[TABLE="class: infobox biota"] [TR] [TD]Kingdom:[/TD] [TD]Animalia[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Phylum:[/TD] [TD]Chordata[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Class:[/TD] [TD]Pisces[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Order:[/TD] [TD]Perciformes[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Family:[/TD] [TD]Monodactylidae[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Genus:[/TD] [TD]Monodactylus[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Species:[/TD] [TD]M. sebae [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Hi all I have seen a few of these fish in a few lfs and would like to find out a little bit more about them. Firstly I have googled (wikipedia) them and saw that they live in brackish water but that's basically it. But my questions are Can they live in freshwater (water parameters) Are they suitable for community tanks Type of tank mates So if any one on the forum has got experience with them please advise any advise would be appreciated, O please tell me if they are blacklisted
@johan008 They are brackish. For their long term health I wouldn't try them in fresh water. I have never had a brackish set up, but I would imagine they would be ok with Scats and similar sized fish.
Hi Johan Nice to chat to you again. A while ago I wanted some of these but I did some research and I decided against them. They are semi agressive toward their own kind, so they need to atleast be kept in a group of 6 -10. They can be kept with other brackish fish such as archer fish and scats. What scared me off was the tank size also the conditions, young fish can be kept in slightly salted water but as they grow they would need simular conditions as marine. Also based on my research I found that they require a large tank if you want to keep adults 360l+ this can be decorated with driftwood and plastic plants if you like. From what I could gather is the requirement for a big tank is to spread the aggression a bit seeing as they are semi agressive. Hope this helps
The Monodactylus Argenteus (Natal Moony) is on the blacklist however this one Mono (Monodactylus sebae) is not on the blacklist so this one will be a safe purchase.
@johan008, I don't recommend these fish for any type of community tank! I consider them nice from far but far from nice. They are very aggressive and very nippy towards any other fish in your tank, even the armoured corys are not safe from the attacks of these guys. I had them many years ago when I first started back up in fish keeping. They are definitely brack water fish, but can be kept in a tank that you add salt to like a molly type tank, but yes as they get older and bigger they do become full marine. I traded mine in after a few months of them harassing my other fish non stop, so I really do not recommend them for anything other than a dedicated, experienced keeper that is prepared to keep them in a species tank, but this is just my 2c worth.
I caught this guy in the Kwanza River mouth, northern Angola... Such cool looking fish, would be awesome having a school of them in my living room
I currently keep my Mono sebaes with Silver Scats, Clown Loaches and a couple of Malawis... They are very elegant and fast-moving fish that need a good water flow, and plenty of hiding spaces to be at their best. As long as you keep your water hard, you needn't add a lot of salt to your water. I love watching them chase each other, they dodge in between decor and seem to be able to make right-angled turns on their axis. If you like something a bit out of the ordinary, I would highly recommend these easy-going fish! 4 months ago video: Tigger and the new Cubs, plus Mono Sebaes. - YouTube
