Do archerfish need to be able to spit?

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

I'm considering getting Burmese archerfish for one of my tanks, but I've run into a bit of a hurdle.
The tank will be fairly shallow (so it can't be only partly filled to let them spit) and I have no real means to let them spit at their food otherwise. Would they be okay (enrichment wise) being unable to spit at their food like they would in the wild, or would it be considered bad animal husbandry to keep them in a tank where they can't do that?

 

[esoxlucius]

From someone who has argued until they are blue in the face about the tank size requirements for a silver arowana in the "700g fish stocking ideas" thread, and the need to provide for aquarium fish in the most natural way possible, I find this a strange question to be honest.

In the wild archerfish spit at insects, we've all seen nature documentaries. So of course you'd try and cater for that need in the home aquarium.

 

[Deadeye]

Take this with a grain of salt as I’ve never kept one.
They don’t need to spit at bugs, but a pauladarium like setting where they can certainly replicates nature best. If partially filled, you could hold bugs above the water for them to spit at.
Plenty live normal, fine lives in regular tanks. I’m sure that it wouldn’t mind food falling to it as opposed to spending energy shooting a jet of water at it. I’d say far more important is making sure you get a true freshwater one as opposed to a brackish species.

 

[tlindsey]

In the wild archerfish spit at insects, we've all seen nature documentaries. So of course you'd try and cater for that need in the home aquarium.

I agree with this although they will survive eating prepared foods. I personally would add branches of driftwood and feed cricket 's occasionally.

 

[Fallen_Leaves16]

I kept clouded archers in a tank that only had 3-4 inches of airspace between the lid and the water before, and didn't notice any problems; then again, I did take the lid off every now and then and let them jump to catch leftover crickets (from various reptile/amphibian feedings) I positioned on a stick, although I don't know if that made much of a difference. They don't seem to spit water as much as T. jaculatrix does, and seem to prefer to jump if they can, but maybe that was unique to my schools; I think it's better enrichment for both the keeper and the fish for them to be allowed to jump/spit for their food, but I don't know if it really benefits the fish to a great extent. Honestly, I'd say that overall they should at least be given the opportunity to hunt crickets in a way similar to how they would in the wild (it's also really fun to watch!), but don't absolutely need a large arboreal section where they can hunt insects at leisure. I could be quite mistaken, however; perhaps it would be better for others with more experience than me to input their advice.

 

[Rocksor]

He's an example of not providing the right environment- South American pikes. Without a high flow environment to make them swim against a current, like where they are from, the muscles they use to fight the current don't get used and they lose their streamlined torpedo shape. The lack of exercise makes them even more aggressive. Combined with a ravenous diet, they become like an American football if they are lucky. At worst they become a moderately J shaped fish.

Find out what happens long term to them without the ability to spit.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

From someone who has argued until they are blue in the face about the tank size requirements for a silver arowana in the "700g fish stocking ideas" thread, and the need to provide for aquarium fish in the most natural way possible, I find this a strange question to be honest.

In the wild archerfish spit at insects, we've all seen nature documentaries. So of course you'd try and cater for that need in the home aquarium.

I realize how strange this question might sound coming from me, but when it comes to feeding there are species that behave (IME) quite naturally without feeding exactly as they would in the wild.
These are predatory species that would eat live fish and insects in the wild, all the predatory fish I've kept with that diet did not act any less naturally when fed solely on dead foods. Which had me wondering whether or not this would have been the case for archerfish.

Of course, because I can't cater to that, I won't get them.

Perhaps I should have specified the first part from the start, with something like 'I do believe in providing conditions as natural as possible, but feeding could be an exception because I have had predatory species that would eat live animals in the wild act naturally overall even when fed dead food they couldn't chase'. It would probably have sounded less strange.

 

[Krismo962]

Seriously fish recommends that you buy ATLEAST 2 rainforests for one of those though.Also, did I mention how loaches would be a far better choice?

 

[Lepisosteus]

While I find the question in this thread hilariously ironic I will take the high road here.

feeding an archerfish normally is perfectly acceptable. I can guarantee they do not acquire every meal by spitting in nature. I can say with high confidence they likely don’t require any meals by spitting water.

But is that fish happy? unless it gets a dopamine release by spitting a bug out of mid air you are likely ok.

While I do occasionally hunt with a bow and arrow, I will not go out of my way to use a bow when I have a steak sitting in front of me and a fork and knife in hand.

but am I happy? Time to try therapy I guess

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

I realize I should have mentioned that my experience feeding some other species in a different way than they eat in the wild didn't appear to cause problems, but given that my experience told me that, the question seemed perfectly reasonable to ask.