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.
Photo: Chrumps / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-SA-3.0