Marine and Brackish ideas for a 5 gallon aquarium; Neale/BR
8/3/17
Hey Bob. Just out of curiosity what sort of Marine life would you
recommend for a 6 gallon aquarium? I have some Ideas for small creatures
such as freshwater shrimp, but no real clue for marine. Nor brackish.
Any
suggestions on marine or brackish creatures I could keep in a 5
gallon aquarium?
<For brackish, you're a bit limited by what's commercially traded.
Bumblebee and Rhinohorn Gobies are two possibilities, but I'm a huge fan
of Australian Desert Gobies for being much more interesting and easier
to breed. They're little better than annuals though, and notorious
jumpers, so
you do want to get a group, keep them securely, and get them breeding
(which they will, and the fry are big and as easy to rear as Kribs). I'm
not aware of much else that'd fit 5 gallons that's widely or even
sporadically traded though. Even the smaller brackish water livebearers
such as Micropoecilia really need a bit more space than that, though I
dare say people have kept them in "nano" tanks at times. Ditto brackish
water killifish. On the other hand, there is the brackish water Betta
species Betta mahachaiensis, and a singleton might be viable in 5
gallons (mixed sex groups would surely need more space, as per Betta
splendens and other bubblenest species). Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Marine and Brackish ideas for a 5 gallon aquarium
8/3/17
Thank you Neal
<Most welcome.>
Big brackish tank - livestock selection & build
4/14/17
Hi!
I've written to you several times and have always gotten great advice!
Thank you!
<Hey Meghan, Earl here today.>
I have a violet dragon goby that I want to build a big tank for, but I
also want to create something really special and have some ideas I want
to run past you.
<The size of these guys is such that they would really appreciate the
long, low tank you mention below.>
I'm going to build a huge plywood & glass aquarium - 8 ft long, 4 ft
wide, and 4 ft deep. I only want to fill it to a depth of about 30
inches so I can make it into a paludarium style tank with above water
plants along the back & sides. If my calculations are right, it will
hold about 350 gallons of water.
<Very ambitious but excellent! This is a great example of the kind of
unusual tank that also represents a biotype. There is a reason you see
them in public aquariums these days...a habitat to hopefully inspire and
educate
more than being a garden or zoo, if that makes sense. I am definitely
inspired by these and a paludarium has been on my to-do list for a long
long time! Would love to hear updates as you go, pics, etc. for
"prosperity" on WWM. There is a dearth of info online about this and
your experiences executing it would be valuable.>
My dream is to use it to house some unusual brackish aquatic critters.
SG 1.010 to 1.012. Temp in the mid to high 70's. Use a protein skimmer
and sump for filtration.
<I cannot speak as to the functionality of a skimmer in a brackish tank
like this but I can say that mechanical filtration, probably carbon as
well, would be vital, especially with the debris that plants and their
accompanying silt/soil would create. What I would do is definitely to
visit public aquaria, maybe zoos or arboretums, park nature centers as
well, and try to get hold of the people in charge of their setups. Many
of them will be more than willing to chat about this and would be
absolutely invaluable resources you will have a very hard time finding
elsewhere. Not sure about your location but the Shedd Aquarium in
Chicago has a large amount of these setups. Also ask people who keep
Amazonian frogs (so-called poison dart frogs and similar). You will be
creating something that is also akin to a pond in some ways so people
who deal with those (vs. people who are strictly aquarists) may be of
use.>
My ideal stock list is as follows:
6+ Indian mudskippers (P. novemradiatus)
3+ fiddler crabs (whichever I can get)
6 banded archer fish (T. jaculatrix)
1 violet dragon goby (G. broussonnetii)
8+ four eye fish (whichever I can get my hands on)
12+ blue leg hermit crabs (C. tricolor)
I have been researching this combo and have run into stern advice
against putting many of these together, including on wet web media. But
it seemed to me many of the issues revolved around too little space or
the large fish making the mud skippers reticent to enter the water. If I
can solve these problems they all seem to need the same kind of
temperatures, do well in similar salinities, etc. If I can pull it off,
it would be one heck of a tank!
<It'd be hard to overstate the number or severity of problems that are
primarily tied to crowding issues. The setup you propose could indeed
help with this but have a plan B. Having animals from a similar region
is the way to go IMHO. Offhand, paludarium can/should be segmented via a
series of walls or weirs and that could be used to mitigate the issue of
the skippers avoiding deeper water with large fish. Possibly helping
them ease into deeper water as they desire over time? Just spitballin',
there is a near limitless number of ways to set this up especially if
you build from scratch. Very exciting.>
I've been thinking about how to build an environment where they will all
feel comfortable, and my idea is as follows:
On one side of the tank build a shallow area where the water is only a
few inches deep (against the front of the tank), that then slopes up to
a sandy land area (against the back) for the mudskippers & fiddler
crabs. Put some
plants & rocks/caves along the back of this beach. On the side of the
shallow water & beach have a steep slope into deeper water.
<Sounds good. Again, check out other displays for inspiration.>
I'm debating how to build this slope & shallows/beach.
I'm thinking a "false bottom" like you see in dart frog vivariums.
Basically a hallow, permeable support structure for drainage with a
circulation pump underneath. Wrap it with fiberglass screen and put the
sand/gravel substrate on top.
<Beware of fiberglass screens. I myself had a sad "adventure" with them
several years back which you can read about on WWM that involved a tank
wipe due to the fact that some fiberglass is impregnated with a
fireproofing substance that is toxic. Be on the lookout. On another
note, the plan you describe seems very high maintenance, perhaps even
overly complex. I find the low-tech, low-maintenance route the way to go
whenever possible. Especially if it's more failsafe. Ask yourself, "if
this needs taken apart, how possible will that be and will I be willing
to do it?"
Again, hard to nail this down without going so far as to draw out some
blueprints.>
I could completely enclose the underwater area beneath (and hide the
heater, pumps, etc here).
<Easily hidden behind plants, rocks, but must be easily accessible for
maintenance.>
Or I could make it open, like an underwater ledge or overhang. Use
disguised pillars to support it. I bet the violet goby would appreciate
the shadowy, protected area. Then maybe add a sculpted ramp against the
rear wall of the tank - all the way up to the beach, so if the crabs or
mudskippers end up in deeper water they can more easily climb back to
the surface.
<Now you're talking! Another idea is to let the return flow from a pump
let out water over the ramp as a spillway. Several advantages:
natural-looking, grows some useful algae, diffuses laminar flow, adds
interesting movement
for the animals, will cause some evaporation which is probably desirable
in this case...humidity.>
I could even sculpt a permeable underwater lip at the edge of the
shallows to discourage them from getting in trouble. Add emergent plant
stalks, root-like structures and floating plants along the edge to keep
the larger fish at a distance to make the mudskippers more comfortable.
<As is the case in nature...animals who can simply avoid others when
they desire are calmer, healthier.>
Then for the four eye fish, build a second ledge all the way across the
back wall of the tank with a narrow land area that slopes into the water
and then flattens out. Put plants on the land, and add some roots and
floating plants at the edge of the underwater ledge to create a secure
feeling area where the four eye fish can beach themselves and rest.
Would this work? I read somewhere that the resting area should be in the
middle of the tank, but no explanation was given for why.
<Watch out for too many species-specific modifications that may not be
desirable down the road and may be a bit of a Rube Goldberg device. Do
you really need separate ledges and so on for two amphibious species? I
can
tell you that in the wild, mud skippers are perfectly fine hanging out
on large roots, plants hanging into the water, shells, broken wooden
palettes, iron barrels.....you get the idea. As long as they have a way
to get out of the water plus some sand to beach on, they are golden.
Point being simply that you don't need several separate habitats in one
tank. Try to boil it down to be as simple yet effective as possible.
What is actually *strictly* needed? Then go from there.>
The fringe of plants along the back and edge can be where I release
insects for the archers to shoot at.
On the bottom create some caves & whatnot for the violet goby to dig &
hang out in.
Let the blue leg crabs be the clean up crew on the bottom.
<Likely will need tens of these but they will be very interesting to
watch and add a lot visually.>
I figure I'll use fake plants because of the high salinity and I don't
want to constantly have to trim them in such a
deep tank.
<Ah well that changes a lot but at least consider mosses and at least a
few contained/potted live plants. Artificial vines hung about would add
a lot.
Also java ferns are easy. I will direct this also to the pond crew here
at WWM who are past masters on that subject. See also
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_4/v4i2/brackish%20systems/brackish.htm
and one of my favorites
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mangrovetrees.htm.
My main concerns are preventing anyone from getting munched or drowning
and providing a healthy and appropriate environment for all of the
critters.
<Those are the main things to keep in mind, or course. I'd add
"maintenance that's easy to keep up" and "everybody gets good nutrition"
and all bases are covered, I'd say.>
I'd appreciate any advice.
Thank you!
Meghan
<NP and keep us posted!>
Big brackish tank - livestock selection & build
/Neale 4/17/17
Hi!
I've written to you several times and have always gotten great advice!
Thank you!
<Most welcome.>
I have a violet dragon goby that I want to build a big tank for, but I also want
to create something really special and have some ideas I want to run past you.
<Cool.>
I'm going to build a huge plywood & glass aquarium - 8 ft long, 4 ft wide, and 4
ft deep. I only want to fill it to a depth of about 30 inches so I can make it
into a palladarium style tank with above water plants along the back & sides. If
my calculations are right, it will hold about 350 gallons of water.
<The mind boggles!>
My dream is to use it to house some unusual brackish aquatic critters. SG 1.010
to 1.012. Temp in the mid to high 70's. Use a protein skimmer and sump for
filtration.
<Understood.>
My ideal stock list is as follows:
6+ Indian mudskippers (P. novemradiatus)
3+ fiddler crabs (whichever I can get)
6 banded archer fish (T. jaculatrix)
1 violet dragon goby (G. broussonnetii)
8+ four eye fish (whichever I can get my hands on)
12+ blue leg hermit crabs (C. tricolor)
<Some interesting ideas there. But...>
I have been researching this combo and have run into stern advice against
putting many of these together, including on wet web media. But it seemed to me
many of the issues revolved around too little space or the large fish
making the mudskippers reticent to enter the water.
<Correct. It may be possible in giant tanks -- I've seen large Mudskippers,
probably West African Mudskippers, combined with Scats and Monos at the London
Aquarium, for example -- but those Mudskippers are the length of
your forearm, and much bolder than most other species.>
If I can solve these problems they all seem to need the same kind of
temperatures, do well in similar salinities, etc. If I can pull it off, it would
be one heck of a tank!
<I'd say!>
I've been thinking about how to build an environment where they will all feel
comfortable, and my idea is as follows:
On one side of the tank build a shallow area where the water is only a few
inches deep (against the front of the tank), that then slopes up to a sandy land
area (against the back) for the mudskippers & fiddler crabs. Put some plants &
rocks/caves along the back of this beach. On the side of the shallow water &
beach have a steep slope into deeper water. I'm debating how to build this slope
& shallows/beach. I'm thinking a "false bottom" like you see in dart frog
vivariums. Basically a hallow, permeable support structure for drainage with a
circulation pump underneath. Wrap it with fiberglass screen and put the
sand/gravel substrate on top.
<Makes sense, and the Mudskippers would be happy using a pool of water to bathe
in, while avoiding another part of the set-up with bigger fish in it.>
I could completely enclose the underwater area beneath (and hide the heater,
pumps, etc here).
Or I could make it open, like an underwater ledge or overhang. Use disguised
pillars to support it. I bet the violet goby would appreciate the shadowy,
protected area. Then maybe add a sculpted ramp against the rear wall of the tank
- all the way up to the beach, so if the crabs or mudskippers end up in deeper
water they can more easily climb back to the surface.
I could even sculpt a permeable underwater lip at the edge of the shallows to
discourage them from getting in trouble. Add emergent plant stalks, root-like
structures and floating plants along the edge to keep the larger fish at a
distance to make the mudskippers more comfortable.
<All sounds very imaginative.>
Then for the four eye fish, build a second ledge all the way across the back
wall of the tank with a narrow land area that slopes into the water and then
flattens out. Put plants on the land, and add some roots and floating plants at
the edge of the underwater ledge to create a secure feeling area where the four
eye fish can beach themselves and rest. Would this work? I read somewhere that
the resting area should be in the middle of the tank, but no explanation was
given for why.
<It's simply easier in "box" tanks. Anableps will rest on anything flat, and in
the wild, that'd be the "beach" part of the river or mangrove.>
The fringe of plants along the back and edge can be where I release insects for
the archers to shoot at.
On the bottom create some caves & whatnot for the violet goby to dig & hang out
in.
Let the blue leg crabs be the clean up crew on the bottom.
I figure I'll use fake plants because of the high salinity and I don't want to
constantly have to trim them in such a deep tank.
<Agreed, unless you use true saltwater plants, such as mangroves or even
seagrasses, both of which *can* be grown in tanks, though they are demanding.>
My main concerns are preventing anyone from getting munched or drowning and
providing a healthy and appropriate environment for all of the critters.
<Yes.>
I'd appreciate any advice.
<Archers are carnivores that will take anything they can swallow. Toxotes
microlepis is the smallest brackish water one, and ideal for this set-up because
you can keep several (they can be bullies) without needing a huge volume of
water or worrying about carnivory too much. Mudskippers will eat bite-sized
crabs, so be careful combining them. I'd probably add some Mollies simply for
algae control, but there are some brackish water Nerites out there that'd do an
even better job. I don't personally recommend mixing Anableps with anything
bigger or more aggressive than they are because they're super-nervous animals
prone to miscarriages when stressed. I think Violet Gobies, Mudskippers, crabs,
and perhaps Mollies would be fine, but the Archers might be a bit much for them
unless the Anableps were a good size. Do also look at true Green Chromides
(Etroplus suratensis) when you get a chance. Gorgeous schooling fish, and quite
peaceful. They get along well with Archers, Monos, etc.>
Thank you!
Meghan
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Big brackish tank - livestock selection & build
4/19/17
Hi Neal,
Thank you for your reply!
<Welcome.>
I realized I got the gallons wrong for the tank. Filled to 30 inches it
will hold almost 600 gallons, not 350 like I stated before. So I have
more water to work with!
<Indeed.>
It sounds like the Anableps are much more nervous than I thought. I
don't want them to be miserable.
<I doubt they will be miserable, but they are nervous. In the wild they
occupy a habitat where fish are extremely vulnerable to predators.
Little depth of water to hide from birds, but at the same time escaping
from predatory fish is difficult because if they go the wrong way they
can end up on dry land. So Anableps have those marvelous eyes that allow
them to see predators above AND below the waterline, and alongside that,
behaviours
that mean they react very quickly to anything unusual or risky. They
work best on their own, or possibly alongside other shallow water
specialists, such as Mollies.>
I really want the archers, I've dreamed about them since I first saw a
nature special as a little girl. So I will scratch the four eye fish off
of the list.
<Understood. Or alternatively, if the tank is huge, divided it into two
halves, with a rocky barrier in the middle for the Mudskippers. If the
Archers and Anableps are in separate halves, while the dry land bit is
decorated to look like a seashore or mangrove, the tank would work
nicely AND look pretty cool!>
Can the Toxotes microlepis (hope I spelled that right) handle water with
an SG of 1.010 - 1.012? I think I read somewhere they are best at very
low salinity.
<Correct; I'd be going for SG 1.005, which is fine for almost all the
common brackish species; Anableps, Mollies, Mudskippers, Chromides;
etc.>
If they can, I'd love to use the smaller species of archer fish - I
could use more of them and I think a school of 12+ would be stunning!
<Quite so. In groups they're a lot more docile and well behaved.
Singletons are safe but nervous, while twos and threes tend to be
bullies towards each other.>
Those green Chromides are gorgeous! I'd love to include them but have
one concern: my violet goby is a slow eater and often backs off of food
if there are very boisterous, persistent fish at the food. I had him in
a tank
with 8 Sailfin Molly adults and they drove him away from the food so
much that I moved them because the goby was getting thin.
