cichlids to go with archer fish????
FD1STATION
what is an archer fish?
Candi n OK
>what is an archer fish?
Oh, you don't feel like using the caps when you don't know something, huh?
IT'S A POPULAR BRACKISH WATER FISH THAT IN THE WILD "SPITS" WATER AT INSECTS TO
MAKE THEM FALL IN THE WATER SO THEY CAN BE EATEN.
And to answer the original posters question, severums, orange chromides, and
brown and blue acaras are all cichlids that are listed as being able to handle
brackish water. They are all rather aggressive though and would probably be
used to freshwater. You would have to acclimate them very, very, slowly. A
popular addition to archer fish is the Scat. They grow pretty big too and IMO
are really cool looking. (but they aren't cichlids)
Candi -- "Sometimes you just have to look reality in the eye.....and deny it."
FD1STATION
if you are going to be a rag please do not reply to my
questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!
Linus Chan
They are fish that are from So. America (?) and can "shoot" a stream of
water to bring down prey from over hanging branches. Amazing thing
about them is their ability to comepensate for the surface refraction
when looking at something through the water.
Linus
Michael Meyer
A few months ago I saw a video about archer fish. It was a very well
done video. I imagine it was on the discovery channel. Does anyone
know the name of that video and where I can get it?
Michael
Megan Switzer
The one problem that I see here is that Archer fish are Brackish water fish.
I can't think of any cichlid that can handle that ammount of salt.
Megan
Sunshine Angelfish
suns...@comteck.com
Candi n OK
>The one problem that I see here is that Archer fish are Brackish water
>I can't think of any cichlid that can handle that ammount of salt.<BR>
><BR>
>Megan
I couldn't think of any either, so I looked it up in a book. Sure enough, the
common severum can even go brackish. Along with acaras and orange chromides.
If that's the case then I'm sure there are more as it wasn't a complete
listing.
Gorak
Linus Chan wrote in message <35882DCF...@spss.com>...
>They are fish that are from So. America (?) and can "shoot" a stream of
>water to bring down prey from over hanging branches. Amazing thing
>about them is their ability to comepensate for the surface refraction
>when looking at something through the water.
Amazing creature indeed. I read about that correction for refraction some
time ago, and I don't think it is true. Since it is never using its "weapon"
underwater, it knows of only one way to shoot, and has nothing to compensate
for.
Speaking of refraction, you know that fish with bifocals?
Gorak
Linus Chan
I would check out the Discovery Channel's website.. not sure what the URL is
but it should be easy to find. I think youmight be able to order the video.
Was the episode on Wild Discovery? (I love that show!)
linus
Michael Meyer wrote:
> Linus Chan wrote:
> >
> > They are fish that are from So. America (?) and can "shoot" a stream of
> > water to bring down prey from over hanging branches. Amazing thing
> > about them is their ability to comepensate for the surface refraction
> > when looking at something through the water.
Linus Chan
well it does have to correct its line of sight. It does use its sight
underwater, but I know what you mean, for all we know the fish aims at a spot 3
in away form his prey with out any knowledge that this any type of correction...
on the other hand I just remembered that this fish also jumps out of the water
to grab the prey, and in that case there would be a correction factor... maybe?
Linus
Gorak wrote:
> Linus Chan wrote in message <35882DCF...@spss.com>...
> >They are fish that are from So. America (?) and can "shoot" a stream of
> >water to bring down prey from over hanging branches. Amazing thing
> >about them is their ability to comepensate for the surface refraction
> >when looking at something through the water.
>
Beverly Erlebacher
In article <35893078...@spss.com>, Linus Chan <lc...@spss.com> wrote:
>well it does have to correct its line of sight. It does use its sight
>underwater, but I know what you mean, for all we know the fish aims at a spot 3
>in away form his prey with out any knowledge that this any type of correction...
>on the other hand I just remembered that this fish also jumps out of the water
>to grab the prey, and in that case there would be a correction factor... maybe?
>Linus
From what I've read, the fish emits a stream of droplets that scan across
the prey like a machine gun, so it doesn't have to be completely accurate.
The scan is from top to bottom - the fish starts with its snout held high
and lowers it as it shoots.
Btw, archer fish are native to coastal areas in southeast Asia and Indonesia.
I don't think they jump to get their prey, they count on knocking it into
the water with the droplets.
