# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna >  Anyone keeping mudskippers..?

## vannel

Hi Bros,

Just wondering if anyone is keeping mudskippers. Recently, there has been quite a few LFS selling these oddballs and I decided to keep a few as well in my spare tank. They seem cute enough and will actually jump all over for food. Highly entertaining.

Anyone knows what species they are?


Attachment 26927

Attachment 26928

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## taizi

if i'm not wrong they are giant mud skippers ?

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## vannel

Hmm. Don't think they are the giant ones. These are currently housed in a nano 20cm cube and are about 6cm or so at what seems to be like their full adult size (given they have not grown any larger than whence they were bought). Not alot of people seem to be interested in keeping them, apparently. Such lukewarm response. These mudskippers have been super entertaining and quite easy to keep. They have learnt to come dashing for food once I lift up the cover. In fact, they practically jump from the highest point of the driftwood to grab the food before I have a chance to drop it onto their sand-bed.

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## stormhawk

The fish you have is probably the Indian Dwarf Mudskipper _Periophthalmus novemradiatus_. 

Not many people keep such fishes because they need specific conditions to thrive. They make interesting pets but brackish water fish or anything similar are not exactly the most popular fish to be kept. Are you keeping them in pure freshwater?

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## vannel

The topic of fresh/brackish water for mudskippers has been debated on quite comprehensively. My opinion on this matter is that I try to add a bit of salt into their water, not so much as to make it brackish, but more as a rule-of-thumb for most fishes as a form of disease prevention. Personally, I don't have a device to measure salinity. Hence, the amount of aquarium salt added into their tank is purely based on gut feel. In any case, they seem to be of good health and are even starting to show off some colouration on their skin and fins (especially the alpha, which has a significantly more pronounced dorsal fin).

I agree on the species identification as well. The ones I have seem to be pretty small for a mudskipper and would fit quite nicely into the categorisation. These fishes are not hard to keep at all..!

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## taizi

so what's your setup ? 50 50 ? or 30 70 ?

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## vannel

I would say its about 30 70. The water takes up about half the tank but the driftwood gives them additional floor area. Also, the tank glass means alot more area for them to cling on.

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## stormhawk

Debated yes, but for the majority of aquarists they rather just keep something simple. It's a niche part of the hobby, but one that gives a lot of satisfaction if the fish survive.  :Smile: 

I don't think salinity is a problem, since these fish are estuarine in nature and salinity levels will change with the tides so they are probably tough enough to handle such changes in an aquarium. Have you considered keeping some fiddler crabs as tank mates? Or perhaps other brackish water fish.

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## vannel

I dont really have the space for any other livestock in my mudskipper tank. As it is now, I am already pushing it with 4 mudskippers in a 20cm cube. Not enough length or depth to the tank to allow for more water (for gobies) / land (for crabs). Too bad mudskippers don't breed in captivity, else, I might just get them an upgrade to a 1-2ft tank, which allows for alot more play in terms of scaping.

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## stormhawk

20 cm cube? You're pushing it alright.  :Laughing: 

I can understand the space constraint but I really think a 2ft tank would be perfect for them. That way you can give a deeper water zone and work out "ramps" by using the DIY methods that paludarium keepers do. While I was at Tanjung Chek Jawa, I was observing the little mudskippers during low tide. The males created a pit with a burrow that was water logged. They would defend their pit against other rival males and do a vigorous display dance whenever the females are close. 

Not too long ago, there was a documentary on these fishes sometime back on Okto and apparently they spawn in the pit, and the male or the female deposits the eggs in an isolated pool within the burrow which never gets flooded because of the male's constant digging. When the fry hatch they go up the burrow during high tide and into the pit and disperse from there. Might be difficult to replicate this in an aquarium but you can always DIY with pipes. Perhaps hamster tunnels might be a start, or PVC pipes.

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## vannel

Yes. I have read that some owners do try replicating the whole biotope, even going so far as to use mangrove plants and a small wavemaker to simulate the waves breaking on the sand bank. Some have also tried breeding them with pipes, as per what you described. However, to my knowledge, there has been no successful breeding of the mudskippers. I remember reading that it was likely attributed to the very complex biotope of a mangrove which is far too hard to recreate in a confined tank, unless, someone was willing to really go overboard and commit a 6ft+ tank to it.

With respect to the water/land ratio, I would say 20% water, 50% waterlogged area, 30% climbing surface. They like the half-half areas alot more than the water or the dry land. The only time the jump in is when I throw food into the water or when they need to re-wet themselves (which is very seldom).

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## stormhawk

I believe the complexities of such a habitat is due to the changing tides and salinity levels, along with diet. We cannot replicate much of what they might be eating in the wild, since I've seen them sift through mud for food particles. However, it's still a good project for observing their behaviour, especially with clear pipes along the side of the glass, buried in the land zone.