<Understood. Chromides and Archers mix very well, eating different
foods; the Chromides being more omnivores with a taste for plant foods,
while the Archers are strict carnivores that feed from the surface. I'd
expect the
Archers and Violet Goby to work well too, since the Archers won't feed
much from the bottom, and aren't well adapted to feeding on tiny
plankton like brine shrimp that Violet Gobies love.>
Do you think the green Chromides would present the same problem?
<Possibly, since the Green Chromides will happily consume foods from the
bottom as well as brine shrimp.>
I really would like to have some kind of mid water fish, but haven't
found any I'm sure about.
<If this tank was divided into two, as suggested above, the Violet Goby
could be kept with small things like Guppies, and probably Orange
Chromides, a dwarf species that shouldn't pose much threat to an adult
Violet Goby. On the other half could be the Archers, Green Chromides and
Mollies, plus anything like a Silver Scat that took your fancy.>
Thank you!
- Meghan
<Cheers, Neale.>
Brackish water setup. And stkg. f'
9/11/16
Greetings, people at WetWebMedia. I hope you are doing alright!
<Likewise.>
I want to set up a brackish aquarium, and I was considering some stocking ideas,
so far the most appealing setup to me is the next one:
125 gallon aquarium, Sg 1.005, mildly planted with Java fern, Crinum spp and
maybe Lilaeopsis brasiliensis if I can manage to pull it off in brackish
aquaria, a few big driftwood pieces and tree stumps at the corners, kind of
giving that submerged river feel.
<Understood. Unless you're widely tied to SG 1.005, I'd honestly lower that to
1.003 for the sake of the plants. That's still 10% seawater salinity, so ample
for the species you describe below. On the other hand, if you make sure the
water is nice and hard, that'll offset the slightly reduced salinity a bit. So
15-20 degrees dH for example, and at least 5 degrees KH, for a pH around 7.5 to
8.0.>
Fish stocking: 2 Violet gobies, 5 Etroplus Maculatus, 3 Toxotes jaculatrix, 5
Sailfin mollies, 2 local flounders: I don't know the species of the flounders,
but there are wild specimens that can be caught in a mangrove system locally, I
live in El Salvador, central American, by the way. A few people have
successfully kept these flounders for a few years in brackish water.
<Agreed; most problems with flounders aren't salinity but feeding. They're not
easy to feed, especially when very small.>
How does this sound?
<Fun!>
As always, thanks, for your time!
<Most welcome. Neale.>
Re: Brackish water setup. 9/11/16
Thanks!
<Welcome.>
Tap water comes out at 10 GH and 10 KH (I don't measure DH? how does it
correlate to GH and KH? I use GH and KH because that's what's used for high tech
planted tanks)
<GH is simply the acronym for "general hardness" and is measured in degrees dH.
So they're the same thing.>
PH anything between 7.9 and 8.1. So very hard already, I have to mix some RO
water for my Apistos and even some plants. So I guess Sg 1.003 is viable, then.
<Yes.>
I would be using salt mix, do I need to use RO water like one would for a marine
tank? or can I just mix it with the tap?
<Tap water is fine. Brackish water fish are generally much more adaptable than
marines, and the key thing is that nitrate isn't the nuisance in a brackish tank
that it is in a marine tank. At a low salinity, some fast-growing plants will
help you control algae.>
About the flounders: fellow aquarists report they take freeze dried Tubifex and
Ramshorn snails (shell removed) very easily. I actually have a tank for breeding
Ramshorns to live feed my Apistos to get them into spawning. I guess this is
enough? however, I don't know the species... how much can I expect these to
grow? they are generally caught at 2 cm diameter, the biggest I've seen is a 6
cm diameter.
<Most of the species kept successfully can get to about 15 cm in length, so
pretty big. A variety of foods is important, and some species are nocturnal.
They're not difficult to keep as such, but if they don't get food, they'll
starve.>
Thanks for your time!
Roberto.
<Most welcome. Neale.>
Re: Brackish water setup. 9/11/16
Sorry about the double response...
<No problem.>
But I need to know, how stocked would this tank be when the fish are adults? am
I nearing total capacity or would it be moderately/lightly stocked? I would
prefer a lightly stocked tank, I intend to do 40% water changes every two weeks
due to the time it takes preparing the water and haul the water containers/pump
plus my high tech planted tanks and catfish tank. I would prefer something with
less maintenance.
<Understood. Your 125 gallon tank has plenty of space for a couple Violet
Gobies, and archer (I'd keep these singly or in largish groups; pairs and trios
can be snappy) and a few other fish of that size. Cheers, Neale.>
Brackish Tank Questions; stkg., substrate, fdg.
4/15/16
Hi, I haven't had an aquarium in a while and I'm thinking about getting
back into the hobby. In particular, I'd like to start a low-end
(SG 1.002-1.003) brackish community tank in the 29 gallon
aquarium sitting empty in my basement. I have some questions relating to
stocking, substrate, and feeding.
<Fire away!>
First off, my tentative stocking plan is:
(1) Peacock spiny eel (Macrognathus siamensis) OR (1) Barred spiny eel
(M. panacalus)
<Either should work here, though Macrognathus pancalus is arguably the
more truly brackish of these species. Neither will want much salt
though; 1.002 should be ample. Lower salinity will also ensure plants
can grow well, especially Indian Fern, a definite plus here for stopping
Spiny Eels from being jumpy.>
(1) Male and (2-3) female short-finned mollies
<Yep.>
(2) Orange Chromides
<Generally fine, though as territorial as any other cichlid of this
size.>
(1-3) Knight gobies
<Nice fish, and will ensure no baby mollies survive!>
Would this be overstocked?
<Nope. Busy, yes; overstocked, no. Just keep on top of filtration and
water changes.>
I'm also concerned that in a 29, a pair of Chromides might become
tyrants if they decided to breed.
<Always a risk.>
If you think that would be the case, I'll either reduce the Chromides to
a singleton or remove them from the plan completely. (If you think this
setup would be overstocked, they're also my first choice on what to
eliminate.) I'm also wondering if even provided enough hiding spaces,
the 29 might be too small for multiple knight gobies. How many do you
think would be ideal for this setup?
<Two females and a male should be okay.>
On to substrate, I have a bag of CaribSea Sunset Gold sand laying around
my house. Would that be soft enough for the spiny eel, or should I stick
to buying some silica sand?
<I've not handled this brand of sand personally, but if it feels smooth
rather than sharp, it's probably fine. That said, pool filter
sand/smooth silica sand is so cheap, you might want to play it safe and
go straight for that.>
Additionally, what depth of sand would be best to allow the spiny eel
room to burrow but not to risk anaerobic decay? Does 2" sound about
right?
<Sounds fine.>
As for feeding concerns, I want to make sure that the plant-based foods
for the mollies and the meat-based foods for the other species wouldn't
cause any health problems if the other party ate some of it. I also
would like
some advice for feeding a balanced diet to the spiny eel and knight
goby.
I know that spiny eels go crazy for earthworms, and I suspect that the
knight goby would enjoy them, too.
<Yes! Very much so. Knight Gobies are very much predators.>
However, I'm a bit confused as to which of the big three in aquatic
feeder worms (bloodworms, blackworms, and Tubifex worms) is most
nutritious and least likely to carry diseases.
<Not much in it, to be honest. Tubifex have a very bad reputation,
probably justified. But bloodworms and blackworms aren't exactly
cultured in crystal clear pools of French mineral water! On the other
hand, if gamma
irradiated, they shouldn't carry any pathogens, and if used sparingly,
the risk from introducing heavy metals, for example, shouldn't be too
serious.
That said, marine aquarium foods like krill and fortified brine shrimp
are certainly safer and usually accepted readily.>
I've seen claims in favor of or against all three of them, even here on
Wet Web Media. I'd sort of like to start a culture of one of these in
one of the smaller empty tanks as an easy source of live food, but I
don't know which would be best for the fish.
<If you're growing them yourself, they're probably all reasonably safe.>
I intend to buy wet-frozen krill as another food for the goby.
<Wise.>
Do you think that the eel would also eat those?
<Yes; spiny eels are hesitant feeders, and nocturnal to boot, but they
aren't over-fussy. My specimens have happily taken chunks of prawn, for
example.>
I also know that any and all molly fry will probably end up knight goby
food.
<Oh yes!>
What other foods would be good for one or both of them?
<See above.>
Some of the things I commonly see suggested, such as lobster eggs,
aren't available in my area as far as I know,
<Do try stores aimed at marine aquarists.>
and others, like tilapia, I don't think my parents would approve of
buying seafood sold for human use to feed to pets.
<So far as seafood goes, one approach is to buy white fish or squid for
yourself, and wrap the scraps in some aluminium foil and place it in the
freezer. Your fish aren't fussy, and for a few weeks at least such
scraps will contain sufficient useful nutrition.>
If I do get the Chromides, I plan on using one or two brands of cichlid
pellet or flake food for a staple, in addition to the smaller varieties
of worms.
<Yes.>
Finally, for the mollies I'll provide some sort of spirula-based flake
food, and maybe algae tablets, but I'd also like to give them fresh
veggies. When I see stuff like this mentioned, I always hear that you
should blanch the vegetables and put them in the tank when they've
cooled off, but I never see any recommendation for how long to cook the
veggies.
Is there some sort of good rule of thumb for that?
<None. The blanching thing is about softening, not cooking. Zapping
lettuce in the microwave for a few seconds usually does the trick. But
lettuce is nutrient poor and shouldn't be anything more than a "salad
bar" that goes
along with the main course, i.e., the good quality flake. Some foods,
like cucumber, can be left in the tank to soften naturally, and the fish
will peck away at over time. Since these foods contain near-zero
protein, their impact on water quality is minimal, even if they end up
as horrible mush.>
Thanks for the help.
<Welcome. Sounds a nice tank and well planned! Cheers, Neale.>
My Tank; stkg. sm. FW 9/22/15
I have a 10 gallon tank with an African bumblebee catfish
<Which one? Microsynodontis batesii? A small, somewhat sensitive
riverine fish.>
and a Pleco ( I know the Pleco gets too big, I'm putting it in a bigger tank
when it grows).
<I'll say! 75 gallons if you want clear water; 55 gallons absolute minimum but
that'll be a tank with fish faeces all over the place.>
Could I put two Figure 8 puffers
<Brackish water fish; will not live long in freshwater. By the way, I
don't care what the guy in pet store says about them being freshwater fish.
They're not. Sadly, decades ago this species got mixed up with another species
(that looks nothing like it, called Tetraodon palembangensis).
Since that time a few books said the Figure 8 was a freshwater fish, but
everybody now knows it isn't, except people trying to sell this fish.
Shame, but that's business I guess.>
in there with 2 Corys as well?
<Not in 10 gallons, no. The fish you have don't belong in 10 gallons; or rather,
while Microsynodontis batesii might work in a biotope tank this size, that's
only alongside other "nano" species such as, for example, Ember Tetras or
Endler's Guppies.>
Sent from my iPad
<Sent from my computer. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: My Tank 9/23/15
It's actually a South American bumblebee catfish and it just stays in a
cave...
<Makes sense. More common in the trade. Various species sold under this name
though. Microglanis iheringi is the commonest. Quite small (5 cm) and very shy.
Tends to starve unless you provide suitable food at night. I wouldn't force it
to compete with substantially larger nighttime catfish such as Plecs.>
Also if I put the figure 8 in freshwater until December would that be okay.
<Possibly, but why bother? You could keep Polar Bears in the desert for a while,
but why not keep them somewhere icy instead? Same issue here. Figure-8s are
always kept on their own. They're nippy and territorial. So set up a 15+ gallon
tank for a singleton, or a 20+ tank for three or more, and keep them properly
from the start. You're going to have to eventually
or they'll sicken and die. Brackish water isn't expensive; buy a box of marine
aquarium salt and use at 10-20% the amount stated on the package for a specific
gravity around 1.001 to 1.003 (3.5-6 gram/litre).>
And yeah my cousin has a 100 gallon tank so I'm giving him the Pleco when it
gets bigger, and I'll buy another small one and continue that process.
<Why not just get a Bristlenose Plec that stays small, 12 cm/4 inches, it's
entire life? Your approach doesn't make a lot of sense.>
I don't have cories yet just the Pleco and bumblebee. Thank you
<Welcome. Neale.>
Re: My Tank 9/24/15
My Pleco died sadly.
<Indeed, sad.>
Now i could probably just make it brackish if all u need is salt.
<Marine aquarium salt mix. Not cooking salt or "aquarium" salt sold for
freshwater fish. I have written much on this here, elsewhere; but could start
here...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_4/v4i2/brackish%20systems/brackish.htm
Maybe pivot over to the Figure 8 Puffer articles elsewhere on WWM, such as
here...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/fig8pufsys.htm
Follow the links; maybe join up with the (serious) pufferfish folks over on
ThePufferForum.com for example.>
Thanks for all the help.
<Welcome. Neale.>
Re: My Tank 9/26/15
I ended up with a 6 gallon brackish tank with a figure 8 puffer. I love it.
Thanks for all the help.
<Sounds good. Do bear in mind you'll need a bigger tank in time... 15 gallons
maybe? Cheers, Neale.>
Question for Neale Monk' BR stkg., Arothron env.
4/5/15
Neale, my name is Mark and I am converting a 125 gallon aquarium from
freshwater to brackish and would like to use the following parameters:
1.010 sg, crushed coral, rocks and boxwood, stocked with Sailfin mollies, Orange
Chromides, and a small Dogface puffer.
<Cool. Do bear in mind adult Dogface Puffers are more marine than anything else,
though they are very tolerant animals.>
The tank has a few mollies in it now for the conversion. Now my questions are;
1) I have read the Orange Chromides can have a sg of up to 1.012. Can I keep the
puffer and Chromides happy at 1.010?
<Yes and yes. Orange Chromides don't enjoy higher specific gravities than that
though. It's debatable whether they're truly brackish water fish in the wild;
some recent work suggests they're more freshwater with brackish water
tolerance.>
I know any fish could be at risk with the puffer especially the mollies but that
aside, is it possible?
<Dogface Puffers aren't particularly "bitey" and much less nippy than, say,
Green Spotted Puffers. Indeed, Arothron generally are considered fairly good
additions to community (marine) aquaria.>
2) I also read to raise the salinity at a rate of .002 sg per week until I hit
the desired amount. Do you agree?
<In so far as this won't upset the filter bacteria, yes, sounds about right. But
the fish won't care, and Sailfin Mollies for example can switch between marine
and freshwater using nothing more clever than slow acclimation in a bucket
across half an hour.>
3) is crushed coral okay to use as a substrate?
<Yes. Buffers the pH nicely while it's clean. Doesn't look especially authentic
though, and for a more mangrove appearance, you might want to mix it with plain
silver sand and even a bit of gravel. A few smashed up mussel and oyster shells
will look good in there, too. Experiment a bit in the kitchen, and when you find
a mixture that works for you, go for it.>
I have read as much of your work as I could find on the web but I guess I want
some confirmation on my plan and if it is okay. I really want to keep the Orange
Chromides and DF puffer together if possible.
<While the Dogface is young, yes, this should be fine. Longer term you would
probably want more robust, larger-sized tankmates, whether high-end brackish
(Selenotoca for example) or hardy marines (Damsels, Snappers,
etc.).>
Thank you very much for your time!
-Mark
<Most welcome. Neale.>
Re: Question for Neale Monk (RMF, thoughts re: Arothron)
4/6/15
<<Don't think that Arothron can live permanently in too-dilute seawater. RMF>>
Neale,
<Mark,>
Thank you for your response! Just for clarification, can the dogface puffer live
in these conditions for life?
