Scatophagus in reef tank?
Hello-
<Hi Jane>
I am wondering if a scat would do OK in a large reef tank. Would they eat all of my macroalgae or just nibble like a tang would?
<Maybe... but likely not all of it. Should make a very interesting addition>
I have been looking for an unusual big addition to my tank that eats a little algae but would leave corals and clams alone. I already have a Mono Sebae so I thought a weird brackish fish would be appropriate. Thanks very much. Your website is always a big help. I work in a fish store and recommend it all the time.
-Lisa
<Ahh, good to offer our help. Bob Fenner>
<Marina's note: Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific has/had a beautiful collection of these fish in a "lagoonal" display - have never seen them look so good!>

Freshwater to brackish (Scats) 10/30/07
Hi there and thanks for taking time to read this.
<Hello.>
Last April I purchased 2 silver scats for my 55 gal FRESHWATER tank. This is a bit of a sore subject as my mom and pop fish shop sold them to me as FW fish, they claim to sell nothing related to salt or brackish water systems. Yeah right! I recently discovered several of the species of fish acquired from them are brackish which most likely explains their deaths (puffers, flounder and a shark species).
<Brackish water fish can and do last long periods (certainly several months, but in some cases years) in freshwater. Unless these fish died after a period of multiple months, then there's no reason to assume lack of salt was fatal. Check other factors, such as water quality.>
Although I am happy to say the Scats and Flounders are doing well, for now.
<Don't bank on it. The sooner you move them to brackish water, the better.>
They (the Scats) are getting close to 5 inches in length and from what I have read they would prefer to be converted to a brackish environment at about this size.
<Correct.>
This is a subject that I know next to nothing about but I am trying to educate myself about the brackish tank setup.
<Many articles here at WWM to set you on your course. There are also at least two books on the subject, one edited by me for TFH, and another from Aqualog written by Frank Schaefer.>
My question(s) are:
How long can these guys live in a totally FW tank?
<Months, but not indefinitely. After around 6 months you will notice them becoming more sensitive to opportunistic infections. Fungus, Finrot, Lymphocystis, and Pop-eye are all things that plague Scats kept in the wrong conditions.>
Will adding aquarium salt, designed for FW, help or hinder them?
<Not much help.>
Are fish covered in the federal governments "cruelty to animals" laws? ( I know this last question is from left field but I thought I would throw it out there)
<In theory many countries have rules about cruelty to vertebrates generally, including fish. Here in the UK, labs and zoos certainly do have to adhere to specific guidelines about avoiding suffering and providing adequate care. How these apply to home aquarists is less clear, but in theory you could be prosecuted. I'm not a lawyer and can't speak for your country (which you don't name) but I can tell you that here in the UK the Animal Welfare Act 2006 would allow a private citizen to be prosecute for things like "Failing to ensure the welfare needs of an animal are met" and "Causing an animal to suffer unnecessarily". Under this Act, the covered animals are any "living vertebrate animal", which includes fish. Of course, I should like to think anyone keeping fish would be adhering to the spirit of this law regardless of whether or not they were being forced to. After all, if a person doesn't want to care for an animal, then they have the choice not to keep that animal.>
and finally-
Is it best to start with a new tank for a brackish setup or can a tank that currently houses FW fish be converted?
<It can be converted just fine. Go slowly so the filter adjusts. The minimum specific gravity for your fish is likely SG 1.005, or about 9 grammes of salt per litre of water. The optimum is about SG 1.010, about 15.5 grammes of salt per litre. Do a series of water changes over the next few weeks, adding slightly more salty water each time. Don't take the SG up by more than "two points" on the SG scale, i.e., no more than SG 1.000 to SG 1.002, or SG 1.002 to SG 1.004. Don't make bigger jumps than that because you could stress the filter bacteria. Some plants don't like salt. But that said, Scats eat all plants anyway so that's probably a moot point. Otherwise things like gravel, filters, heaters etc all work fine in brackish water even if bought for a freshwater tank.>
It was bought used so I do not know what types of meds and chemicals the previous owners used.
<Shouldn't make a difference. The only possible problem would be if the tank was really old and had a cast iron or steel frame. Metal corrodes in salty water. But I haven't seen a metal-framed tank for ages.>
Thanks again for taking the time, My scitty-Scats and myself greatly appreciate it!
Regards,
ET
<Scats are great fish, and Silver Scats among the greatest. Truly beautiful animals, with colours as lovely as any coral reef fish. Do enjoy them, and enjoy "slightly salty" fishkeeping. Good luck, Neale>