Species Profile
Banded Archerfish
Toxotes jaculatrix
Also known as: Common Archerfish, Banded Archer
Oddballssemi-aggressive
Adult size
10″
Minimum tank
75 gal
Temperature
75–86°F
pH
7.5–8.5
Schooling
Group of 4+
Water level
top
Grows from juvenile
Typically sold at ~2″ and reaches 10″ over ~2 years. Plan tank size for the adult, not the fish at purchase.Diet
Floating pellets, crickets, mealworms, frozen krill, spits jets of water at prey above the surface
Notes
Famous for shooting jets of water up to 6 ft to knock insects off overhanging plants. Needs an open surface area, a covered tank (powerful jumpers), and dim overhead lights to encourage the shooting behaviour. Best in small groups; lone archers sulk.
Compatible Tankmates
Best tank mates for Banded Archerfish
Every species below passes the compatibility engine when paired with Banded Archerfishin a suitably sized tank. Verdicts come from the same rules the builder uses — click a card to see that species' own care profile and its tank mates in turn.
Figure 8 Puffer
ExcellentPeaceful pairing — temperament, water parameters, and size all line up.
Green Spotted Puffer
ExcellentPeaceful pairing — temperament, water parameters, and size all line up.
Knight Goby
ExcellentPeaceful pairing — temperament, water parameters, and size all line up.
Violet Goby
ExcellentPeaceful pairing — temperament, water parameters, and size all line up.
Atlantic Mudskipper
ExcellentPeaceful pairing — temperament, water parameters, and size all line up.
Spotted Scat
ExcellentPeaceful pairing — temperament, water parameters, and size all line up.
Silver Mono
ExcellentPeaceful pairing — temperament, water parameters, and size all line up.
Colombian Shark Catfish
ExcellentPeaceful pairing — temperament, water parameters, and size all line up.
Orange Chromide
ExcellentPeaceful pairing — temperament, water parameters, and size all line up.
Green Chromide
ExcellentPeaceful pairing — temperament, water parameters, and size all line up.
Mono Sebae
GoodCompatible in a suitable tank (≥75gal). Watch schooling numbers and stocking density.
Photo: Chrumps / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-SA-3.0