<Probably, but I've not done that. To be clear: these puffers are adaptable and
probably euryhaline to some degree. In the wild they certainly move about
between reefs, seagrass meadows and estuaries. But can they live indefinitely in
brackish? I simply don't know. I'd guess middling brackish conditions 1.010
upwards would be okay, provided hardness and pH were
appropriate. Do recall that in the past it was absolutely standard to keep
fish-only marine systems at SG 1.018, which is about 75% normal marine salinity.
This was for damsels, lionfish, etc., so I'm sure Arothron hispidus would be
absolutely fine in such conditions for life. But below that... a mystery.>
If not, then What is the lowest salinity for life that the puffer could thrive
in if not full marine? I also have read the Volitans Lionfish can tolerate low
salinity but I can't find any info as to how whether or not they can thrive in
low salinity.
<See above.>
What is your feeling on this fish as it pertains to living in perminate lower
salinities and how low that salinity might be? Thanks again.
<When I bought my juvenile specimens back in 1990 they were being sold as
freshwater fish, and I've no doubt at all these fish are incredibly tough.
I'd experiment with them at SG 1.010 with a clean conscience, knowing full well
that they'd show gradual symptoms of stress if they weren't happy -- they
wouldn't suddenly die. I'd be looking out for subdued (dark) colours and lack of
appetite. If neither was apparent, I'd be happy that my pufferfish were
thriving.>
-Mark
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Question for Neale Monk (RMF, thoughts re: Arothron)
4/6/15
Well yes, Bob, agreed; but what would be “too dilute” in this instance, for a
demonstrably euryhaline, lagoon and estuary dwelling coastal marine species???
Cheers, Neale
<I had tried to find a simple/r one or two ref. to add... Even "true salty"
(euryhaline) vs. steno- organisms that make their adult lives in full-strength
seawater suffer in less dense water. I have never encountered the genus Arothron
as adult, full-time residents in brackish settings. Am not (of course) stating
that they don't, but only that this has not been my first or second hand
(reading) experience. Too dilute would be anything below 1.022 or so. BobF>
Re: Question for Neale Monk (RMF, thoughts re: Arothron)
4/6/15
Yet how to explain the “standard operating procedure” of yesteryear when species
such as this were kept at SG 1.018? Was often stated to be less stressful,
kidneys having to work less hard… that sort of thing.
<Ah yes; I sense our thoughts are confluent>
So far as reading goes: do review Klaus Ebert, Aqualog pufferfish book… Arothron
hispidus said to be healthy “a long time” in brackish (by which the author seems
to mean half-strength seawater) though not permanently.
As stated in previous comments: I would not have a problem keeping a youngster
thusly (quite possibly more natural than fully marine conditions for such) but
once half-grown, say, would acclimate to near-marine… SG 1.015 upwards… and be
prepared to either trade in (for another youngster) or move to fully marine.
Cheers, Neale
<And you. Bob>
Re: Question for Neale Monk (RMF, thoughts re: Arothron)
4/6/15
Gentlemen,
Thank you both for your insight. I agree that it is more natural to migrate this
puffer to full salt over time, but also believe that there is nothing
natural about keeping fish in a small glass box. That said, I do try my
best to ensure the fish I keep are healthy and hopefully happy. If I am
understanding you correctly, the safe answer to my question about keeping a
dogface puffer healthy in 1.010 SG for long term or maybe for life is that it
should gradually be migrated to marine over time. However, I guess the real
answer is, who knows since no research has been done. I will take your advice
Neale and start a youngster in 1.010 and keep a lookout for stress and he grows.
Worse case for me is I get another saltier tank for him. What a great excuse for
a new aquarium! I think this will be a unique and fun setup (for a while at
least). Thank you again for the help and I sincerely appreciate the dialog.
-Mark
<Most welcome. Good luck with your project; maybe let us know how things turnout
a year or two from now?
Cheers, Neale.>
SW stocking & filtration
1/21/15
Hello there. I have a 125 brackish set up that I plan on
converting over to saltwater in the next few months. The tank
currently has the following:
1 green spotted pufferfish
1 ruby scat
8 mono Sebaes
2 Columbian catfish
1 white crayfish
<These aren't brackish.>
3 black mollies
As The salinity of the water gets closer to seawater (around 1.015) I
plan on returning everything back to my LFS except the scat, both
catfishes, and three of the monos.
<Cool. Though the Puffer and Mollies would be fine in seawater (though
how long either would survive alongside a Volitans Lionfish is
debatable! So your choice here is a wise one.>
Once I finally get the salinity to 1.022 I plan on introducing the
following:
1 black volitans lionfish
1 red cigar wrasse
1 orange shoulder tang
1 black edged moray eel
1 African starfish
3 squirrelfish
<An interesting mix of fish. Do think about the Squirrelfish carefully
though; many species are happier at slightly lower temperatures than
some other tropical marine fishes.>
I was wondering if this would be too overstocked because if so, I can
easily get rid of the monos and the catfish but the mono is special to
me.
<That's a lot of fish for a 125 gallon tank! The Cigar Wrasse alone gets
to some 50 cm/20 inches in the wild, so even a 200 gallon tank would be
somewhat cramped. If this was me, I'd stock somewhat slowly. I'd skip
echinoderms and other invertebrates, at least initially, because they're
much more delicate (with a few exceptions) than marine fish. A Scat; a
pair
or trio of Monos (they often form pairs that work rather well); the
Shark Cats would make good "carry overs"; add to these the Lionfish (an
excellent companion for robust brackish water species); a peaceful and
easy Moray like Echidna catenata would be my next choice; then if you
want something active and midwater-y, then perhaps a snapper, tang or
even a robust
Angelfish. One of the smaller groupers can work too, but not many are
scaled for life in 125 gallons.>
Also, I am currently running two MarineLand penguin 350 filters that
have a combined flow rate of 700 gph so I was wondering if this would be
sufficient in keeping up with the bio-load in the aquarium or would I
have to upgrade to something bigger.
<Do let me direct you to Bob's article on stocking marines.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/stocking.htm
Various links from there. Much fun to be had with fish-only systems, but
would recommend aiming for the FOWLR avenue at some point, canisters
alone being okay but not great for marines. In such systems brackish
species can make interesting additions; Monos as dither fish for shyer
species, Shark Cats as centrepiece predators. Cheers, Neale.>
Brackish tank stocking
12/20/14
I have a 125 gallon brackish set up with a
salinity of about 1.007. I plan on converting it to full marine
in the next 5-7 months. The tank is empty, aside from three black
mollies that I'm using for cycling purposes. I plan on stocking my tank
with the following:
- five Mono Sebae
- one Ruby Scat
-three Target fish
-two Colombian Sharks
-one freshwater moray
With that being said, would I have enough room for a Black Volitans lion
fish when the tank is full saltwater (assuming that i still have all of
the previous fish in there already) In addition to the lion fish, i
intend on getting some saltwater plants such as sea lettuce and other
types of macro algae. The tank is 72x18x22 and I run two MarineLand 350
power filters that are rated for up to 320 gallons per hour. If i can't
get a lionfish, could you recommend another saltwater fish that could
possibly coexist with the other inhabitants in the tank?
<The jokers in this pack are the Moray and the Targetfish. The Scat,
Monos, and Shark Catfish can all make excellent community fish, the
catfish in particular being extremely mellow and more likely to be
bullied than to cause problems. Scats are normally easy going but are
pushy, while Monos sometimes throw their weight around a bit, but are
normally pretty good.
The Targetfish are (in the wild) reported to be fin-and-scale eaters. In
aquaria -- if well fed on an omnivorous diet -- they are usually okay
with active tankmates, but a Volitans Lionfish might be too good a
target to miss. This is especially true of the adults, which tend to be
much more easy-going than the youngsters. So if yours have matured to
the schooling phase, you might find them fine. The Moray is another one
to watch. Echidna species are typically less likely to snap at tankmates
than Gymnothorax, but there's not a lot in it, and even within species
there's a lot of variation. So it's usually recommended Freshwater
Morays are kept in their own system, either singly or in groups. Beyond
the Moray and the Targetfish, the others should mix with pretty much
anything, though Sergeant Majors, Snappers, Wrasse, Goatfish and so on
would be obvious suggestions in terms of needs and temperament. Shark
Cats can look amazing in reef systems, though bite-size fish and
crustaceans will of course be viewed as food. Monos and Scats are more
or less reef safe, and neither are accomplished piscivores. Cheers,
Neale.>
Small brackish tank question. Stkg.
7/5/14
Hello!
<Christina,>
I have a 20 gallon tall low-end brackish tank which currently houses
5 bumblebee gobies. The tank is cycled and has been
running for nearly a year. I’d like to continue to stock the tank with
some other interesting fish that will hang out in different levels of
the tank (and are unlikely to eat the bees). I am considering a
small school (6-8) of spotted blue-eye (*Pseudomugil gertrudae*)
<A freshwater species.>
and perhaps 3 (1m, 2f) peacock gudgeons (*Tateurndina ocellicauda*). The
little bit of information I've found about the peacocks has been
conflicting, especially on whether they need brackish or freshwater to
thrive. Can you could shed some light on this?
<They are definitely NOT brackish water fish; need soft, slightly acidic
to neutral conditions to do well. Confused by your research here. I
wonder if some sources are mixing this species up with something else,
like the Empire Gudgeon?>
Are these three species potentially good tank mates?
<Blue-Eyes, possibly, yes, though the brackish water species seen in the
trade is Pseudomugil signifer, not Pseudomugil gertrudae. Alternatively,
and perhaps better, would be any one of the Ricefish species, for
example Oryzias dancena, or a small livebearer such as Micropoecilia
parae or Phalloceros caudimaculatus. Wrestling Halfbeaks are ideal
companions for BBGs since they feed in a fundamentally different way.>
Would this be overstocking the tank, and if so, could you suggest better
stocking?
<I would not keep other gobies with Bumblebees; at least, not species
substantially larger than they are, for fear Are any of these likely to
produce a ton of fry (in my ideal world all my fish would be prudes)?
<Pseudomugil are not difficult to breed, but their fry are unlikely to
survive in a community tank. Ricefish lay bigger eggs and their fry are
a step up in size, but you're unlikely to be swamped with these either.
Halfbeaks breed slowly and often not at all, so any fry you do rear will
be an accomplishment. Micropoecilia and Phalloceros breed faster but are
quite rare fish in the trade, meaning you can easily sell excess fry.>
Thank you so much for your help!
Best wishes,
Christina
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: small brackish tank question
7/5/14
I'd been reading a lot of older posts on tank-mates for BBGs - some of
my confusion may have stemmed from whether the posters thought BBGs were
brackish or fresh.
<There's no simple answer to this. Some BBG species are commoner in
freshwater than brackish, and one or two may even be blackwater (soft,
acidic water) dwellers. I've kept them in medium hard freshwater without
any trouble at all. The main reason for BBG mortality is starvation
though, and throwing them into community tanks is pretty much a death
sentence (by starvation) unless you keep them with species (like
halfbeaks) that do not take food from the bottom half of the tank. With
this said, BBGs seem to be easier to keep in brackish water than
otherwise, and live brine shrimp (an ideal food for them) will live a
very long time in brackish water tanks with air powered sponge filters,
which are, in short, ideal BBG aquaria.>
Thank you so much for your help!
<Most welcome. Neale.>
New to Brackish Setups, BBGs;
stkg. more broadly
10/27/13
Hello,
I've had a spare 10g tank for ages and I'd like to try an aquarium with
brackish fish; ideally the salinity would be about 1.005 (that's the low
end of brackish water, correct?).
<It's "high-low end" if that makes sense. For what you have in mind,
going down to SG 1.002-1.003 at 25 C/77 F might be better.>
I was hoping you might be able to suggest some tank mates for
Bumblebee gobies (Brachygobius xanthozona). I was
considering Endler's Livebearers due to their small size; are there
other notable small fish that thrive in brackish water?
<BBGs will get along with any small fish that won't steal all
the food.
Endler's and regular Guppies can work, so can other small brackish water
livebearers; Limia spp., Micropoecilia parae and Micropoecilia picta
would be particularly interesting options. Wrestling Halfbeaks can also
work well, perhaps even better given they ignore food from at the bottom
of the tank.>
Similarly, I've read that Bumblebees can be somewhat aggressive; how
many are suitable for a 10g (with aforementioned tank mates)?
<BBGs are territorial rather than aggressive; provided each has a cave
of its own, and a good couple inches clear space between it and the next
BBG, they're fine. Indeed, big groups can be somewhat useful in the
sense that a large swarm can't be dominated by a single bully. So trying
getting 6-8 rather than 2-3. Given their tiny size and low cost, this
approach isn't difficult. You might also look out for the gregarious
species, Brachygobius aggregatus, that is best in a school.>
Lastly, the classic aquarium question: will crabs work with this set up?
<Not really. Crabs have such specific needs it's almost never "easy" to
mix them with fish.>
I was hoping to try out a male/female Fiddler crab pair, but I know
mixing crabs and fish is a tricky business. (As far as dry land
goes for the crabs, I would set up a DiY "underwater island" for their
benefit.).
<Instead of crabs, consider shrimps. Cherry Shrimps will thrive at SG
1.002-1.003, and should even breed. They'd look good. Amano Shrimps will
work too, but need more saline water to breed.>
Any other information for a brackish-tank-newbie would be most welcome.
Please let me know what you think!
<Much here; read. Any questions; ask. My FAQ might be useful, too.
http://brackishfaq.webspace.virginmedia.com
>
Thank you,
Ryan
<Most welcome, Neale.>
Re: New to Brackish Setups 10/27/13
Thank you for the prompt response! Though...now I think I have
more questions than when I started...
<Go on...>
I found out that my LFS actually sells both Brachygobius
aggregatus and xanthozona, so...is one preferable to the other or do
they look/act different...?
<Brachygobius xanthozona is distinctive because it is never sold in
aquarium shops, despite the name being extremely commonly used. What you
see in aquarium shops are various Brachygobius species that are
impossible to identify to species level (without examination under a
microscope, at least). But there are two "flavours" out there, the dwarf
species (apparently mostly Brachygobius nunus and Brachygobius
aggregatus) and the normal-sized species (Brachygobius doriae and
Brachygobius sabanus are said to be the most common). Beyond that,
there's absolutely no way the hobbyist, or the retailer, can be sure
what's for sale. None. Zip. Nada.
And anyone who tells you otherwise hasn't spent time talking with goby
scientists who work on the taxonomy of this genus! For all practical
purposes then, you have Bumblebee Gobies for sale, you buy some, and you
enjoy them. Hopefully they'll all be one species so they'll breed. If
you're really lucky, you might be offered a "swarming" species under the
Brachygobius aggregatus name, but whether that's what you've actually
got is up for debate; Brachygobius mekongensis for example looks and
behaves very similarly. Be clear: these are all differences without
distinctions; beyond the fact the "dwarf" species are smaller and more
sociable, all BBGs have identical requirements. Slightly brackish water,
shells and other caves, some plants, moderate water current, small
live/frozen foods, and suitably small tankmates that won't compete for
food.>
From what I've read, B. xanthozona is more tolerant of freshwater
environments, is that the major difference?
<Nope; as I say, the key thing about Brachygobius xanthozona seems to be
its extremely rare in the wild and hardly ever collected, even by
scientists. So it's the one species you can be 99.99% sure you will
never see in an aquarium shop. On the odd chance that one sneaks in, the
fact it was called "Brachygobius xanthozona" on the aquarium shop label
is sheer fluke -- they use the "Brachygobius xanthozona" name in the
hobby for any/all of the larger Brachygobius species, most of which seem
to be Brachygobius doriae, Brachygobius sabanus, and other
similar-looking species.>
I searched both species online and the same images show up for both;
frankly, I'm not sure what to make of it.
<Quite so. Externally their colours are all virtually the same, with
enough variation within a species to mean some from species A end up
looking more like species B. When I was editing my brackish water
aquarium book, the goby-scientist who wrote the chapter on gobies said
that the one thing you can say for sure about Bumblebee Gobies is that
almost all photos in magazines, books and on websites are
misidentified.>
I'm also a bit puzzled by the numbers you recommended; I really didn't
think a 10g could biologically support 6-8 Bumblebee gobies and another
shoal of small fish.
