I'm in the process of buying an aquarium that comes with fish. It is a freshwater setup, mostly cichlids and silver dollars. There are two monos, one Argenteus and one Sebae. They are around 6" to 7" and look fantastic.The aquarium is large, 680 gallons, and well decorated with plants, boulders, and wood. The current owner said that basically, once a fish goes in the aquarium it is almost impossible to get it out. So, before putting the monos in, I want to make sure they will do fine long term (their life-span) in the freshwater setup.
Monodactylus Argenteus & Sebae in Freshwater?
- Thread starter sayersweb
- Start date
Okay, thank you for the info. So, keeping them in freshwater long-term would be very bad for them. The problem is they will be almost impossible to catch once they are in the aquarium.
they can do heavy brackish for a lifetime. Many people have them 10+ years as long as its above sg 1.010
My experience with Monos in FW is that they never looked good and they were prone to disease. They always looked better and were more vigorous in the higher salinities, closer to full strength seawater.
Another fish to consider that would do well with monos is the Florida Pompano. Although not generally kept in aquaria, the juveniles should fit in nicely. They are fast moving and can tolerate salinities as low as 5 ppt, although generally considered a marine fish.
While this is a rather old thread I figured I'd add in my experience with Mono argenteus. We acquired them in near full salt water at 1.023. Tried to find them good homes and couldn't find anyone who would take them.
Over the course of the last 3 months I've decided to see whether or not they can transfer back to freshwater. These are all at least 2 years old.
I couldn't find any info on whether or not they could switch back, at what rate they could if possible, and the longevity of them in full freshwater.
The goal was to attempt to lower the salinity by .002 every week until it was full freshwater. Keeping them in a higher ph and around 76-78°F
Theyre now in full freshwater. Look the same as they did in saltwater. Eat every single thing that is fed to them and appear to be doing well
I will try to update in a couple months, or sooner if anything goes wrong
Over the course of the last 3 months I've decided to see whether or not they can transfer back to freshwater. These are all at least 2 years old.
I couldn't find any info on whether or not they could switch back, at what rate they could if possible, and the longevity of them in full freshwater.
The goal was to attempt to lower the salinity by .002 every week until it was full freshwater. Keeping them in a higher ph and around 76-78°F
Theyre now in full freshwater. Look the same as they did in saltwater. Eat every single thing that is fed to them and appear to be doing well
I will try to update in a couple months, or sooner if anything goes wrong
