How to keep your new scat, Scatophagus argus, with pictures

LA
1.5-inch green scats. Attractive little rascals.

Name: “Argus” refers to the eyes all over their bodies. “Scatophagus” refers to their propensity for eating whatever anyone dumps off the end of a boat (or ship or whatever). The “Scato-” as my Greek friends told me as soon as I was old enough to pick up naughty words refers to fecal material. They pronounced it scotto. You say tomato, etc. Hunters track their prey by locating scatt. You get the message, eh? Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Say no more. Hm, then there are “scat singers.”

Origin: Red and green scats come from S.E. Asia and the silver ones come from Australian waters. Big honker adult scats live in the ocean (pure saltwater except for all that scato). They swim up rivers to spawn. Fish catchers net out the various sized babies and send them to us (or U.S. if you prefer).

LA
One-inch silver and red scats. Reds, for some reason, cost more than the others.

G'Dhy, Eh: Silvers hail from Austrylia and used to cost lots more than the other kinds. Now we see them more often and costing less than the others. Maybe someone is rearing these beauties in S.E. Asia, eh?

Groupies: Scats hang with their buds. They also eat better in groups. They like the interaction. So will you. Baby scats can be very slow to adapt to your tank. In a group, they adjust more quickly. Several scats won’t fit your wallet? Mix them with mollies. They like the same food, water conditions, and temp. Do not put just one scat in a tank. They need company. They get skittish as singles.

Reds: Red scats used to be considered a different species than the green scats. Now, most people agree that they’re just a color variant. The red scats continue to cost more probably because they’re less common.

Substrate: Scats look pretty good over a thin layer of white sand. Many people recommend a high pH substrate to keep their water closer to marine water. High pH levels increase your problems with ammonia and nitrite levels. You want the lowest levels of both.

Water Conditions: Scats like salty water. Little guys like one/two teaspoons to the gallon (about1/2 cup per 10 gallons, repeat if necessary). Adults like the ocean. Because healthy scats eat like little piggies, you need to make regular water changes -- weekly or whenever their fins clamp or get frayed or when they get body slime or cloudy eyes. Keep your eyes peeled. Some scat keepers stress about matching the new water conditions with the old water, however, it occurs to me you are getting rid of the old water because it was getting nasty. It would probably stress these people more to watch me pour a cup of salt into their tank.

Feeding: In groups, scats eat quite eagerly. They like vegetable matter. They love live brine shrimp. If you drop frozen brine shrimp in the flow of an outside power filter, they can’t tell the difference.

Nathaniel Veith, Auburn, NY, 2007
I was just reading an old issue of Aquarium Fish Magazine, which has an article about the four species of scats in it. The issue date is November, 2006. In the article it states: " Java fern (Microsorum pteropus) should not be used because it has been reported to be toxic if consumed by scats." Just thought seeing I found another article about this that it might be useful to post on your website. Thanks for all the information,

Breeding. If you insist on breeding your scats, take them back to the warm coastline you prefer (near the mouth of a river) and set them free. They will figure out the rest.

Larger Reds/Greens: As they grow, red scats tend to turn brown. As greens grow, they also tend toward the browns. In fact, both tend toward dull brown as they exceed five inches. The silvers stay cool.

Last Words: If you can keep mollies, you can keep scats. Just mix them together, stir well, and salt to taste. LA