<Oh for sure you could fit 6-8 BBGs with, say, a school of 6
Micropoecilia picta.>
Are these gobies really that "light" of a bioload?
<They're certainly small, yes, and don't move about much. Such a tank
would be less heavily stocked than, say, the average 55-gallon tank with
a Plec and an Oscar!>
If so, how many Wrestling Halfbeaks would you recommend as tank mates?
<Wrestlers are bit more finicky and fiddly to keep because the males
squabble, so a single male and 2-3 females would make sense. Possibly
just the females if you wanted. The commonly traded Silver Halfbeak seen
nowadays is a very small, slender fish that only gets to about 5 cm in
length, the males less.>
Lastly, what kind of flow is ideal for these species of fish?
<For the BBGs, a brisk current is ideal. That's the point of their
"suckers", to hold onto rocks and plants while plankton is washed
overhead.
They like to snap at food that streams past them. But they aren't fussy.
Micropoecilia prefer more moderate currents, as the "Swamp Guppy" name
would suggest. Halfbeaks are fine either way.>
Were it up to me, I'd stick a Aquaclear 30 HOB filter (rated at 150gph)
on the 10g tank for the extra turnover, but I don't want these little
fish to be blown away either.
<No risk of that with the gobies at least.>
Should I stick with an Aquaclear 20 HOB (rated at 100gph) instead?
<It's an option, but to be honest I'd look at an internal sponge filter
so that you can offer live and frozen foods (which BBGs need) without
worrying all such foods will be sucked away into the filter. Plus, by
turning the air pump up or down, you could adjust flow rate to suit the
livestock you've got.>
Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it.
-Ryan
<Most welcome. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: New to Brackish Setups; stkg. more broadly (include
prev. corr.)
10/28/13
Well, I'm really looking forward to getting this brackish 10g started!
I'd like to try the fish you recommended:
Bumblebee Goby x 6
Wrestling Halfbeak x 5 (1m, 4f)
Possibly a few Red Cherry Shrimp if it doesn't seem crowded.
<Should be fun.>
I believe my LFS keeps their BBGs and Halfbeaks in freshwater, so should
I set up the tank as purely freshwater for the initial addition of fish
and slowly increase the SG with my weekly water changes until it reaches
1.003?
Is an increase of .001 per week too fast of an increase? I just want
to avoid shocking the fish with more salt than they're used to.
<I would do precisely as you suggest.>
Along the same topic, I saw that you had a webpage listing plants that
can tolerate brackish water and I'm debating moving some Dwarf Hairgrass
from one tank to this new setup. Do you generally see something
akin to "melting" as the plants adjust to the new salinity level?
<It can happen, but "melting" is a reaction to changes in the
environment generally rather than to a specific change. Set the tank up
as per your local water chemistry, get everyone settled in (including
the plants) and then do slight salinity changes over succeeding weeks.>
Are there any plants you can recommend to help replicate the BBGs
natural environment?
<Relatively few authentic species from these habitats are traded, the
most notable ones being things like Crinum spp. (one species, Crinum
augustifolium is a brackish water specialist) and Cryptocoryne spp.
(again, Cryptocoryne ciliata being something of a specialist in such
environments).
So while you might not get the precise species mentioned, any hard water
tolerant Crinum or Cryptocoryne will do just fine at SG 1.002-1.003, and
would provide the right sort of look, too. Otherwise your aim is
probably for a jungly sort of look, but bear in mind that in the wild
(remarkably enough) BBGs are often found in soft, acidic blackwater
habitats with little submerged vegetation, so you might elect for a mix
of bogwood roots, thin twigs and branches, and perhaps a few epiphytes
like Anubias and Java fern to green things up. Really, since these fish
live in a range of environments from mangrove forests through to inland
forest streams, any Southeast Asian biotope tank is going to be
acceptable.>
Thanks again, my apologies for the excessive questioning!
-Ryan
<Most welcome. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: New to Brackish Setups 10/30/13
Neale,
It's always a pleasure to read your responses and I highly value your
staggering knowledge of all-things-aquarium. Thank you very much
for all your help!
-Ryan
<Thank you for these kind words. Good luck with the aquarium! Neale.>
Re: New to Brackish Setups, stkg.
11/3/13
Neale,
<Ryan,>
Unfortunately I've hit a bit of a snag in that I can't seem to locate
any Wrestling Halfbeaks (Dermogenys pusilla) at this time.
<Can be tricky to find... perhaps seasonal? Do remember for a couple of
years not seeing them at all, then they were everywhere all at once!>
Celebes Halfbeaks are in abundance, but would not be suited for a 10g.
<I do agree.>
I'll continue to search, but in the meantime I wonder if you could
suggest a few alternative top-dwelling brackish fish to go along with
Bumblebee Gobies. The best I can come up with are Endler's,
Celebes Rainbows, or the Poecilia picta guppies we had discussed
previously.
<Correct, though Celebes Rainbows probably don't need brackish water,
despite older books suggesting they do. Do also look at Micropoecilia
parae "melanzona red" and Micropoecilia parae "melanzona blue". They'd
be ideal and are extremely pretty. Limia species such as the Humpbacked
Limia (one of my favourite fish) are another possibility. In fact
virtually all small livebearers will thrive in slightly brackish water,
even if they are not naturally found in it. Also look at Pseudomugil
species, several of which are sometimes found in brackish water areas
(Pseudomugil cyanodorsalis, Pseudomugil signifer and Pseudomugil
gertrudae among others) and their small size and lovely colours make
them really nice fish to keep. Finally, consider the Ricefish, some of
which will tolerate slightly brackish water extremely well including the
species Oryzias dancena that is currently very widely traded (usually as
Oryzias melastigma). Ricefish are easy to breed and completely peaceful
fish, and their tiny adult size and high degree of hardiness make them
ideal for small tanks.>
Are there possibly any small Hatchetfish that would thrive in low
salinity (1.002-1.003)?
<Not that I'm aware of. They're strictly inland, rainforest habitat
beasties, and most likely soft water fish at that.>
I also had a few questions related to brackish stocking; I read your
page regarding Nerite snails and saw that Corona Nerites (Clithon
coronae) were listed as freshwater, though they breed in brackish.
Are they capable of permanently living in brackish waters (SG of
1.002-1.003)?
<Most if not all Nerites will do perfectly well in low-end brackish
conditions.>
Would a pair of Peacock Gudgeons (Tateurndina ocellicauda) be suited for
the same low-end brackish environment? I've been on several different
sites, some claiming they're strictly freshwater, others saying they're
entirely capable of living in brackish water.
<They are freshwater fish in the wild, but I expect they will tolerate
slightly brackish water given their evolutionary background. I've not
tried it though. In a bigger tank I'd have suggested Empire Gudgeons as
an alternative. They're as much brackish water fish as freshwater, and
the males have amazing colours when spawning.>
Thanks for your time,
Ryan
<Most welcome. Neale.>
fish suggestions; UK folks, 15 gal., BR? 9/8/13
hi everyone
<Hello Denise,>
Looking for a bit of advice really. My husband and I were in one of the
Maidenhead branches earlier and they've started to get in fish that are
around 3cm or under.
<Ah yes, several MA branches seem to be doing this. The branch at Morden
in South London was one of the first, but it's a good development to see
more and more branches doing the same thing.>
This has given me an idea to possibly have a few shoals of small fish in
a tank around 60L although just ideas at the moment.
<Many options. 60 litres (15 US gal.) is a good size to start planning
communities.>
They had bumblee gobies, Brachygobius doriae which from
initial reading I've done seem to require brackish conditions so would
only be suitable with other brackish fish.
<Yes and no. They are possibly easier to keep in brackish water, albeit
only the merest "taste" of salt is necessary, 2-3 gram/litre. As such,
you could easily keep with, say, Endler's Guppies, Micropoecilia species
(like Micropoecilia picta and Micropoecilia parae, both utterly gorgeous
fish), Ricefish, even Wrestling Halfbeaks. They could also work with
Figure-8 Puffers, one of which could work in your 60-litre tank if
maintained scrupulously well. Few other fish work with puffers, but BBGs
are among them.>
They also had chili Rasboras, Boraras brigittae and pygmy Corys,
Corydoras pygmaeus. they also had various small killifish and said
they'd be getting other small fish in soon including galaxy Rasboras.
<These don't want salty water of any kind, even very low salinities, but
oddly enough, BBGs can thrive in plain freshwater. The biggest reason
for failure with BBGs is starvation rather than salinity. Still, for the
casual aquarist, the addition of salt does make BBGs that big easier to
keep, so it's widely recommended.>
I've done a small amount of reading and will carry on before making any
definite fish choices but was wondering if anyone could give me any
suggestions of possible fish to look at.
<Dwarf Rasboras (Boraras spp.) and Dwarf Danios (Danio nigrofasciatus)
would definitely be worth considering, as well as Ember Tetras
(Hyphessobrycon amandae). Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio margaritatus) is
another option but it does like somewhat cool water, around 22-24 C
being ideal, so that may affect your choice of tankmates. It also
prefers sort of neutral water that isn't too soft or hard, nor too
acidic or alkaline, whereas most of the Dwarf Rasboras are blackwater
fish that do best in soft, acidic water -- though to be fair, the
commonest species in the UK trade, Boraras brigittae, often called the
Chili Dwarf Rasbora, is pretty tolerant and will thrive in all but the
hardest water, providing water quality is good and tankmates are
appropriate. You could also look at Threadfin Rainbowfish, a personal
favourite of mine, and if you want something that's cheap as chips yet
easy to keep and colourful, look at the Cherry Barb. These are probably
my favourite barbs because of their lovely colours (males are various
shades of red, while females are equally attractive peachy colours with
longitudinal bands). The females hang about in gangs while males claim
small patches of territory, often around a leaf, and so you have this
interesting social behaviour that rarely gets out of hand provided you
keep a fair number, say 3 males and 4-5 females. Don't forget about
shrimps as some species, especially the Cherry Shrimp, are easy to keep
and colourful. Ricefish of all kinds are excellent and generally
adaptable, with Oryzias woworae, the Daisy Ricefish, perhaps the
(expensive) pick of the bunch, while the inexpensive Ricefish species
Oryzias dancena is less colourful but has bright blue eyes and amazing
raggedy fins (on the males). One cool thing about Ricefish is their
breeding behaviour: females carry around bunches of big eggs they
deposit one at a time on floating plants and Java moss, and when these
hatch surprisingly big fry emerge that can be corralled into a breeding
trap and easily reared on powdered flake food. I mix Ricefish with
Cherry Shrimps and pretty much have self-sustaining populations of both
in a 50-60 litre tank jam-packed with Java Moss. It's a really fun tank
to keep and watch, and since neither species is delicate or messy,
maintenance is minimal.>
We've got a lot of tanks with "normal" sized fish in and I'm getting
excited about the prospect of a tank filled with far smaller lives,
think with a bit of reading and thought I could have a tank with a lot
of interest and activity.
Thanks
Denise
<Hope this gives some ideas. Cheers, Neale.>
What is your professional opinion on... BR stkg.
3/9/13
Red scats and figure eight puffers together in a 65 gallon tank?
<Risky. Figure-8s aren't the nippiest fish, but eight of them
with one Scat… don't like them odds! I wouldn't keep more than one Scat
in a mere 65 gallons: they do get pretty big, pretty fast, and given
they're sometimes aggressive if kept in twos, you want space enough for
at least three, preferably more. Cheers, Neale.>
re: What is your professional opinion on...
3/9/13
Alright. I mean, my tank set up idea was a scat, an archer, two or three
monos and one or two figure eights. Hmm. Some rearranging is in order.
<Ah, I see. Well, you could try one or two Figure-8s and see what
happens.
But do keep them well fed, given them suitable crunchy foods to occupy
their little beaks, and be prepared to remove one or both if you start
seeing bite-marks on the other fish. Like most experienced fishkeepers,
I prefer to keep puffers on their own, but Figure-8s are normally fairly
inoffensive animals. Cheers, Neale.>
Another scat question! Comp., stkg. 7/21/13
I know, I'm insatiable.
I'm curious- right now I have a single red scat in a 65gal tank.
Would it be wise to get one more (or two more? Better odds in threes?)
scat and then some other species, or should he be a lone scat?
Tori
<Scats do well singly or else in odd numbered groups. Provided there
isn't anything aggressive or nippy, singletons settle down well, so
don't feel obliged to keep more than one, and in 65 gallons, I wouldn't.
Cheers,
Neale.>
Re: Another scat question! 7/21/13
As they get older they're getting moved to a 175g. Hmm...looks like a
new tank is in order.
<Ah, a good size for three Scats plus their companions. They do grow
fairly quickly, but slow down after a couple years (at which point
they're around 20 cm/8 inches). Cheers, Neale.>Re: New
Brackish Tank (Bob, any insight into Scat/Mono behaviour from your obs.
in the wild?) 8/2/13
Yet another hello!
Had a quick question concerning a, seemingly, odd behavior.
<I will respond here and place your query in Neale's in-box; he's out
till 8/6>
My violet goby (the ninja hiding master) has slowly started to come out
during the day.
This evening I was taking in the opportunity to admire him as he was
hanging on the glass (top of the tank actually).
The Monos have been very curious about him (but lose interest quickly
upon approach). The silver scat on the other hand has decided to become
quite the fin nipper!
<Not atypical w/ Selenotoca>
I have not read anywhere they had this behavior. The scat has _never_
acted aggressive toward any of the Monos.
<They're faster; more aware>
The goby arrived with some tattered tail fins so, until now, I had
not thought anything out of the ordinary.
I will, obviously, continue to observe the behavior in the tank but was
wondering if you had encountered Scat/Goby aggression before?
<Yes; they're curious animal species; like to "examine" everything...
with their mouths, eyes>
Would there be steps I could take to reduce this?
<Really best to do as you state below... The other fishes here are too
likely to outcompete the Goby for foods as well>
I am looking at "alternative" housing, but options are thin.
(55g planted with rainbows, Plecs, and platys) and (65 goldfish / loach)
are not good candidates.
I do have a 35g, with the mollies. SG: 1.003 (cube-like tank
24wx18dx22t) which is an option, but very small for the goby.
<I might try moving the Scat here for a few weeks... see if this takes
some of the "vinegar" out of it>
29g "other" with some plants and platys but they could be moved if
needed.
Am I "jumping the gun" or did I get a foul-tempered scat? (or one that
is just curious as to what this wiggling thing is that looks like food?)
Oh, Scat is around 2 inch and goby is around 6 inch though I
don't feel size is ever a real issue (just talk to a puffer!).
<Mmm, well then; at this size, either one could go in with the mollies
for quite a while>
Other than this, life is well and the Monos are still voracious eaters!
Always hungry and never leave a scrap! Feeding them multiple small
meals.
Is it easy to overfeed them?
<Not really no; they swim off all categories in short order>
I read they require a good bit of food since they are quite active and
metabolism is higher at the temperature they are in.
<Ah yes>
Continual gratitude,
-Douglas A. Dunn
<As continuous welcomes. Bob M. Fenner>
30 gallon Brackish tank, stkg... 6/18/2013
Hi, I have a 30 gallon brackish at .003 salinity.
<1.003 I presume you mean? So low-end brackish.>
Right now all I have is a lily pad plant, possibly a flounder (had 3 but
I hardly ever see them, have seen two corpses),
<Are nocturnal and tricky to feed.>
sand bottom, rocks, snag, and a CRAP LOAD of tiny snails.
<Melanoides spp., more than likely. Would deal with promptly if they
concern you.>
I had a violet goby who mysteriously got sick (stayed upside down on
bottom) and died, 4 gobies (couple jumped in filter, others diapered),
<Not good so far!>
and Nerite snails (didn't survive the night).
