Keeping pets is an experience of a lifetime. Whether you keep dogs, cats, birds or other animals as pets, they provide a sense of calm, companionship, and unconditional love to their owners. For those who wish to keep low-maintenance pets that don’t cost a lot, they can even opt for keeping freshwater aquarium fishes as pets. In the last few decades, fishkeeping has become a popular hobby among many pet lovers across the world. From keeping freshwater fishes that are easy to care for to exotic saltwater fishes for those who are experts at fishkeeping, there’s a lot to explore for fish enthusiasts.
While there are many beautiful fish species to choose from for your home aquarium, if you are looking for a unique fish that can interact with its owner– then the Archer fish is a fascinating species to explore. Many studies show that the Archer fish can recognise human faces, including their owner’s. They also have a unique ability to “shoot” water at their preys (which is mainly insects in the wild, or food pellets in aquariums), and hence they are named Archer fish.

They are interesting but challenging pets, and they have specific needs to helps them live a healthy life. Archer fish care and requirements includes:
1. Water type: Archerfish are brackish water fish, meaning they need water that is a mix of freshwater and saltwater.
2. Tank size: They require a large tank, to thrive.
3. Water parameters: They need slightly hard and alkaline water, with temperatures ideally between 22 to 28°C.
4. Diet: Archerfish are omnivores. They are known for their unique feeding method, wherein they use their specialised mouth to shoot jets of water at insects or other prey resting on or near the water’s surface. In aquariums, they should be fed live insects, mealworms, and freeze-dried plankton. Their unique ability to shoot water at their prey/ food makes them an interesting pet to have in aquariums, especially at feeding time.

Archer fish ‘shooting’ at food
Photo: Aquarium Co Op/ YouTube

5. Tank mates: While generally peaceful, they can bully or eat smaller fish. So, larger fish should not be kept as tank mates with Archer fish.
6. Lifespan: With proper care and diet, Archer fish can live up to 5 to 8 years in aquariums, and in rare cases even longer.
7. Level of care: Archer fish are considered an intermediate level of care due to their specific needs and diet.
Fish keeping as a fulfilling hobby
1. Watching fishes swim in aquarium has a calming effect, reducing stress and anxiety.
2. Keeping fishes require less attention than dogs or cats. With proper feeding, filtration, and regular tank cleaning, keeping fishes as pets is relatively easy to care for.
3. A well-maintained aquarium adds beauty to any space they are kept at.