Freshwater Flounder

Aloha! Just curious if anyone has had any experience with these guys? I saw them at PetCo, hadn't ever seen them before! The guy said that they stay small (the ones in their tank were 2 inches), and they were peaceful. I went home and researched them and found out that while they do stay small-ish (up to 4-6 inches), they can terrorize your invertebrates once the lights are out! Now I don't plan on getting one (I love my snails and shrimp), but was just curious! Thanks!

 

If at all like their saltwater cousins, they will terrorize the shrimp and snails....

 

Yes they will eat your inverts but they`re such awesome additions to my tank. They do require a sand substrate to bury themselves in. They`re very slow growers but can reach up tp 6". They love frozen and live foods. Mine are in a 125 @80f with a pH of 5.9-6.0. I love my Flounder.

 

That's cool! I was just curious if anyone had them! They did look pretty cool to watch on the glass.

 

Mine rarely get on the glass,they mostly stay buried in the sand until I feed them live food,then they just start aggressivly eating. I have seen them just sitting on the driftwood once in awhile. If the bottom dwellers get too frisky then they climb the glass.

 

Maybe their not really Flounder. Maybe their Hillstream Loaches. does it look like this?

 

Nope, they were definitely flounders, they didn't look like that

 

Here they are...Very cool looking fish! Look just like their saltwater cousins....

 

That's really cool!!! Didn't realize they would get on the glass tho. That's why I thought they were maybe mis-labeled.
About half way down the page are pictures of Hillstream loaches(they called them borneo suckers) and cautioned not to confuse them.
Carol

 

Sweet fish! 8)

 

That's a flounder?? Weird...

 

Maybe their not really Flounder. Maybe their Hillstream Loaches. does it look like this?

those aren't flounder are they? B/c they got like two circles it looks like where flounderj sut have one.. I dunno I read an aticle that they looked simular but werent or soemthing.. my two cents

 

luper: What rudeeru is looking at and asking questions about is fresh water flounder.
the pictures I posted are Hillstream Loaches. They go by many names(Borneo Suckers, hong Kong plecs, fresh water flounder, stingrays etc.) are are often confused for other fish. That's why I posted the pics, to get clarifivation
But rudeeru really was talking about real freshwater flounders.
Carol

 

So I was reading up on these little guys and I decided to get one to add to my 55 gallon. Best thing about this is my substrate is sand. Supposedly they are born in freshwater and migrate to brackish water as the get mature.

Will it be ok in my freshwater tank? I plan on having a brackish or saltwater tank in the near future. Can it stay in my freshwater tank until I move him to a saltwater?

Any important info on these little guys would be great!

 

A size information would help a lot. If its mature it might require more salt.

 

You'd have to acclimate him very carefully from freshwater to salt. And how are you going to know when he's ready?

 

Can you take a picture of the flounder? I would like to see it.

I have always wanted to have a tank just for a stingray. You guys ever tried this or known anyone who has? I wonder how big of a tank it would take to house a stingray? They are such cool fish... I have watched peoples videos on utube of their stingray. Thoughts?

 

I have always wanted to have a tank just for a stingray. You guys ever tried this or known anyone who has? I wonder how big of a tank it would take to house a stingray? They are such cool fish... I have watched peoples videos on utube of their stingray. Thoughts?

Please don't hijack a thread with this question, start a new one to get precise responses.

 

Many Anadromous fish spend only a shot time in freshwater, mainly their larval and later fry stages. Chances are any fish you buy will be past this stage and need to be kept in brackish water only. Now I don't know the specifics on this fish so maybe it spends a year in freshwater, or maybe it only spends a few months.

 

might be helpful reading.....

 

You'd have to acclimate him very carefully from freshwater to salt. And how are you going to know when he's ready?

Well I read online that you just start adding aquarium salt to the tank to turn it into a brackish tank, and as soon as the hydrometer starts to read a close amount to the average saltwater tank the he's ready. I of course would have moved him to his own tank to start the conversion to a brackish tank.

Can you take a picture of the flounder? I would like to see it.

I haven't gotten it yet.

 

You can't use aquarium salt, Marine salt is the one you want to use.

 

You can't use aquarium salt, Marine salt is the one you want to use.

Ahh. Thanks for the tip!

 

Did you read the information on the link I gave you?

 

Did you read the information on the link I gave you?

I did and so far the little guy is so happy! He loves to flutter himself under the sand. I caught him sticking himself to the glass the other night!

 

I got a new friend!


He(she?) needs a name.

I picked him up at pet supermarket, as well as another friend, but that's for another thread.

Anyways, my questions

I know he needs brackish, but he is only about 1-1.5 inches right now, I know that they are born in fresh, and slowly transition to brackish. What is the preferred gravity(of salt)?

If he won't eat BBS it frozen bloodworms, what else can I try?

Tank mates?

Tank size? He is going into a 20GL soon. I know they get 6-8 inches.

He was an impulse buy, I know it was bad.

He needs a name!

Thanks to anyone that helps

 

Do you know what actual species he is? I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure there's more than one, though some are less common.

 

Here's a link to help you out until someone else comes:
It says 1.005 to 1.010 gravity. I've never kept them, but since they get 6-8 inches I'd say 55 gallon min. hampalong may know something about them.

I know of two, Trinectes maculatus and Achirus lineatus......

 

Actually there are quite a few. Most species seem to move freely between fresh, brackish and even marine waters, although a few are truly freshwater. They're very difficult to ID however, so the safest SG seems to be about 1.005, which is tolerated well by all species.

I've never kept them. I got that info here......

 

Been quite a few posts about these lately lol.

 

Been quite a few posts about these lately lol.

More than there's ever been, I'd guess......

 

Must be the season to catch 'em

 

Thanks guys
I'll ask the store what they think he is.

How much salt would you suggest to add? I know I'm supposed to slowly bring up the gravity but by how much? I don't want to shock him. He didn't eat the bloodworms I have him. I'll try BBS(live) and if that doesn't work I'll try some live black worms.

He has been named Mr. Flounder. I have him in a smaller tank (10G)for now because I had a hard time finding him in the bigger tank. I'll get him into a bigger tank once he's a little bigger, and eventually move him into my 100G.

 

Will the fish in the 100 gallon tolerate the brackish water? Or do you just have a spare 100 laying around?

 

No, I'll move the fish. I have a Molly that would tolerate it that could stay, but the guppies would move.