<Yikes!>
I need to know what easy to find, hardy animals I could put in this. I
was thinking about scratching the brackish and just getting a predator
fish or two, if you have any ideas let me know. If neither of these work
let me know what I could do with this tank.
<Aaron, let's start with the basics. Are you *sure* you have the
salinity right? I'd kick off by doing a series of water changes and
replacing the water entirely with freshly-made brackish water at 5-6
grams of marine aquarium salt per litre (about 0.8 oz per US gal). When
you're done, let the temperature settle to 25 C/77 F. Now use your
hydrometer. Make a note of the specific gravity. Not all hydrometers are
accurately calibrated, and if the temperature is off by a couple
degrees, they can be very misleading.
But at 6 gram/litre you should have a specific gravity of 1.003. Take
out all the substrate if you want shot of the snails as far as possible,
clean with boiling hot water, rinse (the snails should settle on the
top) and then replace. Else replace the substrate entirely. Live plants
may or may not thrive; Anubias, Java fern and Vallisneria are the best
and easiest for SG 1.003. Should thrive. Next up, stock the tank slowly.
Sleeper Gobies are tough and adaptable, so look out for something like
Dormitator lebretonis or Butis butis if you want something around the 10
cm/4 inch mark and don't mind the predatory instincts of these fish
towards bite-sized tankmates (should be fine with adult Flatfish though
risky with teeny-tiny youngsters). Alternatively, you could try a
Pupfish like the Florida Flagfish. Other Pupfish are available in the US
through what are called biological supply houses because they're much
used in labs. Both the gobies and the Pupfish are very tough when kept
in brackish conditions. I'd recommend just one goby or else a pair of
Pupfish, and either way allow the tank to settle down before adding
anything else. Wait at least a month before adding anything new.>
Thanks, Aaron
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>
|
Brackish Tank, stkg. low sal. 1/31/13
Hello Neale!
<Jessica,>
it's been a while! (not that you'd remember haha I'm sure you answer
tons of emails in the run of a day) I'm looking for some advice on my
Brackish water aquarium. I have an 85 gallon now. Seems I can't stop
myself from upgrading.. it went from a 10 to a 20 to a 55 now my 85.
<Woo-hoo!>
I plan on sticking with this one though. My question is on stocking.
I currently have:
- 2 (juvenile) Monos
- 8 Mollies
- 1 orange Chromide (because, sadly, he killed the other two Chromides I
had)
<Ah, probably got three males. Not normally so psychotic! Oddly enough,
their closest relatives, the Green Chromide and the Canara Pearlspot are
both schooling fish.>
I love brackish water fish for their diversity, their quirks and because
they're just so interesting!
<Quite so.>
I've learned a lot. Mostly from online research and the lion's share of
that from WWM - much appreciated! I want a really interesting tank.
Something amazing to observe, fun to watch grow and interesting to talk
about. I am not opposed to the idea of trading in my Monos. As neat as
they are I've read that as they get older they need higher levels of
salinity, (is that true?) My tank is low level (0.002).
<SG 1.002… more than enough for the low-end species, but your Monos may
need saltier conditions as they mature.>
I guess I could raise that if the fish I choose need it. I also feed
them mostly flake and pellet food - along with some parboiled veggies,
mealworms (when I had my archerfish - he was killed by my male mollies -
I don't expect that to happen again since I have since given away some
males and the ratio for male to female mollies is much lower) and I'm
willing to feed some raw fish. Also my substrate is black sand. I have
some live plants but mostly plastic, although I would like to branch out
with some more plants (basically scats are out of the question).
<As will raising the salinity; at SG 1.002 you can basically keep any
hardy (and hard water tolerant) plant. But above that, things get pretty
difficult. It's not that plants don't grow in mangroves, but those plant
species just don't imported -- except mangroves of course!>
Fish that I am interested in are:
- bumblebee gobies
<Tricky to feed, but otherwise adaptable.>
- "freshwater" flounder
<Like gobies, can be difficult to feed.>
- Columbian sharks/shark catfish
<These will eat most anything they can bite.>
- Indian glassfish
<Fussy feeders, but great fun. They're like little gangsters, always
chasing one another about, but at the same time wanting to be with their
pals. Basically harmless, but will eat baby fish.>
- four eyes
<No, these are REALLY specialist fish best kept alone.>
- dragon gobies
<Nice.>
- violet gobies
<The same thing as Dragon Gobies.>
- pufferfish
<Tricky in communities, but has been done with Figure-8 Pufferfish.>
- Horseface loach
<Salinity to SG 1.002, no higher.>
- blue legged hermit crabs (not a fish but interesting all the same)
<Salinity 1.010 or higher, to fully marine. There are brackish and
freshwater hermits, but they're almost never traded, sadly.>
- archerfish
<Super-predatory, so be careful!>
Obviously I don't mean all of these fish together in the same tank.
I do however want a variety! (feel free to suggest others you think I
might enjoy) The advice I'm asking of you is, what is the largest
variety of brackish water fish I could keep as tankmates in my 85
gallon?
<You could keep together: Mollies, Knight Gobies, Glassfish, Horseface
Loach and the Chromides. These would all be fine in a planted SG 1.002
aquarium. You could also add Peacock Spiny Eels if you wanted something
eel-like. I'd skip the Flounder, or at least, would keep it separately
until you figured out how to get it feeding reliably (likes bloodworms
and shrimp, but at night, and will lose out to other fish if you aren't
careful). Also look at (instead of the Mollies) Limia species, such as
Limia nigrofasciata. Really neat fish. Possibly Toxotes microlepis (the
"Freshwater Archer") if you can find it and identify it correctly, but
it is predatory and does best with fish of similar size. It is quite a
bit smaller than the plain vanilla Archers though. Violet Gobies could
work, but they are large fish, and though not at all predatory, feeding
them and the other bottom-feeders (Gobies, Loaches and Spiny Eels) would
require a lot of effort if you wanted them all to get a fair deal.>
What are some tank options for me? (i.e.. higher salinity, trade in my
Monos, go with smaller species tank etc.) I am open to suggestions.
<Monos need middling to high salinity, and work best with Scats and the
larger Archers (such as Toxotes jaculatrix) and Colombian Sharks. The
bigger sleeper gobies like Butis butis ("Crazyfish") and Dormitator
maculatus work great with them. Possibly Moray Eels but some folks have
not found their Morays as peaceful as others. Long terms, the most fun
with Monos is combining them with marine fish in a FOWLR system, with
the sorts of species you don't keep in reef tanks, such as less
aggressive Triggers, Stars-and-Stripes Puffers, and so on.>
My only desire is to keep it interesting! This has been my one qualm
with keeping brackish water fish. It is difficult to find ones that mesh
well. Also difficult to find accurate/consistant information about that.
For example I read on WWM that Clown Loaches are found in brackish/salt
water. Then I read you figured that was a case of mistaken identity.
It's just difficult to really know what to do, There seem to be many
varying opinions and frankly I trust yours. Seems like you know what
you're talking about!
<I do trust Bob, but in this case, until I've seen a scientific report
(as opposed to second or third hand accounts from fishermen) I'm not
going to put any Clown Loaches of *mine* in a brackish system! I do
personally believe there's a mistranslation going on here, e.g.,
Clownfish for Clown Loach, or some such.>
I think I have an information overload! I've read so much that now I'm
confused and it's like I think I remember reading "Chromides can be kept
with a variety of tankmates"... wait ... maybe that was mollies ... ???
It leads to me just leaving the computer in utter frustration.
<Like cats, dogs, and of course people, not every Orange Chromide is the
same. Most are relatively mellow, but they are cichlids, and come with
all the baggage that entails. Kept in tanks with bigger tankmates (like
Monos) they're unlikely to do any real harm, and in the wild seem to
have a symbiosis with the bigger (to 30 cm) Green Chromides, where the
Orange Chromides supposedly work like cleaner fish. Neat.>
Suggestions for my tank would be great, I want uncomplicated feeding
habits, interesting behavior and a variety of species. I'm starting to
think this is too much to ask. Feel free to tell me THAT, if that is the
case. Thanks for reading my long, detailed, possibly boring email.
Sincerely, Jessica PS there are some brutally honest emails on WWM about
punctuation, grammar etc. I hope mine isn't too bad!?
<It's just fine! Hope this helps, Neale.>
Re: Brackish Tank, stocking 1/31/13
Thank you Neale!!! That does clear a few things up! I like the
glassfish/knight goby/molly/Horseface loach/Chromide combo Just to
clarify:
I can keep a spiny peacock eel with this selection?
<Yes, provided specific gravity did not exceed SG 1.002-1.003.>
Would a violet goby work along with the eel? Or is that a one or the
other type deal?
<I would keep just one kind of eel. Peacock Spiny Eels are fairly
sociable, so you could keep more than one. Alternatively, you could look
for some other Macrognathus species, such as Macrognathus aral.
Mastacembelus species may work, but they are solitary and very
predatory; for example, I have kept Tyre-track Eels in low-end brackish
systems.>
Would Bumblebee Gobies also work with these?
<Knight Goby food.>
I'm wondering mostly about the glassfish, (I'm kinda thinking they'd eat
the BBG's)
<No, the BBGs should be fine. But Molly fry will be eaten.>
I'm not planning on getting ALL of them. I just want to know so that
when I go looking, I know I can buy any of these and keep them together.
I have my doubts that I'll be able to get knight gobies, although I'm
going to try!
<Are far from rare, but may be seasonal. In the US have been sold as
"Fan Dancer Gobies". Do also look for Clay Gobies, Dormitator
lebretonis, a fine alternative.>
But I know I can get BBG's and I like them a lot. I really love Gobies
and I'd really like to keep some. Plus BBG's are so darn cute.
<Can be.>
Also could a figure 8 puffer possibly fit in here somewhere?
<Work well with BBGs, but are otherwise fin-nippers; Tetraodon
biocellatus has been kept in communities, but not with 100% success. A
lot depends on the size of the tank, how densely its planted, how
quickly tankmates move about, etc.>
As for the Chromides, should I try another?
<It is usually a peaceful species. If you do have one psychotic male, he
might be okay as a singleton in a community. All cichlids become
substantially more aggressive when spawning.>
(Or possibly a group - to see if they'll form a pair) I'd love to
breed these at some point in time but I'm afraid where mine is already
larger then a jeuvie I'd get from a pet store, that he'll just kill
anything I get even if it IS a female... or am I simply imaging this
would happen?
<Why not just keep one female?>
*Sigh* I ask a lot of questions don't I (that's rhetorical) Thanks
again,
Jessica
<Glad to help, Neale.>
|
Re: Brackish Tank, stocking 2/22/13
Hello Neale!
I'm very excited :) I just purchased my very first goby. I got a knight
goby. He is a beautiful fish!
<Yes, they are. Even better in groups of 5+ specimens when they hover in
midwater, displaying to each other.>
I also got Fig8 puffer, hoping he is peaceful. If not I will return him.
<Indeed.>
I have made some good friends at my LFS and they are very accommodating.
<Ah, good.>
They couldn't get me a spiny peacock eel but they can get a half banded
spiny eel and I'm wondering if that could work in it's stead?
<What's the salinity? I'd recommend a specific gravity of no more than
1.003 at 25 C for this collection of fish, and preferably 1.002. At this
level of salinity, Macrognathus circumcinctus should do okay. But it
isn't a true brackish water species like the Peacock Eel.>
(Along with my new Knight Goby, my Blue Acara, Orange Chromide, Fig-8
puffer, Mollies and possibly in the future Horseface loach) Also could
some sort of sleeper goby be another option for me?
<For sure. A good choice would be the Clay Goby, Dormitator lebretonis.
The Empire Gudgeon, Hypseleotris compressa, could work too. Do bear in
mind sleepers, gobies and gudgeons tend to be territorial so be careful
when stocking.>
Thanks in advance, Jessica
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Brackish Tank 2/23/13
In that case I think I'll hold out for a peacock eel. I'd rather keep a
true brackish species.
<None of the Spiny Eels is a true brackish water fish; at most, a few
species tolerate low salinity conditions and may exist in such
conditions in the wild. If you're keeping a low-end system at SG 1.002
or thereabouts, then most Macrognathus and some Mastacembelus species
are perfectly viable.>
One time before you recommended a pair of Golden Wonders to me but that
was a while ago when my stocking choices were different but my salinity
is the same 1.001-1.002. Would they still work in my community?
<At this low-end set of conditions, yes, they will do well, and wild
Aplocheilus are quite common in slightly brackish marshes and streams.
Again, they aren't estuarine fishes like Monos or Scats, so won't want
SG 1.005-1.010… but if you're keeping Figure-8s, Knights, Chromides and
other low-end brackish species, then SG 1.002 is all you need. Basically
a "taste" of salt reflecting freshwater habitats occasionally influenced
by the sea.>
Got to say, I really appreciate what you guys at WWM are doing for all
us amateurs! Amazing advice!
Thanks!
Jessica
<Most welcome, Neale.>
|
Brackish tank questions – 11/20/12
Hi! You have a wonderfully educational site. I have learned more
than I even knew I didn't know, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, I have a 29g tank with mollies and swordtails. It is heavily
planted, fully cycled, and has been in operation for maybe a year. At
it's most occupied I had 1 male and 3 female swordtails, 1 male and 3
female mollies, 3 emerald green cories, and 4 Otocinclus. The oldest
swordtail female died a few months ago - I think from age, as she was
about 3 years old, and I have been having trouble with mollies the
entire time I've had mollies. At the moment I have 2 female mollies, no
males. Thanks to your website, I now realize several things I was doing
wrong with the mollies, so this is what I have done and am planning to
do: 1) I am converting to a brackish tank, so I took out the Corys and
the remaining Oto and put them in other tanks.
<Good.>
2) I have pulled out a bunch of Malaysian Trumpet Snails, as I
understand they won't do well in brackish conditions.
<On the contrary: they thrive in brackish water! They can tolerate up to
about half-strength seawater, around SG 1.010. At the low salinity you
want for Mollies, around SG 1.002-1.003, they'll do perfectly well.>
3) I purchased Instant Ocean marine salt and a hydrometer last night,
and combined about a cup of salt with about 1/2gallon of the tank water
in a pitcher I use for water changes. I let it sit all night, then today
I added a couple of cups of hot water (dechlorinated, of course) to the
solution to bring the temp up to the tank temp, stirred like crazy until
the salt was dissolved, and added the solution to the tank. At the
moment the hydrometer shows no changes from the pre-salt water, which I
would expect, since it's a very light solution at this point.
<Quite so.>
My questions are these: 1) How slowly or quickly should I add more salt
to avoid shocking the fish, who have only been in freshwater to this
point?
<Take your time, several weeks if needs be. The Mollies won't mind, and
the longer you take, the better for the filter bacteria and plants
(assuming of course you're keeping the specific gravity low and have
chosen salt-tolerant plants).>
2) Will the swordtails tolerate and/or appreciate the brackish
environment at the same level as the mollies, or should I move them out
at some point before getting to the brackish level that is good for the
mollies?
<Swordtails do just fine at SG 1.002-1.003. This level of salinity will
also be fine for low-end brackish species like Knight Gobies, Bumblebee
Gobies and so on.>
I do have an empty 45g tank that will eventually house a variety of
livebearers, Corys, Otos, and maybe some non-livebearers like Rasboras
(if they are compatible; haven't checked that out yet), and I could put
the swords in that tank. I am not ready to set this tank up yet, but if
the swordtails aren't going to do well in the brackish environment I can
slow down my conversion of the 29g so that I can move them before it
gets too salty for them.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Cherie
<Glad to help. Cheers, Neale.>
Overstocking 7/19/12
I have a 40 gallon brackish tank which currently holds one
dragon goby (over a year old, 10"), 8 bumblebee gobies (a few month) and
I just purchased 8 young knight gobies.
<All sounds fun.>
I was wondering if this tank set up would be considered over stocked?
