Mud skippers now at Windsor fish hatchery

This is the habitat we house our Mud skippers in at Windsor fish hatchery.

Water Conditions

Brackish pH 7-8 , Salinity 1.008 to 1.020   

 Windsor fish hatchery sells salt water use a hydrometer to achieve the desired salinity.

Temperature 24 ºC - 28ºC

Habitat

Found in tropical and sub-tropical waters along the northern coast of Australia. Mud Skippers are able to live on land as 

well as in water, and can be frequently found in mangrove swamps.

Mud Skippers spend up to 70% of their time on land, they require water and land, sand is in their natural habitat, but its 

not easy to clean so its not suitable. Use gravel and rocks in their habitat. Try to use a darker color gravel as this will 

make them less stressed. As their skin needs to be moist ensure that the air in the tank is humid, glass lids will hold in 

heat. Use a heater in winter, in the water with a cover to protect the mud skippers.

Feeding

Mud skippers enjoy Live Worm, and can also be successfully trained to eat frozen worm and Freeze-Dried Black Worm.

you could also try very small fish, crickets and small insects.

They grow up to 18cms

Behavior

Mud skippers can be territorial and will raise and lower their dorsal fins in aggressive displays. Keeping too many in

one tank can lead to fights, often to the death. Tank mates can be brackish fish, mollies for example, as long as you have

the swimming room.

Our Mud skippers arrived on 17 June 2015

Mud skippers have not yet been successfully bred in captivity, so all our mud skippers are wild caught, because they 

come from the wild we have to wean them from a live diet to a mixture of different foods. At the time of writing this blog 

we have had our mud skippers for 2 days and they are only just starting to eat, we are feeding them on live black worm. 

today I started mixing thawed frozen blood worm with the live food.  I left small clumps on two rocks and one mixed with 

live black worm in a flat oyster shell i am using for a feeding station. I am hoping they will learn to come to the shell for 

their food, that will make keeping their habitat cleaner.

They are all around 5cms the biggest of the six is about 1cm bigger.

 When they arrived they had very little color, they are different shades of browns and whites now. I have read that the 

more colorful are the males. 

 Their water salinity is 1.008, the temperature in the shop is around mid twenties, so i don't have a heater in the habitat 

yet. I am going to put a gauge in the habitat to measure the humidity, it should be no less the 55% for the mud skippers 

to be comfortable.

Pictures are all the actual mud skippers in our tank. I spent a good hour watching these guys, they are really interesting 

watch as they hop or skip around their tank. Its our desire at Windsor fish hatchery to look after these guys so they don't

just survive but thrive in our habitat. For any one who is thinking about buying one, please read this blog so you know

 their requirements

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home page.

signing off for now.