Needle Fish

[cane76]

tried googling them but it wasnt very helpful at my lfs they couldnt tell me if they were brackish or not i spoke to 3 members of staff and came away none the wiser.they said they are not bothered either way is this true?im not sure they are oddballs either but i would think so

 

[penguinpimp1990]

from what Ive seen, Xenentodon cancila are usually kept in brackish waters in home aquariums. Im not 100% sure but in the wild they primarily inhabit hard alkeline FW while occasionally entering brackihs water

 

[CFC]

Xenentodon cancila is a freshwater fish, the myth that they are brackish fish comes from that exporters add a small ammount of salt to the bags they are shipped in to make the journey less stressfull.

Heres a profile i wrote on them http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=41749 that should cover anything you need to know.

 

[penguinpimp1990]

really? ive always been told they occassionaly enter brackish water... guess not though

 

[cane76]

i never noticed it in the index thx

 

[nmonks]

Hello --

CFC is correct about these fish preferring fresh rather than brackish water, though bizarrely enough Fishbase lists them as being: amphidromous; freshwater; brackish; marine; pH range: 7 – 7.5; dH range: 20.

http/filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/speci...iesname=cancila

Like others of the Beloniformes (e.g., halfbeaks) these fish are not actually all that bothered about exact water chemistry provided it does not vary too rapidly. If they are being kept in brackish, then I would set up a brackish water tank with the same specific gravity, and then lower the salinity to fresh over the succeeding few days. Note that they like moderately hard to hard water and need a neutral to alkaline pH, as CFC points out in his excellent summary.

While often said to only eat fish, in the wild they eat crustaceans, and in captivity will take large invertebrates perfectly happily. CFC lists a few options, I'd also try out mealworms, maggots, earthworms, etc.

They aren't easy fish, and I'd recommend trying out their smaller, hardier relatives the halfbeaks before spending the money on needlefish. For a start, needles need to be kept in at least pairs, and they need really big tanks.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[cane76]

i got a pair a few days ago and they are doing great they are only taking river shrimp at the moment they dont seem interested in smaller foods.good watching them feed they are like torpedos with teeth