<If not yet, will be within a year or so. For this collection, even 55
gallons would be pushing your luck. Knight Gobies can be very
territorial, and the Violet Goby will get a bit bigger. The Bumblebee
Gobies aren't a factor -- the Knight Gobies will eat them as soon as
they're able to.>
I was considering adding one or two (no more than two, if at all) figure
8 puffers, but I fear my tank load may be at its limit.
<Yes.>
I also fear that puffers are aggressive. So my questions are this: Is my
tank over stocked?
<See above.>
If not, can I afford a small puffer or two?
<No. Puffers aren't community fish, and while Figure-8 Puffers and
Bumblebees seem to work for some reason, generally speaking keep Puffers
on their own.>
Secondly, would adding a puffer or two be detrimental to the fish I
currently have.
<Yes. Can you say "Gobies with missing fins"?>
My gobies are all aggressive in their own way, so though I know puffers
have a reputation, it is my understanding that figure 8's are of the
smaller and more tame variety,
<Handguns are smaller than surface-to-air missiles, but that doesn't
make them safe. Figure-8s are smaller than Green Spotted Puffers, but
for their size, they're every bit as nippy.>
so I was wondering if the aggressiveness would cancel itself out.
<If I put Tyson and Holyfield together, would their aggression cancel
out, and we'd see them sitting down making daisy chains?>
I look forward to your response and your help. Thanks for everything.
<Glad to help. Cheers, Neale.>
Brackish tank, stkg. 4/20/12
I have a 150G tank, and am wanting to convert
it to a brackish tank from the fresh water that is currently
is. My husband brought home a Colombian Shark without doing his research
so I am looking to find out what I should/can keep in the tank with it
to both make it happy and give the tank a "wow" factor.
<Well, for a start, two more Sharks! They are quite nervous, even shy
fish that need the company of their own kind. When kept in a fair-sized
group they will be much more outgoing and less likely to "pace" in one
corner of the tank.>
Ideally I would like a fair amount of movement in the tank as well.
<For sure. The more water movement, the better. These catfish are
migratory and do swim A LOT.>
I have been doing research on the brackish tanks and have got the setup
and maintenance figured out I am just having issues finding solid
information on compatible species and quantities as all the information
I come across seems to contradict one another.
<Do you want to keep them (long term) with brackish livestock or marine
livestock? Shark Catfish work very well with hardy marines like
Lionfish, Snowflake Morays, Yellow Tangs, Arothron spp. puffers and some
of the big but less aggressive Damselfish. So, if you're looking at that
end of the salinity spectrum, you may want to focus on species able to
live in marine conditions, such as Scats, Monos and "freshwater" Morays.
Alternatively, if you plan on keeping them in a brackish system, then
you might instead look at Sailfin Mollies, Fat Sleeper Gobies, Crazyfish,
Knight Gobies, Shortnose Gar, Archerfish and Green Chromides to name a
few. Any favourites among these? Scats consistently score well on the
"fun" scale because they're friendly, beg for food, and become very
easily tamed. The Silver Scat, Selenotoca fasciata, also happens to be
hands-down one of the prettiest fish in the hobby, whether freshwater,
brackish or marine!>
Thanks :)
Andrea
<Cheers, Neale.>
changing the tank up, BR stkg. rdg. 4/7/12
Im thinking of rescaping and possible reconsidering some of the stock choices in
my 65 gallon archer fish tank...
What's it like now? Well firstly i have 5 healthy active Toxotes
microlepis, and 4 (was planning on more, since i do know there schooling
fish....the 4 were all they had and for 25% off too) boesemanni rainbow fish.
Also an African knife fish who i will be re homing due to the slight aggression
between the archers as they have their social hierarchy worked out (the king of
the tank has changed to a completely black appearance while the others remain
normal coloration).
<Ahh!>
-Basically the tank has root like driftwood on the far right side with
thick plantings along the sides.... I'm thinking its a little too clogged up and
thus some of the archers are sticking to staying under the "roots" due to the
plants taking up some swimming space...
<What they do>
-So! I was thinking take out some of the Hygro and penny-Wort so all i have are
the Val species, java moss, and java fern and sell back the boesemanni
rainbow fish, and knife fish. Aso was planning on rescaping with maybe one or
two pieces of the root like driftwood in the center of the tank and planting the
java fern inside the lowly lit crevices. This leaving the back open area planted
with the Val.s and partially on the sides too. All in all the main frontal space
will be open and free with tall plantings along the sides and a dense "escape"
of mangled driftwood in the center. Nice open, yet interesting layout.
-Why? Well i know the archers are "fine" in freshwater being the species they
are but they are also found in low-end brackish (I'm curious as to the specific
ranges they are found in in their natural habitat) Also this will be sort of a
test to see whether they are more outgoing and active in freshwater versus
low-end brackish, also health wise too.
-lastly, since only the archer will be in the tank... any opportunities for fish
in the same requirement area of 1.003-1.005 sg to coexist with these mighty yet
small species of archers?
<Quite a few... peruse here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/BrackishSubWebIndex.htm
Their not fully grown, the largest being 3" MAYBE 4" at the most. My lfs is
awesome at getting in fish that id like mostly because i know the employees well
(very lovely pop and ma run store) and I've given them excess plant growth and
pointers/help with many of their oddball species. They also have an ACTUAL
brackish tank, which is shocking since most stores don't bother with the correct
conditions. So I've seen them have orange Chromides, and figure eight puffers,
both of which seem to be fine at this sg?
<Yes>
Not saying id get either... just wondering what you would do?
<Read, consider my options/choices. Bob Fenner>
Re: changing the tank up, BR stkg. 4/9/12
I suppose the "freshwater moray eel" (not freshwater by a long shot I know)
is out of the question? As it requires a stronger salinity than 1.005?
<Likely so. B>
Re: A Newby~ Question about fish compatibility for stocking
a tank... BR stkg. 1/16/12
Hi Neal,
<Jill,>
Couple more quick questions... Would Mollies or a Knight Goby or
even Indian Glass Fish or an Orange Chromide eat Ghost shrimp? I
feel like the Knight might but haven't been able to confirm this
yet in the forums.
<Knight Gobies will certainly go for small shrimps, and Glassfish
will eat anything they can swallow whole. The other two species,
perhaps the Chromides, given the chance, but Mollies aren't
especially predatory or equipped to deal with large prey, though they
certainly do eat mosquito larvae.>
Also, I found some small cut up granite stone. It's pink and
was sold in
bulk and is dirt cheap and attractive. I am planning on using
this in my
secondary small tank (10 gallon) for the initial quarantines.
<I see.>
Is that substrate harmful to Ghost Shrimp?
<Pure granite without any metal seams should be fine. I use green
granite in my tanks now and have used Aberdeenshire pink granite in the
past. Your own experience may vary of course depending on the type of
granite sold in your area.>
After I get all my fish into the 29 gallon, I was thinking of using
that tank for some Endler's and Ghost Shrimp... I read that Ghost
Shrimp catch Endler's Fry and if I still end up with too many
Endler's the LFS will likely take some as they're always short
on those.
<Okay.>
The other fish I'd thought of using the smaller tank for were a
Bumblebee Goby and a few of the beautiful Cherry Shrimp. I think
you said Cherry's tolerate low brackish too, do those two species
tolerate granite chips for substrate?
<Yes, the granite chips won't cause problems, but Knight Gobies
will certainly eat Bumblebees. Has been reported many times.>
I can do something else if necessary. It was super inexpensive
stone - like 20 times cheaper than sand or commercially bagged gravel,
and beautiful too. Right now I'm on a tight budget.
<I see.>
Thank you again.
Jill
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: A Newby~ Question about fish compatibility... BR
stkg. 1/16/12
Thanks, Neale.
<Jill,>
I wouldn't put a knight with a bumblebee... I might decide
put a bumblebee and some cherry or ghost shrimp in the 10 gallon after
I've totally finished using it for a quarantine tank for new
fish.
<Real good.>
Though, I'm really not sure how those things work....as I
imagine I might need it again someday for quarantine!
<Entirely possible. It's fun to keep shrimps in such tanks to
keep the filter ticking over. Plus, some shrimps breed away merrily in
tanks without fish.>
I think once people get started in this hobby it's easy to keep
acquiring more and more tanks! I don't want to go
overboard. I'll just play it by ear I guess.
<Indeed.>
Glad the granite will work. Green sounds attractive. I
couldn't find any info in the forums on granite other than that I
wasn't the first one to think of checking the local garden stone
supply store for more affordable substrate.
<Yes, I get all of my rocks and sand from garden centres. If such
materials are safe for use in ponds, they should be safe in fish
tanks.>
Thank you again. Have a nice day.
<You too. Cheers, Neale.>
85 gal Brackish, stkg.
11/16/11
Hello Neale,
<Jessica,>
I'm in the process of upgrading to an 85 gal tank from my 55.
I'm really excited and I'd like your advice on a couple of
things, to make sure I'm not getting ahead of myself.
<Okay.>
One being the possibility of overstocking my tank. This is what I have:
25 Mollies (mostly raised from fry) I plan on downsizing my Molly
population to 6. 1 male 5 females, I'd like to keep the live food
in my tank. A Blue Acara, 2 Monos,
<Duos don't always get along. Watch for signs of aggression.
I'd recommend three, but see how it goes if you prefer.>
1 Scat (on the way),
<These are quite big and messy, so do be aware of that.>
a Malawian Cichlid (he is an experiment and so far is doing well), a
Horseface loach,
<These loaches, like the Blue Acara, are very much low-end brackish
water fish, SG 1.003 at 25 C/77 F is about the tops for them.
That's ideal for low-end brackish water fish like Mollies, Knight
Gobies, Orange Chromides, Figure-8 Puffers, etc., but might be too low
for the Monos and Scats in the long term. Do remember Monos and Scats
are essentially saltwater fish once mature. While they can do well in
brackish water as low as SG 1.003, a lot will depend on water quality
and the overall level of healthcare.>
2 Orange Chromides and an Archer Fish. I also have a Green Spotted
Puffer - I got him off a friend who's two other puffers were
picking on him. Right now he's in a hospital tank (he's pretty
beat up) with the same parameters as my tank. But my plan is to put him
in the 85 gal as soon as its ready along with all my other fish. What
do you think? I get the feeling your going to have something to say
about my GSP or my Malawian.
<GSPs are a gamble in any mixed species tank. Some specimens are
peaceful, but others can be extremely aggressive or else nippy. The
Malawian, assuming it's some type of hybrid Pseudotropheus, may
well tolerate slightly brackish conditions up to SG 1.003 without
problems. But I wouldn't keep it in more strongly brackish
conditions.>
Is this my limit?
<More or less.>
I REALLY want to try some Gobies. Specifically a Dragon Goby and some
Bumblebee Gobies.
<BBGs would be much too difficult to feed in this aquarium, so
aren't really an option. A Dragon/Violet Goby could work, but
they're sitting targets for pufferfish, and they're also
somewhat difficult to feed, so you need to be aware of their particular
needs. They don't eat flake, for example, and do need things like
wet-frozen bloodworms and krill, live brine shrimps, and the occasional
algae wafer.>
Am I overstocking? Are they not compatible with my other fish? My
substrate is a fine black sand. My new tank is completely covered.
Salinity kept around 1.002 - 1.004. I'd also like to plant my new
tank pretty heavily, right now I have a couple of Java ferns but
that's it. Aside from Java moss and the obvious Mangrove, what
other plants would you recommend? Anubias?
<Yes, at SG 1.003 at 25 C/77 F these work well. Scats eat plants, as
will Malawian cichlids oftentimes, so they're going to limit your
options a bit.
But in theory, almost anything that does well in hard water will do
well in low-end brackish. Options include Vallisneria, some of the
hardy Amazon Swords, Cryptocoryne wendtii, Cryptocoryne ciliata,
Hygrophila polysperma.
Do have a look at the plant section on my Brackish FAQ, here:
http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/brackishfaq.html
>
I'm also looking at putting a UV bulb in, good idea? I hear it
kills bad bacteria.
<UV can be helpful, but they aren't cure-alls, and they do need
maintenance (tube cleaning regularly, new UV tubes every 12
months).>
Will it also kill the good bacteria from my filter?
<No.>
Any advice would be great! Thanks in advance, Jessica :)
<Glad to help.>
PS Where can I get your book on Brackish Aquariums?
<Oh, online probably best; Amazon for example. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: 85 gal Brackish, stkg. 11/16/11
Hi Neale,
thanks for the quick reply.
<Most welcome.>
Also thanks for warning me about the Scat eating my plants. I think
I'm going to leave it out of the mix.
<If you want plants, then yes, that's the best approach. On the
other hand, Scats are exceptionally fun and intelligent fish.>
I have a friend that has a saltwater tank and would adopt the
mono's as they got to be 4 or 5 years old. So I would get another
Mono to keep my other 2 happy instead of the Scat.
<Sure thing!>
My puffer fish is very peaceful, that's why he was getting picked
on in his old home, he's small and slow and he's about 3 years
old.
<"He" may be a "she", hence the lack of
aggression'¦>
He's in right now with one of my male mollies that's old and
was getting picked on by another male, and my GSP leaves him alone as
well as all the other small slow moving fish in the tank he just came
from. I also have plenty of sand in my tank, and lots of hiding places.
Driftwood, rocks, etc. So far so good?
<Yes.>
In this mix could I add a Violet/Dragon Goby?
<At some risk. Do please understand there's no guarantees here
with regard to feeding and getting along with your GSP, even a peaceful
GSP.>
Also, I know BBG's are slow especially when it comes to eating but
if I made sure food got to them, then would they be alright with the
water parameters and the other fish?
<Yes, but getting food down to them will be extremely hard.>
If not, :( is there any other small fish you would recommend? Some
other Goby perhaps?
<Yes, the Knight Goby, as stated before. Would be exceptionally good
at eating the Molly fry. Any of the sleeper Gobies would work too,
e.g., Butis butis, or Dormitator lebretonis. Though it isn't a
brackish water species in the wild, Mogurnda mogurnda is a very
colourful and lively Sleeper that eats most foods (mine likes Hikari
cichlid pellets) and knows how to throw its weight around when it needs
to!>
I'd really like one more species, something different, interesting
etc. I've looked for wrestling halfbeaks, like you suggested in a
previous email but I haven't been able to find them.
<Would be too small and easily bullied for this rough-and-tumble
collection of fish.>
Although I'd pick up 3 or 4 if I ever came across them. Killifish
just don't interest me much and I don't really like Florida
Flagfish either. (I know, I'm picky'¦)
<Ah, well, too bad. I have a trio in a coldwater tank, and
they're great fun. Lovely colours in summer.>
How about a Siamese Tiger fish? Would he eat any of my fish?
<Only SOME species are brackish water, i.e., Datnoides polota
(formerly known as Datnoides quadrifasciatus) and Datnoides campbelli.
The others are freshwater fish. In any case, Datnoides campbelli gets
really big and is very aggressive. Not recommended for anything less
than 150 gallons in my opinion. Datnoides polota is a nice fish, but
gets to around 30 cm/12 inches in captivity, so still needs a big tank.
Yes, it will eat anything it can swallow. Does work well with bigger
fish though, like Scats.>
Or some type of "shark" perhaps?
<A group of Colombian Shark Catfish is always an option, but they do
need middling brackish to marine conditions when mature.>
What about a fresh water flounder? And I live near the ocean/rivers
that have flounder galore. Could I catch one and put in my tank? Or is
that risky?
<Not worth bothering. They are EXTREMELY difficult to maintain in
the long term. Easily starve, strictly nocturnal, and only eat live and
wet-frozen foods. Also, temperate zone animals like those in your
rivers will die in tropical aquaria.>
I'm not looking to get all of these fish I'm just looking for
one or two more things to make my tank a little different. I love
variety. Something neat to watch that's compatible with my Acara,
monos, Horseface loach, archer fish, orange Chromides, and possibly a
dragon goby, if he's possible. Any suggestions are appreciated.
