Keeping mullet in an aquarium?

gdelraye

Feeder Fish
Nov 5, 2012
2
0
0
United States
Hi,
I have a 200 gallon marine aquarium currently holding 4 juvenile (10-15cm length) flathead mullets. Does anyone here have experience keeping mullet in an aquarium? In particular, I'm curious what people have been able to feed them, and how. Although I've seen the mullet feeding on the algae in my aquarium, I haven't as yet managed to get them to eat anything I give them even though I've tried pellets, flake food, nori, and frozen brine shrimp.

Thanks for your help!

P.S. Although I agree that 200 gallons is not going to be enough space for 4 fully grown mullet, please consider that I will be releasing them back into the bay from which they were caught before they reach such a large size.
 

Pazzoman

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 5, 2009
2,993
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Id just grow them and used them as bait lol jk,

Tricky... I would attempt live food such as brine shrimp (not nutritious however at least they will eat something), blood worms....thats all i can think off just because I've never kept them nor researched them but live seem to always work well with wild caught fish.

Good Luck
 

CHOMPERS

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Apr 28, 2006
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They are actually filter feeders. It's weird considering they are rumored so widely to be vegetarian. I have tried to keep them, but they need to feed constantly. They will need something in the way of a peristalic pump on a timer. Medical enteral feeding pumps can't be programed to start/stop at certain times but they are good for specific dosing (I have several for my reef tank that I have been playing around with).
 

CHOMPERS

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Apr 28, 2006
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http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/mrri/acechar/specgal/strimull.htm

The feeding habits of striped mullet vary with age. Young mullet feed primarily on small crustaceans and other zooplankton, whereas adults ingest plant matter. They feed by sucking in bottom sediments that contain decaying plant material, algae, and inorganic particles. They may also extract algae and microorganisms from scum that accumulates on the water surface or from the surface of submerged vegetation or other substrates. Swarming marine worms (polychaetes) have also been reported as part of their diet.
 

NCStateFisher

Polypterus
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2010
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also never release captive fish back in to the wild. never know what you could be exposing
 

gdelraye

Feeder Fish
Nov 5, 2012
2
0
0
United States
Thanks for all the responses! The mullet so far are in great condition and they are feeding pretty extensively on the algae growing in the tank. Chompers - what size were the mullet you had and could the filter feeding behavior have been because they were still young? I think I will try live brine shrimp as a supplement and see how that goes.
 

Slippery K

Piranha
MFK Member
Dec 5, 2011
2,491
26
81
Ontario, Canada
also never release captive fish back in to the wild. never know what you could be exposing
Never release aquarium fish into the wild! Doesn't matter where it orgionally came from. Once you bring it home, your stuck with it.

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