i saw some black mono's at my LFS yesterday. i've seen the silver ones before but never black. just wondering if anyone here has any exp with them, temperment,eating habits, water specs...etc. i hear that the silvers grow from 9-12in. well, any info would be much appericated.
black mono
- Thread starter KurseD
- Start date
The black mono is usually the common term for a juvenile Monodactylus sebae. The silver is Monodactylus argenteus. Monodactylus means "one finger" which is where they got their old common name of finger fish.
These are brackish water fish that do well in full marine and poorly in fresh. These fish grow to 18" in the wild but, seldom more than 6" in captivity unless given a large tank, more than adequate filtration, and fresh/frozen foods. DeLgAdO is correct that these are schooling fish. Single fish don't last long. Pairs bicker. It's better to keep 3 or more of each species together. The M. sebae has been bred in captivity but, this was no easy task. The eggs contain a drop of oil which makes the eggs float. Newly-hatched monos are too small to feed on artemia nauplii so, microscopic foods have to be offered every 2 hours for the first 10 days.
Good tankmates for monos include archer fish, scats, chromides, and anableps (four-eyed fish).
Left pic is M. argenteus/Right pic is M. sebae
View attachment 1104939
These are brackish water fish that do well in full marine and poorly in fresh. These fish grow to 18" in the wild but, seldom more than 6" in captivity unless given a large tank, more than adequate filtration, and fresh/frozen foods. DeLgAdO is correct that these are schooling fish. Single fish don't last long. Pairs bicker. It's better to keep 3 or more of each species together. The M. sebae has been bred in captivity but, this was no easy task. The eggs contain a drop of oil which makes the eggs float. Newly-hatched monos are too small to feed on artemia nauplii so, microscopic foods have to be offered every 2 hours for the first 10 days.
Good tankmates for monos include archer fish, scats, chromides, and anableps (four-eyed fish).
Left pic is M. argenteus/Right pic is M. sebae
View attachment 1104939
thanks for the info guys, i bought a trio of monos this morning,all around 2in (2silver and 1black). i'm keeping them in a 55gal with slightly brakish water. they seem to be pretty aggresive, they keep chasing my 4in oscars around. there shoaling pretty well to, but they have yet to eat. i've tried greens, flakes, and pellets. no luck yet.
Mine only reluctantly ate flake. Try frozen brine shrimp and frozen bloodworms. They'll also take live/frozen/FD mysis shrimp.
I'd also remove the oscars. Aside from the oscars out-pacing the monos on growth and making a snack of the monos, the oscars make too much of a mess in the tank to keep monos in the clean water they require. Also, the monos will do better in water that is too salty for oscars.
I'd also remove the oscars. Aside from the oscars out-pacing the monos on growth and making a snack of the monos, the oscars make too much of a mess in the tank to keep monos in the clean water they require. Also, the monos will do better in water that is too salty for oscars.