<That's already quite a lot of fish for 80 odd gallons. You
might want to get them all settled first. The Monos may well be
temporary additions, moving after a year or two. In that time, you can
keep your eyes peeled for brackish oddballs. If you look over my
Brackish FAQ you'll get some idea of what's around. There are
lots of things that appear only rarely, and keeping some space in your
aquarium means you can snap them up when they do appear!>
You can even call me crazy for all these questions! I'm just so
mesmerized sometimes when I'm trying to pick out fish and plants
and everything! So I really appreciate that you answer personal
emails!
Thanks so much,
Jessica
<Thanks for the kind words. Cheers, Neale.>
Viable Brackish stocking, or
expensive buffet? 5/12/2011
Hello,
<Hello,>
I was wondering if I could trouble you for a second opinion on my
stocking plan. I've tried searching online, but I can't find
enough information to be confident in my choices. I have a 30 gal tank
(36"L 12"W 15"H) with a Magnum 350 filter that I am
planning on converting to a low-end brackish tank. I picked the tank up
used when I needed somewhere temporary to keep the livestock in my
Sumatran biotope tank. Unfortunately my house shifted rendering the
tank non-level. I've since moved it to more stable wall and
now the 30 gal is sitting empty begging for fish.
My preliminary stocking plan is
1M:3F chocolate Lyretail mollies - hybrid of some type with a maximum
size listed at my LFS comparable to the other shortfin mollies
<Indeed. A good species for brackish water systems.>
6 fairy gobies - *Redigobius balteatus*
<Another good species, essentially identical to Bumblebee Gobies in
terms of care.>
10 Blueback blue-eyes - *Pseudomugil cyanodorsalis*
<A very rarely traded species, but known to be hardy and easy to
keep, in brackish/marine conditions at least.>
10 Rudolph shrimp - *Caridina gracilirostris*
<Another good species.>
I'm slightly concerned though that the blue-eyes and shrimp would
end up an expensive snack for the gobies. Would the pacific blue-eye
(*Pseudomugil signifer*) fare a bit better since it's larger? or
should I go with a different goby or schooling fish?
<I can't imagine the gobies eating the Blue-eyes. Shrimps are a
bit hit-and-miss, but I wouldn't expect them to eat the shrimps
either. Worth a flutter. These gobies are mostly eating zooplankton and
small insect larvae.>
Also, 11 months of the year, our water is very hard (as in almost
identical to lake Malawi). For the aquascaping of this tank, I was
planning on including some mussel, snail and oyster shells, along with
some of our local limestone and possibly Aragocrete (as long as it
doesn't look too marine-like). Would the shells, marine salt and my
tap water push the hardness too high for a brackish tank?
<Unlikely.>
Should I only be including shells during the month after the spring
melt when our hardness plummets?
<I wouldn't rely on shells or rocks to stabilise pH and
hardness. Instead, place a bag of crushed coral in the filter. A cup
should do. Keep this clean by rinsing under hot water every month or
so. It will dissolve into the water much more reliably than shells or
rocks covered with algae and bacteria. In any case, your marine
aquarium salt mix should be steadying pH and hardness all by itself if
the specific gravity is at least 1.005, which it should be for these
species.>
Thank you in advance for your help,
Sal
<Cheers, Neale.>
Weird brackish water habitat in
FLA 4/18/11
Hi Bob,
> These are rather jolly. Not sure what the salinity is, but
there's a real weird mix of stuff: common Plecs, red-ear sliders,
gar, mullet, stingrays and more. The seagrass, turtle grass or
Vallisneria looks really bizarre trimmed down like that. Definitely not
something Amano would be trying to recreate in an aquarium!
> http://frank.itlab.us/silverglen_2004/
> I did know about the St Johns River stingrays, the only freshwater
stingrays in North America, but seeing them with a bunch of exotic
freshwater tropicals is remarkable and perhaps worrying. But it really
is fascinating to see that the boundary between freshwater and
saltwater habitats is so fluid in reality, despite the differences we
aquarists perceive in them.
> Anyway, enjoy!
> Cheers, Neale
<As the writer states, the calcium carbonate concentration is high
enough (but not too high) to allow all to osmoregulate. Am bummed to
see the Oreochromis here. Cheers, BobF>
my fish tank, BR, stkg., rdg.
/RMF 3/29/11
Hello, I have a 40-50 gallon tank that got given to me by a friend when
they moved. it contains 2 green spotted puffers, a Dalmatian molly, a
gold flecked molly, 2 black molly's and several tiny fish that I
don't have a name for. after doing some research I'm pretty
sure that with the puffers this is to/o many fish in that tank. but I
don't know what to do with some of the fish to make room?
<Not unless the GSPs are very large, not yet.... Do read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm
and the linked files above>
I cant fit another tank in my little house I barely have room for this
one. and I cant find any one to give them to do you have any ideas.
<Posted/archived...>
Also I've had the fish for a couple of months now and they seem
fine but I don't know how to check to make sure the water is still
good for them to live in.
<Also posted... please learn to/use the search tool, indices on
WWM>
I'm not sure what kind of filter came with it and I do a 50% water
change every week and deep clean every month. What can I get to make
sure my brackish water is where its suppose to be?
<... read>
all of the pet stores that I've gone to I'm not even sure that
any of them know what brackish
water was all they knew was fresh and salt.
<...? Really? Inform them. Bob Fenner>
thank you
my fish tank, BR, stkg., rdg. /Neale 3/29/11
Hello, I have a 40-50 gallon tank that got given to me by a friend when
they moved. it contains 2 green spotted puffers,
<These are "nippy" fish and can be territorial. While I
have seen them get along with Mollies, don't bank on it.>
a Dalmatian molly, a gold flecked molly, 2 black molly's and
several tiny fish that I don't have a name for.
<Likely these tiny fish are baby Mollies.>
after doing some research I'm pretty sure that with the puffers
this is to many fish in that tank.
<Hmm'¦ not right now perhaps. But two adult GSPs will need
55 gallons, so throw in the Mollies, and yes, even a 50 gallon tank
would be cramped.>
but I don't know what to do with some of the fish to make room?
<Mollies shouldn't be hard to rehome: they're popular fish.
GSPs are "pets" in many ways because they become very tame,
to the point where they can be hand fed. So the ideal solution is one
GSP in this aquarium, rehome the other GSP, and either move the Mollies
to another (ideally slightly brackish, but at least hard water)
community aquarium.>
I cant fit another tank in my little house I barely have room for this
one. and I cant find any one to give them to do you have any ideas.
<Many fish shops will take back unwanted fish. Here in England at
least, the Maidenhead Aquatics chain will certainly do so, so if
you're in the UK, that's one option. Alternatively, fish clubs
exist in most large cities. These are good places to rehome
fishes.>
Also I've had the fish for a couple of months now and they seem
fine but I don't know how to check to make sure the water is still
good for them to live in.
<Well, I'm sure they'd be dead by now if something was
seriously amiss -- both Mollies and GSPs are sensitive to poor
environmental conditions. So you must be getting at least the basics
right.>
I'm not sure what kind of filter came with it and I do a 50% water
change every week and deep clean every month.
<Sounds good. In fact, a 25% water change each week is usually
adequate, but by all means, do bigger water changes if you
want.>
What can I get to make sure my brackish water is where its suppose to
be?
<I'd recommend two bits of kit. The first is a nitrite (with an
"I", not nitrate with an "a") test kit. This is a
good measure of water quality. If it isn't zero, then something is
wrong. Too much food, too many fish, not enough filtration. Secondly,
get a hydrometer. This measures the saltiness of the water via
something called specific gravity, often abbreviated to "sg"
or "SG". At 25 C/77 F, the specific gravity of the water
should be 1.003 for Mollies and GSPs as youngsters, and anything up to
1.010 as they get bigger. But let's stick to 1.003 for now.
That's fine for long-term health, and is low enough you can keep
hardy plants in there such as Giant Vallis, Java Ferns, Indian Fern,
Anubias, and so on. In terms of salinity, it's 6 grammes of marine
aquarium salt mix (e.g., Reef Crystals) per litre of water, or about
0.8 ounces per US gallon.>
all of the pet stores that I've gone to I'm not even sure that
any of them know what brackish water was all they knew was fresh and
salt.
<There's lots to read here at WWM on this, as well as my
wonderful (!) book, Brackish-Water Fishes. Do peruse my FAQ, too:
http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/brackishfaq.html
>
thank you
Chelsee
<Glad to help. Cheers, Neale.>
Stocking Q's?!
2/25/11
Hi Neale,
<Hello,>
Jessica here. (that's probably a dumb thing to say as you more then
likely have hundreds of ppl sending you questions)
I have a 55gal brackish setup kept at a specific
gravity of 1.002 with Mollies, Platies, Cherry Shrimp and a Horseface
Loach.
<Cool.>
I plan on getting a small school of Indian (undyed) Glassfish (probably
around 6 or so) and a Blue Acara.
<Both should do well, though I wouldn't put much money on the
shrimps lasting too long...>
My question is this, could I put either type of pufferfish in with
them?
<I wouldn't, though Figure-8 puffers might just work, if you get
one of the less nippy specimens.>
Would they eat my shrimp?
<Yes.>
Also I hear bumblebee gobies are difficult to care for. Is that
true?
<Not really. They're difficult to feed, so tend not to last long
on busy community tanks.>
If I can't have a puffer and the gobies are high maintenance, is
there any other little interesting fish that would be compatible with
the other tank mates I have?
<Violet Gobies are certainly very unusual, and many people like to
keep them. Wrestling Halfbeaks are another option, but they're a
bit small and might be bothered by the Mollies. Peacock Spiny Eels
thrive in brackish water at low salinities like yours, so you might try
keeping a couple of them. Finally, you might also try a killifish of
some sort, perhaps the Asian Killie, Aplocheilus lineatus, most widely
sold nowadays in its "Golden Wonder Killifish" form. It's
a good community fish, but territorial towards one another and
predatory towards very small fish.>
Or would I be over stocking?
<55 gallons is a lot of space for fish this size'¦>
I'm really counting on the Glassfish to eradicate my molly fry
overload.
<Oh yes, as will Asian Killifish.>
As of Tuesday I have well over 60 fry! I've lost count! That's
a good indication my water parameters are good though right?
<Can be.>
I do test for Ammonia(0), PH(9),
<Seems a bit high, but brackish livestock shouldn't
care.>
Nitrate(0). But there are a lot of minerals I don't test for.
Should I be? All those test kits are expensive!
<Indeed.>
I'm also considering setting up a Betta tank in my 10gal and taking
the platies out of my 55 gal and putting them in with the Betta. Would
that be ok?
<Can work, but Bettas are a bit inept at feeding time, and Platies
are boisterous, and the males will squabble in 10 gallons.>
If it is, how many would be too many in there with the Betta?
<I wouldn't keep Platies in less than 15 gallons, which is ample
for two males and four females.>
I haven't emailed in a while so I know I'm asking a lot of
questions but I REALLY appreciate that you reply to all these emails!
Thanks so much! It's really awesome...
Jessica
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Stocking Q's?! 2/25/11
I'm not quite sure I follow...
Will the Acara or the Glassfish eat my shrimp? Or both?
<Both.>
And if I get a calm figure 8 puffer they might not eat the shrimp?
<Oh, it'll eat the shrimps either way. But a calm Figure-8
won't eat the fins from your other fish; a nippy one will.>
Could I put the cherry shrimp in with a Betta in a 10gal?
<Sure.>
And should I only get 1 Killifish, since they tend to be
territorial?
<Allow about a square foot each specimen, though males tolerate
females better than other males.
Cheers, Neale.>
Adopted "Brackish" Aquarium
- Combining BW/FW Fish 12/23/07 Hello Crew, <Hi Jess, Pufferpunk
here> I have recently adopted a 29 gal aquarium from a friend( by
recently, I mean I've had it for about 2 months). She had a
GSPuffer in it along with 2 dwarf Gouramis and a blue paradise Gourami.
The sides of the aquarium were so thick with algae and other gross
things that you couldn't actually see through the glass. Obviously,
I have cleaned and spruced up a bit (a giant piece of petrified wood
and some hardy FW plants have been added and the nasty plastic
children's toys were removed). I have read on your website, the GSP
is actually a brackish water fish and the gouramis are a strictly FW
breed I am at loss as to what to do. The GSP isn't doing so hot, he
is still a dark olive color except a bright green patch on his head.
I'm not entirely sure of what to do. If I raise the salinity the
gouramis would almost certainly die and keeping it where it is now is
hurting the GSP. I was thinking about stealing a 10 gallon tank from my
mother and turning it into one of their homes, but then neither will
have enough room. I am at a loss as of what to do, please help. <If
the puffer is still small (under 2"), you can keep it in the 10g
tank for a short while but over 2", it will need a 30g tank (I
suppose the 29g will suffice). Otherwise, I guess you will have to move
the gouramis in the 10 gallon tank. Be sure you read up on cycling a
tank before moving any of them. Get yourself a good liquid test kit, to
keep an eye on ammonia & nitrite (should be 0 at all times) &
nitrate (should be below 20). Also pH, which should be neutral for the
FW fish (around 7.2) & alkaline for the puffer (around 8). Have you
read this article? It will tell you all about the care & feeding of
the puffer. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm
Also check out more info on puffers at: www.thepufferforum.com. In
addition, there is plenty of information info about your gouramis at
our site. You will probably want to upgrade them some time soon.>
Thanks, Jess PS, buying a larger tank is hopefully in the distant (as
in after I have graduated college) future but that's not going to
be for another 3 or so years. <In that case, you may want to find
homes for either the gouramis or the puffer. ~PP>
BW Fish, FW Fish & Iodine
Q 7/3/06 I have put this one of the forums that you have
on you web site already... Not to sound too blonde, but when
I posted it (originally) I was actually trying to send the question to
ya'll... Anyway here goes the question, please let me
know if you can help. Thanks sooo much the awesome
site!!! I have really, really enjoyed reading it!!! I have a
37 gallon brackish water tank. In the tank resides a green spotted
puffer fish (T. nigroviridis), a blue crayfish, three Bala sharks,
three zebra danios and four neon tetras. <What exactly do you mean
by brackish? There is only 1 brackish water species in
there--the puffer. None of any of your other fish would
appreciate living in true BW. As far as the amount of MARINE
salt your puffer would need in it's tank, a rough estimate would be
around a cup of salt/5g (& that's just when it's
young). As it matures, marine conditions are recommended for
a GSP.> I know that it is a really weird combination, they kinda go
together like stripes and polka dots. <<Why not toss in a zebra
and a cheetah then? RMF>> I also know that you have
reservations about puffers and crayfish living together or puffers and
anything living together for that matter. My puffer, Calypso, is about
1 1/2 inches and my crayfish, Cozumel, is about 2 inches in length.
<There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that your puffer will
eventually maim/eat the Cray, in addition to the neons.> My Balas,
Marga, Rita and Ville seem very happy they are apprx 2 inches in
length. There is plenty of room for them to swim. <They will
eventually grow quite large.> My crayfish has even started to come
up to me when I'm at the tank!! She and Calypso have
gotten along very, very well. As long as I keep them both fed and
plenty of hiding places. I also have a snail breeding tank, for Calypso
and Cozumel, which they just love the escargot treats!!! Okay so I do
actually have a point. I have yet to find this anywhere, but not that
Cozumel is having health problems, but just incase for whatever reason
she may come down with something in the future, and I do give her the
iodine treatment (Kent marine, one drop per every 10 gallons of water).
Could this somehow affect Calypso or any of my other fish, also could
it maybe affect the snails that I use to feed Calypso and Cozumel. I
know that the snails are in my tank for only a short time before
Cozumel and Calypso can smell them. Even so, would the iodine affect
the snails and therefore in return affect Calypso and Cozumel after
consuming the snails??? Like I said before, things are really good and
my water is not off balance but if something were to happen this may
help in the future... Thanks for your help, if you can. <As long as
dosed as instructed & not overdosed, it should be OK to
use. I'd rethink your species combo seriously
though. ~PP> Also most of all thanks for the kick butt
site!!! Not only is it informative but it is also fun to read!!!- -
Arlyn
Eyes Bigger than Tank? 2/14/06 <Hi,
Pufferpunk here> Hey there, me again. Thank you for all your
previous advice. VERY bad news, though. My tank is now broken (All fish
are A-OK)! So that new tank might be coming sooner than I thought...
