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So any ideas on what i should include in a mudskipper setup? I know they need some area out of water but how much? i believe their brackish right? anyways any helps appreciated! thanks!

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

i am not an expert, but one of the members here named shinigami has a mudskipper. they are brackish, and they also need to be able to get out of the water, many people get large peices of driftwood that the mudskipper can climb to get out of the water.

i have also been interested in them, so i am interested on where this can and will go!

good luck...

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

IMO, mudskippers are not obligate brackish fish. Mine is perfectly happy in pure freshwater. IME there is no externally visible difference in appearance or behavior if they are kept in freshwater or brackish. They are highly adaptable, and supposedly spend more time out of water than in it anyway.

Mudskippers prefer space to crawl up into land, arguably they need more space on land than below water, but I have yet to see a good paludarium set up with more land than water for 'skippers. My 'skipper actually doesn't spend very much time on the land portion that I have available, which is a floating turtle rock. It might not be the best thing available, to tell the truth though, as it's not exactly that much like a mud flat.

The tank must be tightly covered, not only to keep the mudskipper in, but also to keep the humidity in the tank high. Mudskippers should be kept in a humid environment.

Mudskippers are awesome. They are very hardy, and IMO it is probably their specialized requirements that make them unpopular among the average aquarist.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

wow they do sound pretty awesome!!!

i would really love to get some! only problem is, never seen them in real life!!!

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

brandeeno, it is unfortunately true mudskippers are quite uncommon. They aren't even easy to find on online vendors. I have only seen them sold three times since I started the hobby, the third time being just last week! The first time I bought them all three I bought died, I am not sure why. The second time I bought the one specimen that was available at the LFS, and I still have it, still going strong after a few years. I was quite tempted to buy some of the new specimens I found, but I'd need a bigger tank, plus they were selling them for like $17 a piece, which is at least twice and maybe three times the amount I paid for the fish I have now.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

dhini i have a question.. could any other fish be kept wit mudskippers if they were kept in FW? like in a 15g a small shoal of tetrs or something similar? and how much room should one give per specimen? like 10g or larger?

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

In a 15 gallon I would not keep more than one adult mudskipper, but in a larger tank it might be a possibility to keep other fish with a mudskipper. Unfortunately, I have little information on how mudskippers behave towards other species. My tank isn't large enough for tankmates, so I've never tried it. I do not know if they are fin-nippers, aggressive, or just don't care about other fish. Smaller fish species would be a gamble. However, larger species of fish that can take care of themselves, such as puffers, have been kept successfully with mudskippers.

Mudskippers do not utilize vertical depth so the volume is irrelevant, it's all about surface area. A 10 gallon with 6" of water is nowhere near as much space as a 55 gallon with 2" of water. As I don't have experience with multiple mudskippers, my personal opinion is that a mudskipper needs somewhere between 1' x 1' to 2' x 1' surface area if kept in multiples as they, especially males, can be territorial. It's possible that they may need more room, but I don't have a large enough tank to even attempt keeping multiple mudskippers if that's the case. One article I have read has claimed that 4 mudskippers would be okay in a 4' tank, though, and this is probably a valid claim for fish up to maybe 4-6" in length.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

would dwarf or pea puffers do ok with a mudskipper? i have seen those at the LFS...

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

I wouldn't be surprised if they could be kept together, but not having tried it I won't say they definitely could be. They may be a little on the small side to be kept with bigger mudskippers.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

ell seeing as currently i havenot seen mudskippers, it wont be for a while that i get to see or purchase them (unless i get them with high inflation on the net)... we will see... i have so many ideas floating about my head with these stocking ideas, that it is crazy...

thanks for the info though!!!

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Wow I havent had a chance to reply. but it answered alot of questions! thanks guys! Im trying to save up and maybe get another 30 gallon to put a mudskipper in. although since a 10 qould work as well i might just get that. I wasnt sure about putting anything else in with the mudskipper but i might try a puffer now. Granted i dont think i will be getting a mudskipper anytime soon. The only person i even know of that has one is you Shini. but ill be keeping my eyes open! thanks again!

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

A 10 gallon would work for some time, but I'm not keen on actually 100% recommending it as 'skippers can grow to be rather sizeable. I am upgrading my 'skipper to a 20 gallon in the near future, and I will observe any changes, if any.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

what would be a perfect set up for at least 1 mudskipper + a couple other fish or would any other critter work with them ? if say a person had a 20 long tank to start with
is there mud to use for them or would it make to big of mess and what kinds of filters would work best for them?

You can't really do mud unless you have a sponge filter. It'll make a mess in anything with high flow and would probably clog or beat up anything with an impeller. I use sand on my 'skipper tank. The only issue is that the mudskipper is not able to build a burrow like they might naturally do so in mud.

IMO, some sort of internal filter is the way to go. A normal HOB is inappropriate as a mudskipper tank is usually not filled up all the way, if much at all. On the other hand, a canister on a large mudskipper tank may be an appropriate choice, if the pipe can reach the water. I have this idea that a sponge filter may also be fine that I'm going to test. As my mudskipper is alone, the bioload is not high in the aquarium, so power filtration may not be necessary. An internal power filter is probably the easiest choice that will work, provided sand doesn't get caught in it and destroy your filter.

AFAIK, mudskipper compatibility is not vastly different from that of other fishes, but as I've mentioned before I haven't tested keeping a mudskipper with other fish.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

ok what about different levels in the tank mud on one side nice pool on the other with spongefilter say in a 20 long with a flat rock say slate going into the water as a ramp and use sand or small gravel as a bottom in the pool part ,,,could it be planted on the mud part?

That could very well work, it sounds like a great mudskipper set-up. Plants in the mud part are restricted by what types of plants can grow in mud. Some plants are not able to survive in mud, while others can. mud can become quite anaerobic. Those questions are best asked in the direction of someone knowledgeable in terrestrial plants. One last caveat is that it may be possible the mud could smell after some time, just like a marsh.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

wouldn't be that bad of trade off for a really cool setup and fish
lfs i go to has a i think 20 gal setup for crabs and sometimes tiger salimanders on occassion i see mudskippers in it
it isn't to deep with a plexy glass devider with holes in it
rocks up to the top on one side
water on the other
it has a strip of slate going into the water for them to climb in and out
it has a pump drawing the water threw the gravel and pushing it over a waterfall
it's really neat