moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Setting up a brakish tank for mudskippers and gobies. Done all my research except one questions. How long do I leave filter and light running . I mean is this constant or turn off overnight ??
Filter and lighting advice
- Thread starter moosejuice
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moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Cheers thanks. Also I seem to be losing two inches of water a day in evaporation is this normal ??
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
How big is the tank? How warm is your house and is there a lid on the tank? I lose a few gallons a day in my 180g and almost that much in my 90g. Just depends on the ambient temperature in the house and if lids are being used.
Just make sure to top off with non salted water, as the salt will not evaporate, just the pure water will.
Just make sure to top off with non salted water, as the salt will not evaporate, just the pure water will.
OP
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moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Ok so I have 140L / 30 gal tank. I'm getting it ready for a mudskipper paludarium. I've not put the salt in yet to make it brakish. The problem is I'm losing two inches a day in evaporation. I can't have this if it's going to be a 70/30 split or I'm going to be topping up daily
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
That is a lot of evaporation per day. What kind of cover is on the tank? Glass? Or is it open? I have not owned mudskippers but I am guessing that they would benefit from high humidity.
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moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Yes high humid yum just starting out. As you can see the tank lid has some area where air and water vapour can escape but surely completely blocking all air is bad ???
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'd leave the gaps that are already there for gas exchange since the evaporation rate is so high.
What kind of filtration are you using? Is there a lot of splashing or agitation (this can increase evaporation)?
Is the relative humidity low in your house?
What kind of filtration are you using? Is there a lot of splashing or agitation (this can increase evaporation)?
Is the relative humidity low in your house?
OP
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moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I have a spray bar now you come to mention it and it's landing on the water should I put something to break the waters fall ?? Not added salt yet as I want to control the water first.
J.Mcpeak
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have a brackish tank with a puffer in, if the water surface is too violent you lose loads of water, I have the outlet just below the surface rather than just breaking or falling. Also I don't use an air stone, I find the bubbles remove lots of salty water leaving deposits all over the place, salt creep.
This all makes a massive difference per week for evaporation.
The tank is open topped.
What Carey says is true, the salt doesn't evaporate. Depending on the range the skippers live in you will need some kind of salinity measuring device, you can use a hydrometer or refractometer. You may already have such a device.
(Great fish by the way, post some pics if you can)
It's better to keep check on the salty water more often than fresh, at least to begin with, once you are settled and more confident it's a cinch.
This all makes a massive difference per week for evaporation.
The tank is open topped.
What Carey says is true, the salt doesn't evaporate. Depending on the range the skippers live in you will need some kind of salinity measuring device, you can use a hydrometer or refractometer. You may already have such a device.
(Great fish by the way, post some pics if you can)
It's better to keep check on the salty water more often than fresh, at least to begin with, once you are settled and more confident it's a cinch.
OP
OP
moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Yes I have a hydrometer, if I have the water from the spraybar hitting something rather than the water would that help ? As I'm creating a paludariumi I've been advised to have spraybar for the plants that I will have in there. Your all very helpfull thankyou.
J.Mcpeak
Aquarium Advice Addict
I can't answer that I'm sorry.
I guess it would be the same. Still splashing.
Is the spray bar actually raining on the plants or is it to aid with humidity?
An evaporation tray will be enough to trap moist air in the tank I would think.
Maybe somebody who deals with reptiles may have an answer for you? Some of them have similar conditions or set ups.
I guess it would be the same. Still splashing.
Is the spray bar actually raining on the plants or is it to aid with humidity?
An evaporation tray will be enough to trap moist air in the tank I would think.
Maybe somebody who deals with reptiles may have an answer for you? Some of them have similar conditions or set ups.
OP
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moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
OP
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moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Ok so added my salt last night and now I'm not losing water at all some things are just weird. Anyway now my SG is too high so I guess I just add some treated water.
J.Mcpeak
Aquarium Advice Addict
I wrote you a nice answer but it got deleted!
For SG, i looked up the range for anableps? I assume it's this fish. Aim for the middle of the range.
The range is not important, or rather a specific target number is not important. It's wide low end brackish. Stick to a weight per volume. What you will need to know; the fish is capable of changing to different salinity quite rapidly, this would suggest you can mix any water indiscriminately. The biological bacteria however do not handle sudden changes so well.
Maintain a stable salinity, I think it's 0.001 change per day, this allows the bacteria time to change. Also check to see what salinity the store keeps the fish at. They may be in fresh water. This could be deadly if your system is saline.
Somewhere I have a guide for weight per litre to achieve various salinities, you need to know what weight you've used though.
TEMPERATURE AFFECTS YOUR SALINITY READING! remember that.
As for the plants, look up the plant section, or start a thread aimed at brackish Paludarium plant ideas. Some freshwater plants do not grow in a brackish environment. I don't think many plants grow so well in brackish, excepting algaes.
(This is probably the most important thing)
Check the salinity the fish are kept in by the store. It is possible they are only in fresh water, my F8 was kept this way. Dropping a fish from fresh to brackish could potentially kill it. You may need to start your system as a freshwater tank to accommodate the fish then raise the SG slowly using the 0.001 per day rule.
Oh yeah, the plants should be ok if they are kept in a highly humid atmosphere, plants are not my specialty though, and this set up is away from the norm, you need an actual expert!
