Brackish?

[NatureFish]

There aren't too many brackish threads so I thought I would start this one. I know absolutely nothing about brackish aquariums and their maintenance...can someone give me (and probably others with the same lack of experience in this category) a quick summary of whats involved when having a brackish tank? Is it more like having saltwater or freshwater? freshwater to me, is fairly simple and easy...however saltwater tanks are a bit challenging. And on a completely unrelated note, is peacock fern supposed to be planted vertically or on its side? also can it be completely submerged? I just got some but It isn't doing well. I planted it vertically because thats what the LFS said but I found that to be rather odd because roots were coming out from the sides of the stem. So.....what is the deal? anyways back to brackish tanks...what is the easiest brackish fish to keep?

 

[Rivers2k]

Keeping a brackish tank is more like keeping a fresh water tank than a saltwater in my opinion. I have kept all three. Many people who have fish that can be brackish or SW move the fish to SW as it easier to maintain.

Brackish tanks are a pain in my opinion. I have stopped keeping BW but did for many years. They need to have water changes just like FW. The difference is you have to have premixed BW to go into the tank at the correct salinity.

Do you have a specific fish in mind that you are interested in?

Sorry cant help you with the plant.

 

[NatureFish]

Keeping a brackish tank is more like keeping a fresh water tank than a saltwater in my opinion. I have kept all three. Many people who have fish that can be brackish or SW move the fish to SW as it easier to maintain.

Brackish tanks are a pain in my opinion. I have stopped keeping BW but did for many years. They need to have water changes just like FW. The difference is you have to have premixed BW to go into the tank at the correct salinity.

Do you have a specific fish in mind that you are interested in?

Sorry cant help you with the plant.

Puffers are adorable and I wanted one. But now I that I think about it they are probably too much trouble.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Rivers2k]

Puffers are adorable and I wanted one. But now I that I think about it they are probably too much trouble.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

They are allot of work. Good for doing your research first. Take a look at dwarf puffers they are fresh water and don't need there beaks trimmed. Don't take up to much room either personality is there to.

 

[NatureFish]

I have looked in to them! They are very hard to breed from what I have heard.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Pamiam]

My 2 cents worth on the fish, this works for me...but I wanted to try my hand with bumble bee gobies

I have had a brackish tank for 8 months now with 6 bumble bee gobies, 1 balloon mollie and numerous ghost shrimp. Changing the water and keeping the parameters is no problem. All I add is instant ocean and since I use the same equipment, I know the exact amounts of instant ocean to add to reach my desired salinity.

I also have dwarf puffers in my 2 FW tanks. 1 in a 30 gal and 1 in a 55 gal. You just have to be careful with tank mates. My dwarfs are malabar species and the one in the 55 gal rules the tank. 2 problems to look for...1, they are small and should not be housed with anything that can eat them or fast swimming fish...as bumping into a small fish can hurt them. Then, the puffer is still a Puffer and should not be house with anything that it might nibble on...such as fish with long flowing fins.

Both of my puffers are very peaceful and leave the tank mates alone.

 

[NatureFish]

Cool! They are just so fragile and I'm definitely not an expert.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Rivers2k]

I have looked in to them! They are very hard to breed from what I have heard.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

No puffers breed in captivity. Florida University or Florida State (cant remember) are the only ones to breed puffers in captivity and that was through injecting something to make them grow more eggs.

If you want something to breed look into new world cichlids.

 

[Gillie]

No puffers breed in captivity. Florida University or Florida State (cant remember) are the only ones to breed puffers in captivity and that was through injecting something to make them grow more eggs.

If you want something to breed look into new world cichlids.

Carinotetraodon travancoricus has been bred quite a bit in captivity, not saying that it is a piece of cake though.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Homer8]

This is my time to shine. Brackish is not difficult. I have a brackish tank with 2 mudskippers, 1 figure 8 puffer, 6 bumblebee gobies(BBGs), 4 orange chromide cichlids, 2 red claw crabs, 2 nerite snails(maybe 1 because I haven't seen the other one in like a month).

You do exactly what you would do with a freshwater tank except for the addition of salt. I have a refractometer to measure specific gravity,which is really simple. My SG is 1.004 right now and when you do water changes you can be up to .002 in either direction. These fish have no problem with these small fluctuations and in the wild the fluctuations can be quite drastic but for the home aquarium we need to keep the beneficial bacteria alive.

I feed all my fish frozen bloodworms and frozen brine shrimp. I also feed live brine shrimp and live white worms but that's optional. If you would like a figure 8 puffer you need snails(ramshorn and pond). Figure 8s have 4 teeth that form a beak that needs to be worn down.



Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[Homer8]

Here are some pictures of my brackish setup. There aren't any pictures of my BBGs because I have them in another tank and I'm trying to breed them. Many people tell me my puffer will kill my crabs but I know that isn't true. I have owned 3 figure 8s in my life and at first they are interested but get scared easy and leave them alone. My crabs roam all around the tank and don't bother the fish. I want to get one more because they are amazing at cleaning up all the in eaten food. If you put a crab in with a green spotted puffer that's a different story.

My mudskippers are Indian dwarf mudskippers and spend 99% of their time on land.

I just got the cichlids and I love them. The puffer keeps them in check if they try to steal his snails when I put them in.






Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[NatureFish]

Mud skippers are adorable


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Nils]

I have a Dwarf Puffer, but it is a pain to feed him. I can't get him to eat anything except snails, and occasionally live blackworms. Don't go with Dwarfs, too hard in my opinion

 

[NatureFish]

I have a Dwarf Puffer, but it is a pain to feed him. I can't get him to eat anything except snails, and occasionally live blackworms. Don't go with Dwarfs, too hard in my opinion

Good to know.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice