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