrimp for them.(after I got them of course.) Do you know if they would eat it?

 

[Byron]

Ok. Do you where to get live bloodworms? Also I was thinking of hatching brine shrimp for them.(after I got them of course.) Do you know if they would eat it?

 
I use frozen bloodworms.  When I had mudskippers, my local fish store had shipments of live worms (tubifex) and brine shrimp every week, so I always bought one portion of each for my fish.  I can't remember feeding the brine shrimp to the mudskippers, so don't know if they would chase them down in the water or not.  Mudskippers, at least mine, always clambered onto the dry "land" to feed.

 

[Gnoflet]

Ok thank you for all of your information. Do you know of a cheap (say under 50 us dollars) way to make a tidal tank without changing the SG? I was thinking if I made a small "river" with a pump from the main water area and then ever time there should be a tide change that a timer would increase the amount of water going up and the "river" would flood and then a small amount of water would cover the "land" and it would be like a tide. Do you think that would work?

 

[Gnoflet]

I went out about a month ago and bought 2 neon tetras, 1 lace catfish and a silver and black angle fish. I also have my brothers black band cory (I think thats what it is) in the 20 US gallon high. I've been feeding them FLUVAL tropical fish flakes at the store owners suggestion. A few days ago I put in 3 artificial plants. There is 2 small pots for the fish to hide in but the angle fish has almost grown to big for them. I'm using a 50 WATT heater and a 160GPH 3in1 filter on spray-bar mode. the filter is rated for up to 40 US gallons and cycles the entire tank 8 times a hour. The temp is usually a touch above 80 degrees F.The lace catfish rarely comes down from the space between the filter and heater during the day. At night he usually comes out to eat the left over food. Pics coming as soon as I can.

 

[Byron]

I went out about a month ago and bought 2 neon tetras, 1 lace catfish and a silver and black angle fish. I also have my brothers black band cory (I think thats what it is) in the 20 US gallon high. I've been feeding them FLUVAL tropical fish flakes at the store owners suggestion. A few days ago I put in 3 artificial plants. There is 2 small pots for the fish to hide in but the angle fish has almost grown to big for them. I'm using a 50 WATT heater and a 160GPH 3in1 filter on spray-bar mode. the filter is rated for up to 40 US gallons and cycles the entire tank 8 times a hour. The temp is usually a touch above 80 degrees F.The lace catfish rarely comes down from the space between the filter and heater during the day. At night he usually comes out to eat the left over food. Pics coming as soon as I can.

 
I am afraid you have some issues here in the selection of fish.  First, all these fish are what we term shoaling, which means they live in groups (usually fairly large numbers) and thus need a group in the aquarium or they will be stressed.  The angelfish is the only exception, in that it can be kept singly, but this is depriving the fish of what it has been programmed by evolution to expect, namely a group, so I do not recommend this.  Second, a 20g is not sufficient space for groups of the angelfish (which grow to 6 inches length with an 8-inch vertical fin span) or the lace catfish (I am assuming this fish is Synodontis nigrita) which grows to 6-7 inches.
 
The neon tetra would be OK in a 20g, but you need at least six of them, preferably a few more.  Corys should be OK, but these need five or six in the group.  But the temperature at 80F is too warm for the neons and corys, which would be better around 75F and certainly no higher than 76-77F.
 
Byron.

 

[boshk]

I went out about a month ago and bought 2 neon tetras, 1 lace catfish and a silver and black angle fish. I also have my brothers black band cory (I think thats what it is) in the 20 US gallon high. I've been feeding them FLUVAL tropical fish flakes at the store owners suggestion. A few days ago I put in 3 artificial plants. There is 2 small pots for the fish to hide in but the angle fish has almost grown to big for them. I'm using a 50 WATT heater and a 160GPH 3in1 filter on spray-bar mode. the filter is rated for up to 40 US gallons and cycles the entire tank 8 times a hour. The temp is usually a touch above 80 degrees F.The lace catfish rarely comes down from the space between the filter and heater during the day. At night he usually comes out to eat the left over food. Pics coming as soon as I can.

looking forward to seeing your tank

 

[Gnoflet]

I went out and bought 2 vartious (can't spell it), 1 flying fox and 1 red tailed shark. My old 160GPH filter broke so I got online and bought a 210 GPH of the same kind on Ebay. the old filter had a melted top so I also moved the heater over. I got a large castle and a small castle for Christmas so I put those in and took out the pots. I also have 1 gallon plastic critter keeper with a Betta in it that I got with the other fish. The Betta is being fed BettaMin as food. 

 

[Byron]

I went out and bought 2 vartious (can't spell it), 1 flying fox and 1 red tailed shark. My old 160GPH filter broke so I got online and bought a 210 GPH of the same kind on Ebay. the old filter had a melted top so I also moved the heater over. I got a large castle and a small castle for Christmas so I put those in and took out the pots. I also have 1 gallon plastic critter keeper with a Betta in it that I got with the other fish. The Betta is being fed BettaMin as food. 

 
I will assume these new fish are going into the 20 gallon aquarium previously discussed.  I'm sorry, but you are in for more serious issues.  A 20g is not anywhere near sufficient size for the Red Tail Shark (which if it lives will attain 5 inches and needs lots of space to swim and have its territory) or the Flying Fox (which should attain 6+ inches and is also territorial and a swimmer).  Second, these two are certain to fight, again if they are normal (healthy).  I can't comment on the other 2 fish without knowing what they are.
 
Please, please research fish before you acquire them.  It is not fair to the fish if you cannot provide adequate conditions, and this involves not only the tank size, but the other fish.
 
Byron.

 

[Gnoflet]

The 2 fish are platy Varitous or Varitus. The red tailed shark is not a reaglur one with black fins. Instead all its fins are red and its body is black. The Flying Fox or Siamese algae eater and the red tailed shark have been getting along fine. If any of the fish get to big I can move them to another aquarium. The locally owned fish store I bought them from said every thing I had would work together and they have been in business for over 50 years so I trust their judgment. I try to study the fish I get but I can't always do that because I use only 1 fish store and their selection changes from visit to visit.