Keeping Scats in freshwater

Q

Quo Vadis

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2014
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Wisconsin
Anyone done this successfully long term? Most care sheets say they are brackish fish, but Fishbase lists their environment as "Freshwater, Brackish and Marine", and from what I have read about them in the wild they are found in all three of these. Obviously many brackish species are adapted to only the brackish water, and do not thrive in freshwater, but then there are the "brackish" fish that are highly adaptable and can thrive anywhere from fresh to saltwater. It seems like with what I have read of their adaptability Scats would be able to thrive in FW, and I have read that online a few place, but that of course doesn't mean it is true.

So have any of you actually kept any of the Scat species? and if so, how did you keep them, in terms of salinity?
 
B

burbon44s

Candiru
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May 13, 2012
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I lost 4 scats by not having enough salt in the water. So I'd say NO.

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Q

Quo Vadis

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2014
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burbon44s said:
I lost 4 scats by not having enough salt in the water. So I'd say NO.

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Interesting. How did you determine that was how you lost them? How much salt did you have in the water, what type setup were they in?
 
UnstoppableJayD

UnstoppableJayD

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Quo Vadis said:
Anyone done this successfully long term? Most care sheets say they are brackish fish, but Fishbase lists their environment as "Freshwater, Brackish and Marine", and from what I have read about them in the wild they are found in all three of these. Obviously many brackish species are adapted to only the brackish water, and do not thrive in freshwater, but then there are the "brackish" fish that are highly adaptable and can thrive anywhere from fresh to saltwater. It seems like with what I have read of their adaptability Scats would be able to thrive in FW, and I have read that online a few place, but that of course doesn't mean it is true.

So have any of you actually kept any of the Scat species? and if so, how did you keep them, in terms of salinity?
Click to expand...
What species are you looking up on fishbase? Because the African Scat is a freshwater species... the other 3 Silver Green and red as far as I know are brackish to marine. I have tried silvers in full fresh with no good results but conversely kept a green in full marine and it was very healthy.
 
V

vr6fan

Gambusia
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Mar 30, 2010
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Waukesha, WI
I had a scat the size of a small dinnerplate that lived in freshwater for 8 years..he was then given to another mfker who has had him in fresh for 2 years and going strong.. (this is a silver scat)...I have an 8 inch archer in full freshwater and has been for 5 years..imo if you keep your water pristine you have a better chance of housing one long term.

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B

burbon44s

Candiru
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May 13, 2012
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Well, I've got a 210 and measured wrong.
I usually don't use salt until I purchased them.
Scats were young, about 3 inches.
One by one they started to die, for what I thought for no reason. Then I went back to the store I bought them, and they refreshed my memory on how much salt to use.
I was using half the salt I should have.

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Q

Quo Vadis

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2014
912
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Wisconsin
Yes, I know that African scats are freshwater mainly, but I believe they are quite rare in the hobby, aren't they?
I was look looking at the Fishbase profile for Scatophagus argus (http://www.fishbase.org/summary/4698). It says they are Amphidromous, which are "fish are born in freshwater/estuaries, then drift into the ocean as larvae before migrating back into freshwater to grow into adults and spawn."

So according to that, adult Common Scats spend most their life in freshwater, but saltwater is needed for them to develop from the larval stage.
 
C

chris1990

Feeder Fish
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Apr 28, 2014
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estuaries are very dynamic environments , the salinity at a single point can vary throughout the day , if the tide come in the water become saltier and some marine species can move inland ,if there is heavy rain , the water become more fresh . brackish water fish are adaptated to live in such condition they can live for short period in freshwater or near marine condition , but the condition in a tank is stable , their dynamic environment is very difficult to reproduce . fishbase list the green scat as fresh , brackish and marine because of that i think .I dont think that a scat will live permanently in a totally freshwater environment . I used to live in a place where monodactylus argenteus are native and they are normally found in estuaries and sometimes the coastal waters around river mouth , never saw any far upriver where the water is permanently fresh . My advice would be if you truly cannot make a brackish water tank to go with clean hard freshwater , you can try to add crush coral to the tank .
 
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