.-=Ronin=-. say hello.

[.-=Ronin=-.]

Hi there all.

I would like to say that i am a 21 Male and I live in the uk.

I would like to start a brackish fisktank.

Please, I would like to know what type of fishy's I can get and what I will need to get to have a good setup.
I dont have much money so I kinda need to know a good deal if I see one.

Also I have thing about noice.
It need to be realy quite...

thanks.



/me

 

[tkos]

Well the setup, fish type and cost will all depend on the size of the tank you choose. That is the best place to start. Or else choose the type of fish you really want and from there find out the requirements that would be the minimum you should get. I have never gotten to start a brackish tank myself as the choice of fish for me is pretty much mollies and guppies around here.

 

[LondonGman]

Hi there all.

I would like to say that i am a 21 Male and I live in the uk.

Hi dude, i too live in the Uk, which part of the Uk are you based.

Please, I would like to know what type of fishy's I can get

I agree with tkos and also check you local fish shop (LFS)

and what I will need to get to have a good setup.

Most aquarium shops (LFS) do complete starter tanks which contains everything you need to start your first fish tank. All you have to add is gravel (cheap), water (you will need dechlorinator) and your fishes. I suggest you buy the biggest tank you can afford as the water conditions in the tank will be more stable.

Also I have thing about noice.
It need to be realy quite...

try it before you buy. Most are quiet especially the submerged filter systems

 

[tkos]

Most HOB (hang on back filters) are quiet enough as long as the water level doesn't drop.

Also with a brackish tank you need salt of course, but marine salt, not NaCl (tanle salt). This is an added expense, and also a hygrometer to measure the salinity level.

 

[Tigerlily]

Hello and welcome!

Check out this thread... It was started by someone who is starting a brackish tank to raise a green spotted puffer...

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=11381&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 

[Allivymar]

Other fish which inhabit brackish waters include:
Scats
Gobies
Archerfish
Mollies
Toadfish

and lots more. I suggest you read thru Wetwebmedia's Brackish section to see which are compatible and for more info on set-up: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/BrackishSubWebIndex.htm

 

[.-=Ronin=-.]

Yes the tank I have been given is a 2Foot by 1Foot by 18Inchs
It includes an undergravel filter and some gravel....I have to get the rest...

I would like to get a green spotted puffer and other (weird looking) fish too.
I live in Exeter Devon.

I will read that thread that Tigerlily & Allivymar gave me.
Thankyou.
Im sure I will be posting here lots.

Thankyou again.



.-=Ronin=-.

 

[.-=Ronin=-.]

Opps!
I just clicked the report button to ssee what it does and I think is gone and done something...
Sorry.

 

[.-=Ronin=-.]

Oh oh oh .... Please tell me I can have these in my tank....

In Order of wantness in tank

Green Spotted Puffer

Erpetoichthys

Polypterus delhezi

Toadfish

Labeotropheus fuelleborni

Weird Looking thing...

The Silver Scat, Scatophagus (Selenotoca) multifasciatus

Platybelone argalus platyura

Parambassis ranga


& any rainbow, mollies, and tetra fish

Would these be ok toghether?
If so what type would I put in first?

 

[Allivymar]

Very cool bunch of fish, but not all are compatible and way too many for a tank your size! You've got what converts to a 22 gallon US tank (most of the tank measurements here are in US gallons).

Your first choice, the GSP is a nippy aggressive lil bugger. He may not be the best fish for tankmates. He needs lots of room as well; they get to be over 6 inches long. The ropefish will likely see smaller tankmates as food. Do pass on the glassfish (Parambassis ranga) if they have those funky colors as you can see in the pic you posted. Glassfish are naturally clear; when you see colors on em it means they have been artificially dyed, and will likely not survive (plus, its a nasty cruel practice to the fish). And so on; I suggest doing some research on the fish you have chosen to see which will be compatible and appropriate for your tank size

 

[.-=Ronin=-.]

So for a 22gallon tank, how many fish can I have?
I realy realy want that GSP, if not I will have to look for another cute main attraction for the tank....

 

[Allivymar]

Its not a matter of simple numbers. One needs to consider adult size of fish, how heavy a bioload they put on the tank, temperament and need for space. Is why its so important to do the research you are doing, to be sure all the fish are compatible and will live happily together in the size tank you have.

For example, one could have a school of 10 neons in a 10g tank with good water husbandry. But you'd not want to put a 10 inch oscar into the same size tank; it would be cramped and unhealthy, and keeping the water good would be a chore. Same amount of fish inch wise, but a big difference in terms of needs. Heck, even goldfish, which many people think are easy and can live in small nasty goldfish bowls, actually need about 10-20 gallons EACH! Why? Because they put out a LOT of waste, and the bioload on the tank is really high.

 

[.-=Ronin=-.]

So its about the size the bioload and the temperament of the fish yea?

I shall look into each fish while i get the tank set up....

 

[Allivymar]

Yep, those 3 things, plus the species need for swimming space, are the things to consider. By that I mean some fish don't need a lot of swimming room, like angelfish (although they need lots of space for their fins and need very clean water); yet a school of danios need lots of swimming room even tho they are smaller.

Once you get a list of fish you feel will be compatible, post it here so you can get info from folks who have had them and check out their experiences. This way you'll have lots of info to make a truly informed decision

 

[Madame_X]

I'm not saying DON'T get the puffer... HOWEVER...

If you're new at this hobby (which it sounds like you are), please do a lot of research and get your tank established for several weeks before you add a puffer. Start with more hardy fish (one that can survive the mistakes that will inevitably be made when starting a new tank) and learn how to care for them before making the commitment to add a puffer.

Puffers have some very special needs and require a bit more care than your average tropical fish. Here is an excellent article about puffer care: http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquasource/intropuffer.shtml

For what its worth, I have a South American puffer. He's healthy, happy and very cute! But I don't know if I could have kept him that way if I'd added him to my very first tank.

 

[.-=Ronin=-.]

Ok thankz for you help.....
I am still in the stages of getting all the equipment and stuff, so it wil still be a time b4 I even put water in the tank, let alone fish...

Im not a n00b at this I have had many fish b4(from goldfish to anglefish) I would put myself in as a n00b with the basic ideas on how to look after fish. . But this time I would like to get lots of info b4 I start and those 3 basic things I was never taught.
My father use to have lots of fish but never helped me start mine. B@ster|)!

Also One other question, what kind of pump is good to use for the type of fish I am looking at?
An undergravel filter or a waterlevel filter?
I would like LOTS of live plants, and I have heard that an undergravel one is poo (sorry for the punn) as it clears all the waste out of the tank that the plant live on...
Is this the case or there other way to overcome this???


Cheers.


/me.

 

[Fruitbat]

Forget about the Polypterus and the Erpetoichtys in your brackish tank as well. They're both African river fish and don't often encounter a whole lot of salt. I've kept many of both and have found that they prefer neutral to slightly acid water that is soft. Besides....both of them get pretty darned big!

The scats and the 'weird-looking thing' (possibly a bullrout or freshwater scorpion fish) will both do well in brackish water but beware of the bullrout if that is what it turns out to be...they can give almost as nasty of a 'sting' as their saltwater cousins.