(Mixing water, I use digital scales, a measuring jug, an egg whisk. Mix a brine then dilute into a 25 litre container. Mix for 24 hrs with an air stone then it's safe for use, after testing naturally)
For SG, i looked up the range for anableps? I assume it's this fish. Aim for the middle of the range.
The range is not important, or rather a specific target number is not important. It's wide low end brackish. Stick to a weight per volume. What you will need to know; the fish is capable of changing to different salinity quite rapidly, this would suggest you can mix any water indiscriminately. The biological bacteria however do not handle sudden changes so well.
Maintain a stable salinity, I think it's 0.001 change per day, this allows the bacteria time to change. Also check to see what salinity the store keeps the fish at. They may be in fresh water. This could be deadly if your system is saline.
Somewhere I have a guide for weight per litre to achieve various salinities, you need to know what weight you've used though.
TEMPERATURE AFFECTS YOUR SALINITY READING! remember that.
As for the plants, look up the plant section, or start a thread aimed at brackish Paludarium plant ideas. Some freshwater plants do not grow in a brackish environment. I don't think many plants grow so well in brackish, excepting algaes.
(This is probably the most important thing)
Check the salinity the fish are kept in by the store. It is possible they are only in fresh water, my F8 was kept this way. Dropping a fish from fresh to brackish could potentially kill it. You may need to start your system as a freshwater tank to accommodate the fish then raise the SG slowly using the 0.001 per day rule.
Oh yeah, the plants should be ok if they are kept in a highly humid atmosphere, plants are not my specialty though, and this set up is away from the norm, you need an actual expert!
(Mixing water, I use digital scales, a measuring jug, an egg whisk. Mix a brine then dilute into a 25 litre container. Mix for 24 hrs with an air stone then it's safe for use, after testing naturally)
OP
OP
moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Yes I've done my research I know what SG my animals will need and the PH I'm in the process of cycling right and keeping a constant eye on things. Thanks for the excellent advice I'm not sure why your post was deleted ???
J.Mcpeak
Aquarium Advice Addict
....because I'm useless with a computer! That's why!
Good luck with your fishes! Secretly I like ol four eyes, I just can't give up the space.
Glad you did your research. One of the minority I think. Anyway, glad to have helped you out. I'd be interested to know what plants you use. Cheers.
Good luck with your fishes! Secretly I like ol four eyes, I just can't give up the space.
Glad you did your research. One of the minority I think. Anyway, glad to have helped you out. I'd be interested to know what plants you use. Cheers.
OP
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moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Gonna go java fern, java moss, anubias and red mangrove they will tolerate brakish conditions.
J.Mcpeak
Aquarium Advice Addict
I had normal Anubis (not nano) in brackish, first ever puffer tank. It stays alive but the leaves are really small to non existent. It returns to normal growth when placed in freshwater. Maybe it was something I was doing? I think it was the water. Apart from the really slow growth rate these things are bullet proof but prone to algal overgrowth. Maybe salinity was the cause?
Yes mangroves, I thought they were trees, I've no experience with them or the growth rates.
Moss, it's nice until it gets going. Then it's a nuisance! Loads of it everywhere! Also it's difficult to anchor underwater, a few weeks above water laying on wood in a wrapped tank seem to work well attaching this plant, once attached it can be submerged and remains fixed, normally, sometimes it comes loose.
Java fern, the staple plant of the aquarium industry I think. Almost impossible to kill, readily reproduces plantlets (can be annoying) I love this though, it's in almost every tank I own. A firm favourite for durability and reproducibility. Fix with string or the same as moss to wood pieces.
Apart from the mangroves that's a nice selection of easy species. I'm not sure about the fern and the moss in brackish. Let me know how they grow please.
All of these apart from mangroves (I know nothing about mangroves) are really low end brackish plants, the upper limits of anableps would see off your plants I'm sure.
Can a mudskipper thrive where plants also thrive? That's my only question.
Yes mangroves, I thought they were trees, I've no experience with them or the growth rates.
Moss, it's nice until it gets going. Then it's a nuisance! Loads of it everywhere! Also it's difficult to anchor underwater, a few weeks above water laying on wood in a wrapped tank seem to work well attaching this plant, once attached it can be submerged and remains fixed, normally, sometimes it comes loose.
Java fern, the staple plant of the aquarium industry I think. Almost impossible to kill, readily reproduces plantlets (can be annoying) I love this though, it's in almost every tank I own. A firm favourite for durability and reproducibility. Fix with string or the same as moss to wood pieces.
Apart from the mangroves that's a nice selection of easy species. I'm not sure about the fern and the moss in brackish. Let me know how they grow please.
All of these apart from mangroves (I know nothing about mangroves) are really low end brackish plants, the upper limits of anableps would see off your plants I'm sure.
Can a mudskipper thrive where plants also thrive? That's my only question.
OP
OP
moosejuice
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Yes in the paludarium I'm creating the skippers will have a sand beach and rocks just poking out of the water for them to bathe on. The plants will mainly be trailing on the back but some in the water. Kinda hard to explain lol. I know a few people who have successfully kept all the plants in a skipper tank and the skippers ignore the plants. However various cleanup crews ie shrimp have a tendency to nibble the plants but with overgrowth look at them as natures lawn owners.
