Mountain grunter

Care at a glance

Overview

The mountain grunter is a smaller, active grunter from the highlands of New Guinea, less aggressive than many of its relatives but still best kept singly or with sturdy tankmates rather than tiny fish. It swims in the middle levels of a roomy tank of around 265 liters or more and appreciates cooler, fast, oxygen-rich water. It will hold its own among similarly sized, robust species and may nip or chase smaller ones, so choose companions with care. It is a hearty eater that takes pellets, frozen foods, prawn, and earthworms. Give it open swimming space with rock and wood for structure, and keep the current brisk.

In the wild

This grunter comes from cool, fast highland streams of New Guinea, living among cobbles and gravel and in the deep pools below rapids and small waterfalls. That water runs cooler and more oxygen-rich than most tropical rivers. Keep it between about 18 and 26 C, at a neutral pH from roughly 6.5 to 7.5, with strong flow and high oxygen. A stream-style tank of rounded stones, gravel, and scattered wood with a strong filter or a powerhead suits it, and unlike most tropical fish it does not want to be kept warm.

Good to know

Hephaestus habbemai is a grunter in the family Terapontidae that stays fairly small, around 15 centimeters, which makes it one of the more tank-suited members of a genus that includes much larger fish. It is adapted to cool, gradient mountain rivers rather than lowland warmth. Like other grunters it scatters eggs and gives no parental care, and breeding is possible but not commonly done, so most fish are wild caught from New Guinea.

Did you know

Most grunters are warm-water fish, but this one lives high in the mountains of New Guinea, in cool streams fed by rapids and waterfalls where few of its relatives can follow.

Common questions

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