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## vannel

Indeed it will be. In fact, I might try to squeeze in a clear pipe and see how that goes. For the moment, here's a few more pics..

1. FTS (Front)
Attachment 27305

2. Two of four inhabitants on the glass wall, just as they like it
Attachment 27306

3. Almost FTS (Side)
Attachment 27307

4. FTS (Top)
Attachment 27308

I have a few holes drilled on the acrylic sheet where the wire mesh is situated to provide ventilation whilst maintaining a certain degree of humidity and moisture. I didnt want them squeezing out of the hole or anything, hence, the wire mesh.

Hope this gives you an idea of what I have setup in my room for the mudskippers. Anyone else care to show their setups? I'm sure -someone- has a mudskipper tank as well..

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## delhezi

You should go for a 3ft minimum for skippers. Anything under a foot is hardly a tank.

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## vannel

Actually, 3ft for just 4 mudskippers is probably a little too overkill. Just as long as they have enough space to "perch", they should do fine. I would probably do a 1ft cube or a 1.5ft standard tank for 4 of those mudskippers, but, space is a major constraint. Anyway, they are now with another bro who will be keeping them in an exo-terra tank. I'm sure they will be more than happy there, given the amount of climbing space they will have. From experience, they don't really require alot of water (in fact, they are a fish which will actually drown). Just a shallow pool where they can "dip" and re-wet themselves will be sufficient. Most of the time, they'll be hanging on the glass walls/sitting on a piece of driftwood. Importantly, the humidity needs to be maintained at a very high level so their skins don't dry up too fast, causing them to have to constantly re-wet themselves.

That said, I agree that my tank is insanely small. It was meant for another purpose initially.

Anyway, alot of people have questioned me about where I bought the mudskippers. So here goes.. I bought them from Y618 some months back and quite a few other LFSes brought them in as well. I have not seen them on sale for the past month. Probably out of season or something. The 4 mudskippers costs, in total, a red note. Quite afforable. Pretty sure alot of other people have them as well. Just might not be posting their pictures.

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## delhezi

These are active fish if the given the space, furthermore, upon maturity, males do get territorial, based on my prior research when I was interested, a 3FT tank was suitable for 2 mudskippers, not four.

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## johnlim

> Hi Bros,
> 
> Just wondering if anyone is keeping mudskippers. Recently, there has been quite a few LFS selling these oddballs and I decided to keep a few as well in my spare tank. They seem cute enough and will actually jump all over for food. Highly entertaining.
> 
> Anyone knows what species they are?
> 
> 
> Attachment 26927
> 
> Attachment 26928


hi where got sell mudskipper ,i manage to get two from Y618 ,any other place got sell please whatsapp me 85333982. i want to keep few more

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## stormhawk

Seen them at C328, in bags near the cashier desk.

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## vannel

Yup! Saw some mudskippers at C328 last week. Grab them while they are still there. Quite fast-selling..!

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## mincedmeat

in case you are still wondering, i saw a couple of them just yesterday at Y618.

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## HappyGuppies

Mudskippers! Very interesting...  :Smile:  Went to Sugei Buloh last year and saw adult ones. Is it possible to breed them?

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## Trichopsis

Thought it would be useful to share a couple of links about mudskippers. Doesn't talk about keeping them in aquariums, but more for the sake of showing the range of shapes, sizes, and habits among the different species.

Wild Fact Sheets: A list of mudskipper species found in Singapore. If the ones that we find in the LFS are indeed _Periophthalmus novemradiatus_, then this species is also found in coastal areas all over Singapore, including near the granite breakwaters at beaches like East Coast Park and Siloso.

The mudskipper website

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## HappyGuppies

Thanks for sharing the urls!  :Smile:

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## stormhawk

For people intending to attempt at breeding mudskippers, see this thread on another forum:

http://www.thereefuge.com/board/thre...skippers.1744/

The hobbyist has replicated the tidal system and has successfully spawned his mudskippers. No updates on the fry yet but seeing his setup gave me some ideas.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ta...-solution.html

This thread shows a mudskipper paludarium build from scratch.

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## taizi

tats sick lol

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## vannel

Oh Wow..! I wish I saw that video when I had my muddies with me. That's an awesome setup and a very clever way to mimic the tidal pools! Excellent! Maybe I'll try those mudskippers again in future with a similar setup. It does seem like the substrate he employs in his tank is quite important and that normal sand just wont do. Where can we actually buy mangrove sand/mud/silt here in Singapore?

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## stormhawk

Collect muck from the mangroves and mix with the typical sand substrates we have? 

He actually placed a piece of glass to make sure that the sand in the land area does not fully collapse into the water zone. According to him, the crucial element is ensure that the substrate turns anoxic. Which is why the muck from the bottom has a different color from the top layer.

