Seba’s Mono

Seba's Mono (Monodactylus Sebae)

Seba's Mono, also known as African Moony and Silver Moony, is an eye-catching fish with a unique, disc-shaped body reminiscent of a freshwater Angelfish. Their diamond-shaped body is predominantly silver, adorned with black and yellow markings. The tail, anal, and dorsal fins showcase a beautiful light yellow hue. Two distinct vertical stripes adorn their bodies: one runs through their eyes, and the other is positioned just behind the first stripe. The second stripe extends across their bodies, reaching the edges of their anal and dorsal fins, adding to their attractive appearance.

Seba's Monos prefer brackish water environments and require a spacious tank with plenty of swimming space. The Seba's Mono is known for their active and social nature. In captivity, they can grow between 6-8 inches in size and thrive best in schools of 5 or more.

Seba's Monos are generally peaceful fish and can be kept with other similarly sized and temperament tank mates. Ideal tank mates for Seba's Monos that can also tolerate brackish water conditions are Archerfish, Scats, Colombian Shark Catfish, Mollies, and Bumblebee Gobies.

Seba's Monos are omnivorous fish that require a balanced diet of meaty and plant-based foods. High-quality flakes or pellets and live and frozen foods like brine shrimp, bloodworms, and mysis shrimp are ideal. They also benefit from the inclusion of vegetables like spinach and zucchini.

These silvery beauties are highly energetic and love to explore every corner of the aquarium. To keep Seba's Monos engaged, incorporate roots, branches, and driftwood for them to investigate while ensuring ample open space for swimming. Sand or fine gravel serves as an ideal substrate for their environment. These fish primarily prefer swimming in the middle to top levels of the aquarium.

The lighting requirements for Seba's Mono, most fish in general, do well with moderate lighting in their aquarium. Providing a natural day and night cycle by turning the aquarium lights on for about 8 to 12 hours per day can help maintain their well-being. If the aquarium has live plants, ensure that the lighting is also suitable for their growth. It's also a good idea to provide shaded areas using decorations, rocks, or plants, so the fish can retreat if needed. Always monitor your fish's behavior to ensure they are comfortable with the lighting conditions in the tank.

Seba's Monos are not known to be aggressive plant eaters but may occasionally nibble on plants. Some hardy plants that can adapt to brackish conditions include Java Fern, Java Moss, Anubias, and Vallisneria. They are generally hardy and robust, meaning they can tolerate a certain level of grazing.

It's important to provide Seba's Monos with a stable environment with high oxygen concentration in the water. These fish can produce a lot of waste, so make sure to have a good filtration system in place and perform weekly water changes. They are moderately challenging to care for, making them more suitable for intermediate to experienced aquarists.

A minimum tank size of 70 gallons is recommended, but larger tanks are even better. The ideal water parameters for Seba's Monos are a pH of 7.5-8.5, hardness of 10-20 dGH, and a temperature of 75-82°F (24-28°C). The recommended salinity range for Seba's Mono is around 1.005 to 1.015 specific gravity, which is approximately 8.5 to 20 parts per thousand (ppt) salt content.