Did you know that dwarf gouramis do this too? Apparently it is part of
their natural repertoire, and you can get them to display it by sticking
irresistible goodies to the tank glass where they will fall into the water
when hit with droplets. The fish get better with practice. I've never
seen it, but have seen pictures in a German magazine article.
>Gorak wrote:
>
>> Amazing creature indeed. I read about that correction for refraction some
>> time ago, and I don't think it is true. Since it is never using its "weapon"
>> underwater, it knows of only one way to shoot, and has nothing to compensate
>> for.
>>
>> Speaking of refraction, you know that fish with bifocals?
Anableps! Very cool fish!
Christian Cain
Gorak wrote:
> Linus Chan wrote in message <35882DCF...@spss.com>...
> >They are fish that are from So. America (?) and can "shoot" a stream of
> >water to bring down prey from over hanging branches. Amazing thing
> >about them is their ability to comepensate for the surface refraction
> >when looking at something through the water.
>
> Amazing creature indeed. I read about that correction for refraction some
> time ago, and I don't think it is true. Since it is never using its "weapon"
> underwater, it knows of only one way to shoot, and has nothing to compensate
> for.
You could think that, but you'd be wrong. I keep archers (not with any cichlids
tho) and they often spit at food that's fallen to the ground, to lift it up and
even food that's fallen onto plant leaves.
-Christian
EJ
Well.... I've got an Archer mixed in with a whole community of oddballs. The tank
has a little salt (1 tblsp per 5 Gal) but is by no means brackish. I have 2Sevrum,
1Parrot, 1Bichir, 1Jewel, 1Angel, 3Gouramis & 2Firemouth fish in with him. The only
jerks in the group that dont like the Archer are the Firemouth, I think they feed at
a similar tank level and it's usualy over food. Other than that, for the past 8 or 9
months, all has been just fine.
Gorak
Beverly Erlebacher wrote in message
<1998Jun18....@jarvis.cs.toronto.edu>...
>>Gorak wrote:
>> Speaking of refraction, you know that fish with bifocals?
>
>Anableps! Very cool fish!
Yes, the fascinating mudskipper.
I've come to appreciate his eyes lately.
Gorak
Gorak
Christian Cain wrote in message <35897A9B...@fuse.net>...
> You could think that, but you'd be wrong. I keep archers (not with any
cichlids
>tho) and they often spit at food that's fallen to the ground, to lift it up
and
>even food that's fallen onto plant leaves.
>
So they do use their weapon underwater afterall. Interesting.
What species are you keeping?
Gorak
Petherfile
Well thank you everyone, thats given me something to think about.
B.T.W. My archer comes from northen australia, and certaily jumps out of the
water to get food, spits it down (not machinegun style) and is very fast, and verry
agressive to smaller fish, however afraid of larger ones. However there are about
6 or 8 (not shure) different spices of archer, most of witch look identical (unless
you count scales and gill rackers). Aparentally behaver is different in these
spices.
=========================
Time you enjoy wasting
is not wasted time
=========================
EJ
Just an afterthought, now that I see this thread has turned towards vision
capabilities of this fish...
As I mentioned earlier, I keep an (N. Aus) Archer. When I am sitting at my PC
with my back towards the tank, my Archer finds a way to spit at ME through the
small opening in the tank top!!! I think he is trying to get my attention to
feed him.??
So, if you are looking for my vote, I say the vision is corrected.
Another afterthought, if you want a really good laugh, there is a web page I
found quite by accident that tells you what kind of fly to tie and bait to use,
to catch Archers! :- O I guess they are a good game fish in their homeland. I
now wish I had book marked it to share with you. I don't remember if I searched
on Toxotes, or Archer, but any decent Web search engine should find it for you.
Eric
Linus Chan
By the way, how available are these fish to the hobby?
linus
Christian Cain
Gorak wrote:
> Christian Cain wrote in message <35897A9B...@fuse.net>...
>
> > You could think that, but you'd be wrong. I keep archers (not with any
> cichlids
> >tho) and they often spit at food that's fallen to the ground, to lift it up
> and
> >even food that's fallen onto plant leaves.
> >
>
> So they do use their weapon underwater afterall. Interesting.
> What species are you keeping?
>
They were sold to me as toxotes jaculator, and they very well could be that. I
don't see any evidence to oppose this. The few pictures I have seen of other
species were all very similiar tho, and I have not bothered to pursue an
alternative identification.
- Chrisitan