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## fisherw

I don't know if it is similar but if you are friendly with the vegetable seller in the wet market, ask him for the mud that he/she scrapes off the lotus roots before being sold. It would not be very much per day so you need to collect over a couple of days. I got some to plant lotus and when I discarded the stuff when the lotus died (not enough sun), it really stank, just like the tidal mangrove mud smell.

It is pond mud but may work. If keen, you might want to start collecting. I noticed lotus roots being sold nicely cleaned and shrink-wrapped, even in wet markets.

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## saturnz17

I am planning to get some mudskippers...however can they jump out of the tank?

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## vannel

Definitely been some time since this thread was started. Anyhow, the answer is a firm, yes. They can climb very well and will jump. A solid cover is absolutely needed.

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## chinsm

Saw two tanks of mudskippers at Rainbow Aquarium @ Sungei Tengah today. Very interesting to observe. Selling for one green note each.

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## saturnz17

Hi chinsm, Rainbow got sell mudskippers le? Been there a few times but never see...

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## Berny

you can check with green emerald, seen those there few times before 

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## saturnz17

I was there 2 days ago but did not see any mudskippers..asked the staff there they also say dun have wor...




> Saw two tanks of mudskippers at Rainbow Aquarium @ Sungei Tengah today. Very interesting to observe. Selling for one green note each.

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## saturnz17

Does anybody use turtle bank for mudskippers? What brand is recommended? I am actually looking at Zoo-Med...duno here Singapore got sell anot...coz I only see before Exo-Terra and Penn Plax brands

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## chinsm

> I was there 2 days ago but did not see any mudskippers..asked the staff there they also say dun have wor...


As you go in the shop, walk to the end where the big community tank is and turn right

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## stormhawk

I think I did see a Zoo-Med turtle basking area at C328 outside the shop at the racks etc. You can keep them with a partial "land" area but they will not breed in such setups.



Found this clip on Youtube, so you have a rough idea on how to set up a tank for them. These fish do not really like to spend a lot of time in the water.

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## saturnz17

Was at Rainbow Aquarium yesterday, I finally saw a tank of mudskippers...actually are they mudskippers? They are very small and also fully submerged in water, did not have any land for them to climb...tot of getting 1 or 2 ... keke
Or are they gobies and not mudskipper?

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## Urban Aquaria

> Was at Rainbow Aquarium yesterday, I finally saw a tank of mudskippers...actually are they mudskippers? They are very small and also fully submerged in water, did not have any land for them to climb...tot of getting 1 or 2 ... keke
> Or are they gobies and not mudskipper?


If the tank has no dry land for them to climb on and everything is fully submerged, then those are gobies... most likely the Stiphodon genus freshwater gobies (seems like they are "in season", as most LFS are stocking them now).

If you get those type of gobies, they are specialized algae and bio-film eaters so best to be introduced into a mature established (preferably algae filled) tank.  :Smile:

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## saturnz17

Hmm..anyway I already bot 2 yesterday.. I guess they are really gobies although mudskippers also belong to Gobiidae family...they also have similar colour like the muds..light to dark brown in colour...

I have setup partial water partial land for them and it really seems that they only submerge fully in water... sigh... it seems like it's very hard to find mudskippers nowadays...







> If the tank has no dry land for them to climb on and everything is fully submerged, then those are gobies... most likely the Stiphodon genus freshwater gobies (seems like they are "in season", as most LFS are stocking them now).
> 
> If you get those type of gobies, they are specialized algae and bio-film eaters so best to be introduced into a mature established (preferably algae filled) tank.

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## kennethc

is anyone still keeping mudskippers?

i just started a tank today.
I plan to add more land area so that i can increase water level
DSC_0607.jpgDSC_0625.jpgDSC_0627.jpgDSC_0630.jpg

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## saturnz17

I am still finding for one! Seems like no LFS selling....where did u get them bro?
Nice natural habitat for them!

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## eeJamboy

Saw small mudskippers at Seaview like 2 days ago where the plants are.. From time to time, you should also find them at c328 in those pails on the floor.

Interesting to know some are keeping them. 
I just think that they would feel better in a long specification tank don't you think? 
They can 'skip' from one end to the other longer. LoL!


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## Mir

> is anyone still keeping mudskippers?
> 
> i just started a tank today.
> I plan to add more land area so that i can increase water level
> DSC_0607.jpgDSC_0625.jpgDSC_0627.jpgDSC_0630.jpg


Bro what is your pH? Looks like you use ketapang leaves? Think pH must be high, no? They need brackish water. I would also cover your tank, else they may "skip" out  :Smile:  I was at C328 last Sat, they had a few (in bags where the bucef, guppies etc are kept near the cash register). Today left only one...Guess some lucky bros have them skipping in their tanks :Wink:  Was so tempted to set up a tank, but decided against the idea...But may set something up now, already on the verge on poison :Smile: 

May I inquire about your tank size? How do you care for them (food etc)

Thanks!

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