Archerfish in saltwater???

[capman]

I know this is a reef aquarium forum, and archerfish are estuary fish rather than reef fish,

and,

I know that archerfish are normally thought to be freshwater or bracksih fish...

However, I have read accounts of archerfish being caught in full strength seawater, and I've read that some of them breed in saltwater. My guess is they can probably live just fine in full-strength saltwater longterm, but I don't have any evidence to back up this idea.

I'm wondering whether any of you have ever kept archerfish *longterm* in full-strength seawater?

I'd like to set up an archerfish tank, and it would be much easier (in terms of maintaining water quality in this tank) to simply plumb it into my large reef system rather than setting up a separate system for them.

Thanks,
Bill

[icebear]

i guess you could try.... but if you see problems with the fish the first thing you do is lower the salinity.... and maybe keep the tank salinity on the lower side of ideal...


i have 2 green spotted puffers and 2 cat sharks in full strength salt water, they've been living with a trio of damsels for somewhere around a year with no problems.

[Ray1214]

Yes, I have had an archer, gsps, bumblebee gobies,scats, mollies and figure 8 puffers in full marine enviroments. The bumblebee gobies did not spawn until I put them in a heavy brackish almost marine enviroment. If you get an archer, acclimate them slowly but they are a neat fish. I had mine trained to shoot. You start out with a cricket on a string and the water line. Let them get it and raise it higher and higer by a half inch until they shoot it down.

Ray

[Sprayin70]

sounds cool.

[Geoff]

they can be found in full marine environments in the wild. they are pretty much found whereever there are overhanging brush that they can find bugs.

G~

[capman]

Ray1214,

Thanks. I was pretty sure full strength seawater would be fine, but accounts such as yours of success with the fish in fully marine tanks is reassuring.

Can you tell me what specific gravity they were kept at, and how long you had the archerfish under these conditions? My only concern is that perhaps they are fine for a short time but perhaps don't fare well long-term in fully marine systems.

My guess though is that their prevalence in brackish water in the wild is more a function of other habitat condiderations (such as overhagning branches, as Geoff says) and not so much a function of salinity. Since mangroves (some of them anyway) often grow in fully marine situations, my guess is there are probably archerfish that spend all their time in those situations. I have never had the opporunity to observe these fish in the wild though, so this is mostly speculation on my part.

Thanks everyone.

Bill

[icebear]

i plan to try it as well (decided this last night).... i think i'll keep the salinity on the low side of saltwater ideal....
i'm going to call the fish store and see if they have any archers in stock.... i'll be slowly salting them for the next few days if i do find some are available.


Have you gone ahead with your plans? if so, how are they doing?

[Doug1]

careful with training them to spit around reef lighting

[Ray1214]

I kept them in 1.0023 to 1.0025. I had them in my reef tank. (in a manner of speaking. just live rock and incidental mushrooms.).

Ray

[capman]

Ray1214,

Thanks for the extra info.

How long did you have them in your marine tank? Did they do well under these conditions long-term (e.g. years?).


icebear,

No, I have not done anything about this yet. These are long-range plans I'm working on here. It will probably be months (maybe even next summer) before this all comes together.

Bill

[capman]

By the way, I want to add another reason for wanting to keep them in full stregth seawater...

My experience is that marine tanks set up with a sand bed and live rock are much more stable and eisier to care for than my freshwater tanks (which need a lot more attention to water changing, and a lot more care about not allowing uneaten food lying around. The main reason for this greater ease of care is the variety of little critters, especially the scavenger sorts of fireworms, which are so very hardy and reproduce so well in marine systems. I have never encountered any scavengers in freshwater that are nearly so effective as these marine fireworms, marine amphipods, etc.

[Ray1214]

For about a year until I went with pure reef fish and pure reef. (I like small fish for a reef.)

Ray

[icebear]

I'll keep all this info in mind.... i went to 3 LFS yesterday and nobody had archers

of course a few months ago there seemed to be plenty. I wonder if their availability is seasonal?