Freshwater flounder

[purplemagic00]

I just found a lfs that has freshwater flounders for sale. http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/flounder.jpg I am so excited. I don't like the idea of of buying fish online. I prefer to be able to look at the fish and see how they are doing and acting. Not that you can get too good of a picture while they are still in the store. Anyone ever have one before? Any good stories or pictures? I know they are brackish fish that need foods like blackworms, and that they like to bury themselves in sand and ambush hunt. I currently have a 30g brackish(marine salt) with some mollies and ghost shrimp in it. What I read is they only need a 15g tank so it should be very content in my tank. I realize the ghost shrimp will end up food eventually. I am fine with that. I bought them so when I was ready for a figure 8 for the tank it would have some food already in the tank.

[purplemagic00]

I just found out the same store has Bumblebee Gobies. This will be great I will get a few BBG and a Flounder and get them good and use to the tank. Then maybe the store will get some Figure 8 puffers. Then my tank will be complete mwahahaha

[crazedpuffer]

My petco and petland used to get them all the time, I haven't seen them in about 2 years though. Let us know how the F8 works with the flounder!

[Troender]

And if it doesn't work out, you can always fry the flounder Mmmm...fried flounder is tasty

I've never seen any flounders around here (except in the sea), but it would be cool keeping one. I have no idea what needs they have. All I know is that they hunt by digging into the sand, waiting for the food to pass over it. That can be a problem, as many puffers sleeps on the bottom of the tank.

[Jase]

And if it doesn't work out, you can always fry the flounder Mmmm...fried flounder is tasty

I think I read that this species only gets like 6 inches long... two bites.
...I'm partial to stuffed & baked flounder.

[purplemagic00]

From what I have read I do not believe the flounder will be any threat to a puffer. It warns they may eat small fish like neons and such. As long as I don't get an incredibly tiny F8P I think he will be too big to mess with. I am more worried that the F8P will take a chunk out of the Freshawater flounder. I am hoping since they spend most of the time buried or stuck to something the puffer won't even know he is there. They also can change colors to match the environment which I hope will help him hide better. I have also heard a fish that is in the tank before the puffer is added is less likely to be viewed as food. But the F8Ps are the reason I set up the tank. If it happens I will know to not try mixing the two again.

[crazedpuffer]

From what I have read I do not believe the flounder will be any threat to a puffer.

If anything the puffer will be a threat to the flounder. They are very soft skinned and if your puffer is hungry and thinks it looks appetizing... we really need some kind of cook smilie or something.

[purplemagic00]

Well I just brought home my freshwater flounder! He is about an 1 1/2". He seems to be doing well. I have already got to seem him bury himself so all I could see was the sand moving. He also has been sticking to the side of the tank. When we got him he was almost pure white, now that he has had time in my tank he has gotten a darker color with big spots. I also brought home 6 bumblebee gobies. The person working there wasn't sure that they where bumblebees. I don't know how he couldn't tell they have definate yellow/black banding. They are happily buzzing around the tank. The FF and the BBGs seem to be getting along great the FF even tolerates them resting on him. He doesn't care for the molly though.

[purplemagic00]

Well I have had the flounder over a week now and I am still impressed with him. He does spend a lot of time hiding in the sand. When he comes out from hiding in black sand he is a very dark grey color. After a while of sticking to the sides he seems to almost go white. I have never seen him eat though. I throw in some rehydrated baby shrimp at night. I think he must be eating cause he is still around and seems no worse. I did have three ghost shrimp and I am done to two. I think he got one during one of the first nights. they shrimp seem more careful now. They use to freely walk around the tank now they come out when I feed and hide in the plants the rest of the time. All 6 Bumblee gobies seem to be doing well. They also don't seem to eat much either. I throw in some rehydrated bloodworms and they will chase them take a bite and sometimes just spit it back out. I going to try some live ones before long in hopes that they will eat more. But they seem content buzzing around the tank. They make full use of the tank.

[Jase]

good to hear. maybe try just frozen foods instead of rehydrated. or more live foods, either way. good luck with them.
also for the flounder try putting a piece of food directly in front of him.

[purplemagic00]

I picked up some frozen bloodworms and both the flounder and the bumblebee gobies both seem to enjoy those a lot more. that is if any get down to them . I just had to put a lot in to make sure they got some but they really went after them compared to rehydrated.

[zombiefetus]

Use a turkey baster to feed them, it gives you a lot more control to how much food each fish gets, and allows you to put food directly in front of the flounder under the water. Just put the frozen bloodworms in a bowl of tank water and let them defrost, then suck them up with the turkey baster and feed them that way. It makes it a lot easier and then you don't end up with fat bumblebee gobies.

[Jase]

Glad to hear they like them.
It's frowned upon by some, but I put my hand in the tank and hand feed my shyer fish.