Hatchet fish

[Plecostoman]

My 55 gallon is made up of mostly bottom feeders and I need some mid-top range fish for it.

I really like hatchets (especially marbled ones). I was thinking about getting maybe 3 or 4 of them.

Any advice on keeping these? How big do they get? Will they get along with my gourami?

 

[SerLunchbox]

best to be kept in groups of 6 or more. They get to be about 2.5". They come from slow to medium moving streams. Main diet is fruit flies and mosquitoes. Though they will take most other types of food. be sure to have a GREAT cover that doesn't have many holes because they can jump very well!

 

[Orca]

I currently have 5 Silver Hatchets in my 75 gal community tank. They are great for filling in the mid-top range. Nice to look at, and usually all together in a school.

They've been an excellent fish in my experience. Other than one that died soon after adding them to the tank, they are probably one of the hardiest fish that I have. I've had the remaining 5 for about a year now with no issues. Got along fine with some Dwarf Gouramis I had.

They seem quite shy though. They're usually the first fish to dart away when someone approaches the tank, and they form a tight school when I'm doing any type of cleaning. I've wanted to get a few more to make them more comfortable, but the tank is quite full, thanks to some very productive Mollys.

 

[whitetiger_CJ]

Hatchet are great fish. They arent aggressive, and they are not picked on by most fish. They arent picky eaters. However, they can get startled easily. try not to run past the tank, oe hit the glass. It will make them jump. As long as the lid is good, they are easy to keep, and fun to watch.