I can not figure out what kind of fish this is... Help ID

[jthao]

Can't figure out what kind of fish this is and if it's reef safe. Looks to be of the rabbitfish family, but I could be wrong. Anyone know? Help please. And is he reef safe?

 

[shay]

It seems to be a type of Scat. If it is it can live in fresh {for a while}, marine or brackish water but prefers brackish.

 

[xanthurum]

Silver Scat and i think they are reef safe.

 

[fishkid6692]

Scatophagus argus. Its a brackish water fish. Feed nori sheets like a tang and the regular food you feed the rest of your fish. Thats just from what i've read, no personal experience.

 

[fishkid6692]

Scratch that, its Scatophagus multifasciatus i think. Same care needs as above.

 

[Jc lover]

Yes it is reef safe scat

 

[jthao]

Thank you everyone!! So if it's "brackish" does that mean, in my reef aquarium with salinity at 1.025/1.026, it's not going to survive very long? Doesn't it need the salinity to be closer to hypo levels? Will it survive/thrive long term?

 

[Blown 346]

Thank you everyone!! So if it's "brackish" does that mean, in my reef aquarium with salinity at 1.025/1.026, it's not going to survive very long? Doesn't it need the salinity to be closer to hypo levels? Will it survive/thrive long term?

Brackish water is normally around 1.005 to 1.010. They can tolerate some changes but not from that to your salinity. Normally when they are young they are in fresh water, and then go to brackish. You can have them in a reef setting salinty, but you have to slowly up the salinity over the period of weeks so you dont stress them. The option would be if you had another tank and set the salinity to what they need and slowly bring it up until you are at your current tanks salinity.

With brackish fish since they are normally born in FW, if they dont go brackish there life span seems to be shortened. I had 2 Columbian sharks that started as fresh, once they grew to about 6 inches I started converting them over to brackish, and then to salt when they were adults. They grew to 12 to 14 inches in length and lived to be about 12 years old.

 

[basicreef]

Just slowly bring it up to the salinity level you want. It will do fine. I have had brackish fish in my reef for a couple year. Also, one time, I was able to put a flowerhorn in a reef tank and he live fine until he start biting other fish a few months later so I took him out.
The trick is to put the fish into a separate tank and slowly bring up the salinity.

 

[CedzAquAddictio]

You had a flowerhorn in a reef???

I've seen mollies and scats, but never a flowerhorn...

 

[jthao]

....I was able to put a flowerhorn in a reef tank and he live fine until he start biting other fish a few months later so I took him out.

Now that's pretty cool!!! Thanks for all the help guys!! I appreciate it!