The Brackish Tank • Oriental Sole Genus: Brachirus Species: B....

Oriental Sole
Genus: Brachirus
Species: B. orientalis

See below for care details.

Maximum Size: 12" but 5″ more likely
Aggression: Low
Temperature: 74 - 82 F
pH: 7.5-8.5
Hardness: 15-25 dH
Brackish Tolerance: 1.000-1.015, 1.005-1.010 best
Minimum Tank Size: 40 gallons for average sized adult, may require up to 125 gallons
Feeding: Frozen and live foods are staple of diet. Brine and Mysis shrimp, pieces of earthworms, chopped shellfish. Not guaranteed to switch to dry foods.
Notes: The largest of the fish sold as “freshwater soles”, Oriental Soles can indeed live in hard, alkaline freshwater but are most reliably kept in mid brackish conditions.

Like other flatfish, Oriental Soles typically spend most of the day buried in the substrate with only eyes showing. Though it will attempt to burrow in just about any substrate, sharp ones like gravel or some sand types (like Tahitian Moon Sand, a glass by-product) are likely to scratch them up and can lead to illness. Your best choice is to use something soft like silica sand or sugar fine aragonite. Other tank decor is largely immaterial. Plants, plastic or otherwise, are likely to be uprooted and are best when weighted down.

Non-aggressive fish, Oriental Soles can be kept with many types of peaceful tankmates but are still likely to eat bite sized fishes like the smaller livebearers. Nippy fish like puffers should also be avoided as Oriental Soles are easy targets (especially their eyes). To reduce competition for food, they are best fed at night just after the lights go off.

Sources

Freshwater Soles (family Soleidae and others), Neale Monks

Giving your aquarium some sole: Success with fresh and brackish water flatfish, Neale Monks

Tonguefish (Brachirus panoides), The Aquarium Wiki

Brackish Livestock Selection, Neale Monks

(Image Source)