Banded Archerfish

1) Where they come from

Banded Archerfish (Toxotes jaculatrix) come from mangroves, estuaries, and coastal rivers across Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Think tidal water that shifts all the time—fresh-ish after rain, saltier on the push of the tide. That “in-between” habitat is why they’re such a brackish fish in the hobby.

And yes, they really do shoot down insects with a water jet. It’s not a myth, and it never gets old.

2) Setting up their tank

These aren’t “cute little community fish.” They get big, they’re powerful, and they’re jumpy. If you’ve only ever kept small brackish fish, archers feel like stepping up to cichlid-level planning.

Tank size: bigger than you think. For a small group, I’d start around 75–125 gallons, and longer is nicer than taller. They’re active, they like cruising room, and they do better with buddies—but that means you need space so a bossy one can’t pin everyone in a corner.

• Salinity: brackish with marine salt mix (not “aquarium salt”). I keep mine in the low-to-mid brackish range and bump it up gradually as they grow.
• Filtration: heavy. Big eaters + messy feeders = you want strong biofiltration and decent turnover.
• Flow: moderate. They don’t need a washing machine, but stagnant brackish gets gross quickly.
• Decor: open swimming space with wood/rock structure along the back/sides. Leave the surface area clear so they can hunt.
• Plants: go for brackish-tolerant stuff (or accept that many freshwater plants melt). Mangrove-style roots/branches look great and match their vibe.

3) What to feed them

Feeding is half the fun with archers. They learn routines fast and will beg like puppies. The trick is keeping their diet varied and not turning them into “only eats live bugs” divas.

• Staples I’ve had the best luck with: shrimp, prawn chunks, squid, white fish, mussel, and quality carnivore pellets once they’ll take them
• Treats: crickets, roaches, flies, mealworms (sparingly), and other gut-loaded insects
• Frozen options: mysis, krill, chopped clam—great for variety

If yours won’t touch pellets at first, don’t panic. I’ve converted stubborn ones by mixing pellets with chopped seafood so the pellet scent gets “associated” with food, then gradually increasing the pellet portion. Patience beats starving them into it.

4) Behavior and tankmates

Archers are smart, alert, and more social than people expect. A lone archer can get skittish and weird; a small group acts more confident. But they also establish a pecking order, especially as they size up.

Good tankmates are generally sturdy brackish fish that can handle the salinity you’re running and won’t be intimidated at feeding time. Avoid slow, timid fish and anything small enough to be sampled.

• Often works (size and salinity depending): monos (Monodactylus), scats, larger mollies in brackish setups, some gobies that are robust and not tiny
• Usually trouble: small tetras/rasboras, tiny gobies, delicate fish, long-finned “snack-looking” species
• Intraspecies note: keep a group with enough space; odd numbers can spread aggression, but the real fix is tank size and line-of-sight breaks

One more thing: they’re competitive eaters. If you keep them with fast, aggressive feeders (like big monos), make sure the archers still get their share. I feed in two spots sometimes—one floating/above-water target area for the archers, and one “sink zone” for everyone else.

5) Breeding tips (realistic expectations)

Breeding Banded Archerfish in home aquariums is possible but not common. In the wild they’re tied to seasonal changes and bigger spaces than most of us can offer. Most specimens in the hobby aren’t coming from your average basement breeding project.

If you ever want to try, you’re looking at a large group, lots of time to let them mature, and a setup that can mimic seasonal shifts (salinity and temperature changes) without swinging parameters wildly day to day. Even then, raising fry is a whole other adventure—tiny foods, clean water, and the right salinity progression.

6) Common problems to watch for

Most archerfish issues I’ve seen come from three things: the wrong kind of salt, not enough tank/filtration for the bioload, and feeding habits that get messy fast.

• Using “aquarium salt” instead of marine mix: marine salt mix gives you the full mineral profile brackish fish do better with
• Nitrate creep from heavy feeding: archers eat big, and leftover seafood fouls water quickly
• Jumping and injury: spooking, chasing, or open lids = scraped noses and worse
• Aggression/bullying: cramped tanks and too-small groups make one fish become a tyrant
• Skin/fin infections after stress: usually tied to poor water quality, shipping stress, or sudden salinity changes

My “boring but effective” routine is simple: big filter, consistent water changes, and I remove uneaten meaty food quickly. Keep that up and archers are surprisingly hardy for an advanced fish—they just punish sloppy setups.