The Stripped Squirrelfish: The Rare Addition To Your Tank
- May 18, 2021
- Anshika Mishra
- 812 0 0
The Stripped Squirrelfish is not a very common fish in the hobby, so if you want to bring something new to the table then this fish is a great option. In this article, we will be looking at everything that you need to know to provide the best life to the Stripped Squirrelfish in your tank. Most of the things mentioned in the article are true for all of the Squirrelfish species in the hobby, as they all are pretty similar.
Price
For getting an adult in the tank, you will have to spend at least $60, while the juveniles can be bought for about $30.
Tank Size
You will need about a 75-gallon tank to home this fish. They do get pretty large, so you should provide them with the required swimming space.
Care Level
These fish require a moderate level care requirement. There are only a few that with the Stripped Squirrelfish that people have trouble with, like eating, etc.
Temperament
They are very peaceful fish and a great addition to a peaceful tank. They have a face very similar to foxfish where they are a little shy at first. But once they get used to the tank, they start to come out a lot more often.
Reef Compatibility
You can keep them in your reef tank but with caution. The Striped Squirrelfish will not mess with any coral in the tank, but they might attack your inverts. So, if you have cleaner shrimps, snails, and starfish then do know that this fish will eat them whole.
Water Parameter
- Temperature: 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit
- dKH: 8-12
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Salinity: 1.020-1.025
Appereance
Maximum Size: The Stripped Squirrelfish can get about 6-8 inches long. So, they can be pretty big fish at the end of their life cycle.
Colors: They are very pretty bright redfish with a white stripe running down their body. It is a very pretty fish to have in a tank, especially because red can be a rare color on fish to find in the hobby
Diet
They are a carnivore. The most important thing about the fish is to get them to eat. They eat almost like a Lionfish, so a lot of time you have to really tease them with food for them to go after it. In the beginning, sometimes you will need to provide them live feeder shrimp and then slowly you can get them to eat a little piece of shrimp from the grocery store.
You can try to entice them to food by putting clams or squids in the tank, just anything that has a good amount of meat on it.
The important thing is to make sure that the fish is having a good meaty diet otherwise the color will start to fade away and they will get less active.
Origin
Most of the Stripped Squirrelfish come for Gawai, they have also been spotted around Fiji.
Tankmates
You can keep more than one of these fish in a tank if you have a large enough tank to home more than one of these large fish. In the wild, they are schooling fish, so most of the time you will see twenty of them in a group swimming right beside each other along the reef.
They can be kept in a variety of tank settings. So, whether it's reef or fish only tank, even predator tank. Most of the aggressive fishes will stay away from the Stripped Squirrelfish because they have sharp top fins that run along the back as armor.
Once the fish have settled in the tank, they might start getting a little aggressive towards other smaller fishes or newer fishes in the tank. So, you definitely want to watch out for that. But with other fishes like Tangs, Angelfsies, Wrasse, etc the Stripped Squirrelfish live peacefully.
Nocturnal Fish
The Squirrelfish is actually a nocturnal fish, but they will adjust to the tank setting and to your feeding schedule. So, eventually, they will start coming out more often during the day.
Live Rocks
It is best to have lots of live rock in your tank, this will give the fish a better environment to swim in. It would be great if you could arrange some cave for the fish to rest and hide. This way the Stripped Squirrelfish will look a lot happier in the tank.
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