Anyways, my point is, next year I was considering getting a ~100 gallon
tank, and making it an archer fish tank. I was thinking six common
archers (not seven-spot) in the bottom 75 gallons, and a cricket part
on top. <As archers grow to a foot, I would say you could maybe keep
2 in a 100g tank. That's it.> Would I be able to get
~4 scats that my LFS says will stay around 4 inches as well? <Scats
grow as large as a dinner plate, not 4". Again, you
could keep 2 in there, that's it & no archers then.> Or
maybe some gobies too... do you have any compatible suggestions of
interesting fish for a brackish tank? It will be very well planted with
tons of driftwood to simulate mangrove roots and have lots of java
fern. <If you are using real wood, then it is not recommended in a
BW tank. It will release tannins & lower the
pH. You want to keep the pH around a steady
8. Best done by using crushed coral or aragonite substrate
& no driftwood. PetSmart makes really nice fake mangrove
roots for a tank like that.> Any fish/plant/decoration suggestions
would be appreciated. Also, I cannot find any suggestions on how much
salt to use! What salinity level should the water be at and how many
tablespoons of Kent sea salt will I have to use per gallon? <We are
not talking teaspoons but more like cups. It takes
"roughly" a cup of salt/5g to raise your SG
.005. Depending on what kind of fish you get, some (like
scats) need to have the SG raised over time, to eventual marine
conditions, as these fish mature. Always premix overnight
& test with a hydrometer.> I was also looking at freshwater
lionfish for the tank (toadfish). Good choice, or not? <If
you're considering any gobies, the toadfish will eat
them. BIG mouth! I would suggest either 2 archers or 2
scats, or 1 of each. Then if you want, you could keep a few
knight gobies in with them. There are lots of smaller BW
fish, like figure 8 puffers, green or red Chromides,
etc. Just remember, some prefer high-end BW/SW as adults,
others don't.> If you have any suggestions,
please tell me. Also, I was wondering if you could
recommend any filters for this tank. Remember, I am pretty
much limited to canisters as other filters would not reach the low
water level. <I am only familiar with Eheim filters. Have
been using them for >20 years & still use the originals.>
Thank you, and take your time with this, as I am in no rush to begin
this future project. Thanks again. -Eddy <Yes, take your time to
research different species--water requirements, adult sizes,
etc. Sounds like a fun project! ~PP>
Mixing Fresh with Brackish fish 11/6/05 <Hi
Anna, Pufferpunk here> I have a very "unique" tank to say
the least. I inherited a 90 gallon system originally drilled for reef
use and then patched to work for freshwater. At the time I had just a
few fish left over from a my 20 gallon (of which only one tinfoil and a
fire striped dwarf gourami are still with me), so I took in a friends
figure 8 puffer and a mono argenteus. <Monos are a schooling fish
that grow to around a foot & require marine conditions as
adults.> I decided to convert the tank to slightly brackish (1 tbs
aquarium salt per gallon, I now use Instant Ocean to maintain the pH)
<Not nearly enough salt to call BW. Even to make low-end BW (SG
around 1.005), it takes roughly a cup of salt/5gal.> for the mono
and invest in a snowflake eel. He is to the best of my knowledge, a
Gymnothorax tile. I then got 2 Colombian shark cats and a large Pleco.
<Plecos do not like salt of any kind. The Columbian sharks are
schooling fish that grow up to 18" & require SW as adults, as
does the eel.> Recently, in an effort to make the 90 gallons feel
more full <Sounds like it's getting pretty full to me--you need
to consider adult sizes of all your fish.> I bought 3 breeding pairs
of black convict cichlids who have done very well for the 2-3 months
I've had them, I also purchased a lone green terror as an
experiment to see if he could live with my less aggressive fish
(he's also done very well with the salt and only bothers the
convicts). My dilemma now is that I have half brackish fish living in
the proper water, <Not exactly> and half new world cichlids who
have been acclimated but both groups having vastly different water
needs. <Definitely correct there> I'm wondering what a good
middle ground would be for pH? 7.0 seems to be OK for all of the fish
as it is on the high end for the cichlids and the low end for the
brackish fish <Extremely low for BW--should be 8.> but I'm
afraid that as the eel requires a saltier environment (and a pH of 8)
that the cichlids will begin to stress. <and the other
aforementioned fish that require SW conditions as adults. The puffer
also likes a pH of 8, although does best at a low-end SG of 1.005.>
I also wonder if the cichlids can adapt to a harder water than is ideal
for them? I was contemplating adding some Aragalive marine sand to the
existing cichlid substrate to help maintain the pH, could they handle
that? <Cichlids are best kept in harder water & aragonite or
crushed coral substrate is necessary to keep the pH around a steady 8
for BW fish.> I am also curious is the salinity has any effect on
the growth of the freshwater fish? My tinfoil especially seems to have
stopped growing at 7" from 2.5" when I got him. I guess all
in all this is a big experiment, both to see if the freshwater fish
make it and if I can keep aggressive fish with my leftover community
tank mates. I just want to try and make sure I'm doing all I can to
meet their diverse needs. -Anna <Sorry, it just can't be done.
For the best health & well-being of your fish, you need to choose
between the 3 types you have--FW, high-end BW & low-end BW. I
believe you already see the results of keeping your fish in improper
conditions... ~PP>
Brackish beginner - 12/11/05 Hi, I'm an
slightly experienced freshwater owner. <Hello... John here this
evening> After quitting the hobby for four and a half years, I'm
ready for more! I was planning on making a freshwater aquarium with
tetras, platies, and all the skittish fish. But I read a really neat
article about Archer Fish. It appealed to me, and now I am seriously
considering turning a 36x12x21" (40 gal) tank into a brackish
aquarium. Is keeping a brackish fish difficult for a person like me?
<I don't know you ;)... but, no, it shouldn't be.> Some
other fish I'd like are monos, bumblebees, scats, and puffers.
<These can't go in together... a 40g is too small for monos or
scats. Most puffers are best kept alone.> If they grow too large,
then I won't get them, but I'd really like Archer fish. <I
would recommend a larger system for archers... 55 gallons minimum...
even larger is better, due to their size and need to be kept in
groups..> And one thing: I'm an 8th grader with a $10 allowance
weekly, so tell me if I could afford it, too. <I suggest you look
into smaller fish - a couple of figure-eight puffers or a few bumblebee
gobies for this system.> Thanks ahead of time for your valuable
response! <You're welcome! Best regards, John.>
Mixing Fresh with Brackish fish 11/6/05 <Hi
Anna, Pufferpunk here> I have a very "unique" tank to say
the least. I inherited a 90 gallon system originally drilled for reef
use and then patched to work for freshwater. At the time I had just a
few fish left over from a my 20 gallon (of which only one tinfoil and a
fire striped dwarf gourami are still with me), so I took in a friends
figure 8 puffer and a mono argenteus. <Monos are a schooling fish
that grow to around a foot & require marine conditions as
adults.> I decided to convert the tank to slightly brackish (1 tbs
aquarium salt per gallon, I now use Instant Ocean to maintain the pH)
<Not nearly enough salt to call BW. Even to make low-end BW (SG
around 1.005), it takes roughly a cup of salt/5gal.> for the mono
and invest in a snowflake eel. He is to the best of my knowledge, a
Gymnothorax tile. I then got 2 Colombian shark cats and a large Pleco.
<Plecos do not like salt of any kind. The Columbian sharks are
schooling fish that grow up to 18" & require SW as adults, as
does the eel.> Recently, in an effort to make the 90 gallons feel
more full <Sounds like it's getting pretty full to me--you need
to consider adult sizes of all your fish.> I bought 3 breeding pairs
of black convict cichlids who have done very well for the 2-3 months
I've had them, I also purchased a lone green terror as an
experiment to see if he could live with my less aggressive fish
(he's also done very well with the salt and only bothers the
convicts). My dilemma now is that I have half brackish fish living in
the proper water, <Not exactly> and half new world cichlids who
have been acclimated but both groups having vastly different water
needs. <Definitely correct there> I'm wondering what a good
middle ground would be for pH? 7.0 seems to be OK for all of the fish
as it is on the high end for the cichlids and the low end for the
brackish fish <Extremely low for BW--should be 8.> but I'm
afraid that as the eel requires a saltier environment (and a pH of 8)
that the cichlids will begin to stress. <and the other
aforementioned fish that require SW conditions as adults. The puffer
also likes a pH of 8, although does best at a low-end SG of 1.005.>
I also wonder if the cichlids can adapt to a harder water than is ideal
for them? I was contemplating adding some Aragalive marine sand to the
existing cichlid substrate to help maintain the pH, could they handle
that? <Cichlids are best kept in harder water & aragonite or
crushed coral substrate is necessary to keep the pH around a steady 8
for BW fish.> I am also curious is the salinity has any effect on
the growth of the freshwater fish? My tinfoil especially seems to have
stopped growing at 7" from 2.5" when I got him. I guess all
in all this is a big experiment, both to see if the freshwater fish
make it and if I can keep aggressive fish with my leftover community
tank mates. I just want to try and make sure I'm doing all I can to
meet their diverse needs. -Anna <Sorry, it just can't be done.
For the best health & well-being of your fish, you need to choose
between the 3 types you have--FW, high-end BW & low-end BW. I
believe you already see the results of keeping your fish in improper
conditions... ~PP>
GSPs Living with FW fish? 4/26/05
HELLO: <Hi Mike, Pufferpunk here> I have a question about moving
from BW to SW, I know from your site that GSP's like full marine as
adults. I would like to keep all these fish together if I could. I have
1 Pleco approx 6", 2 GSP's (1" babies), 2 Cobalt Blue
Zebra Cichlid (1.5"babies) and 2 Jewel cichlids (1.5"babies),
I would also like to get 2 electric yellow cichlids. Will
these fish live in a SW tank if raised slowly? <Absolutely
not! All the fish you have, other than the puffers are
strictly freshwater fish & will not even like brackish water, never
mind marine water. Don't confuse cichlid salt with
marine salt> If not, what is the highest SG I can raise
it to keep all happy and healthy? <Please don't even
consider trying to keep FW fish w/BW-SW fish!> My
current tank (30 G hex) set up is pH 8.0, SPG 1.004,ammonia is 0 (or
near 0), nitrate is 0. nitrite is good and the water is a little on the
soft side (soon to add crushed coral to help). My Filtration
is 1 emperor 280 with a BioWheel and a 6" air stone bubbler.
<You say your water is soft, but your pH is 8? That's
a little confusing. You tank is already fully stocked (as
far as FW fish), I wouldn't add any more, as the fish you have will
grow & get very aggressive, especially if they pair
up. There is a smaller "footprint" on a hex=less
swimming room. The Pleco will definitely outgrow a 30g tank
at 18". The BioWheel isn't usually recommended for
BW-SW tanks, as the salt spray from the wheel will make a huge
mess. How was the tank cycled? You should be
showing some nitrAtes & never any ammonia, ever. I would
consider cycling a different tank for the GSPs (at least 20g) &
make it BW for now. As they grow up, you can upgrade (they
will need 30g each as 6" adults) & turn it SW
then. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm ~PP>
Thank you again for your help, Mike
Keeping BW & FW fish
together 4/27/05 Hello: <Hi, Pufferpunk again>
Thank you for all your help. My LFS has steered me VERY wrong, leading
me to believe my cichlids (electric yellow, jewel, blue Johanna <I
think>) are brackish water fish...... <As I mentioned before,
cichlid salt is not the same as the marine salt, used to make BW.>
OPPS, I also have 2 GSPs. My question is, although I know GSP's
Like full SW as adults will they survive in a light brackish tank i.e.
1.004-1.008? <As juvies yes, but your other fish
won't appreciate those conditions. Also, as they get
older, they will get meaner & bother your other fish (fin-nipping,
possibly killing). For GSPs to thrive (not just survive),
they will need a much higher SG. Not necessarily SW, but
high-end BW. One of the he reasons for getting it up to SW
is, that a protein skimmer can then be utilized, which is a great
filter to use for fish.> I would love to keep them and the cichlids
together, I now have a 30G hex BUT looking for a 55-75 G Tank.
<You'll need at least a 55, just for the puffers as 6"
adults.> MAN, I started out with guppies. LOL! The money adds
up. VERY addictive. <Boy, are you ever
right! I now have 9 tanks & 15
puffers!. Please don't keep FW & BW fish
together. ~PP> Thanks again for the help I am slowly
learning and appreciate the advice. Mike
Brackish System Livestock 6/24/04 Hi,
Pufferpunk here> I am in the process of setting up a brackish
system, 29 gallon. I have looked over your website and the
internet and have problem finding much useful information on compatible
livestock, especially on the smaller side and for
invertebrates. As this is a 29gallon most of the fish
described as brackish are just too big. I currently have 2
black mollies in for cycling the tank. I am currently in the
process of slowly "salinating" the tank, and am thinking of
maybe adding a few small live rock and a small layer of live sand over
the current coral rubble bottom, depending on my final
"salinity" level. <Live rock & sand will
not "live" in BW conditions, only SW.> I am somewhat very
loosely modeling a shore-side mangrove environment. (faux mangrove on
left, skeletal stony coral on right - (coral was bought as dried/dead
many years ago). I am very interested in what invertebrates
I could keep in the tank. Depending on the salinity needs and
compatibility I have been considering small fiddlers (the faux mangrove
does sit slightly out of the water but worried about their
aggressiveness), various shrimp, possible anemone.
<Anemones are SW & extremely difficult to care
for. Fiddler crabs are BW & would fair well in a part
land/water BW environment. They may crawl out of the tank,
if the land portion was on top of the mangrove root.> On the fish
side I need something suitable for a 29g, and would like
something in the catfish family and possibly something in the Ropefish
and/or eel family. <All of which are FW.> I want to
weight the tank heavier to the invertebrate side with just a few fish
but without knowing compatibility and availability on either side of
"salinity" I am not sure which way to go. This is
probably a very generic and open request but any help and suggestions
will be appreciated <Inverts/crabs don't mix well at all with
fish. It is highly likely that most fish will pick at
smaller inverts, like ghost shrimp & fiddler crabs may grab a fish
dinner (unless you have the smaller clawed females). I have a lovely
29g tank with 3 figure 8 puffers (see: http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/8puffer.shtml),
4 knight gobies & 6 bumblebee gobies. I have crushed
coral as a substrate & fake corals & anemones, with a fake
mangrove root in the middle. You can see my tank (& many
others of mine) here: http://wetwebfotos.com/Home?actionRequest=userview&userID=1918 It
is photo #19. You really need to do more research on BW
fish. Here's a good site for starting a BW tank:
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/brackish/brackish.html>
Patrick Glenn <Good luck in your hunt for the perfect
fish! ~PP>
Combining BW & FW Fish? 5/8/04
<Hi, Pufferpunk here> I have a 20 gal hex brackish water tank
with 1 tbls salt per 5 gal and good nitrite and ammonia levels.
<That is hardly what I'd call brackish. I bet if you
measured that salt with a hydrometer (which is necessary for BW) it
would barely register. Are you using marine
salt?> My temp is 78-80 f. and I have an Emperor 280 filter which
works wonders in that tank. My ph is 7.4-7.5. I have Sailfin
mollies in it 2 males and 2 females left. I lost 1 female Sailfin, 2
small clown loaches and 2 small algae eaters. This is an ongoing
battle. I love these fish and cannot seem to keep them alive
in my tank. Any help would be greatly appreciated. When the
fish die they look normal and usually are fine one minute and floating
the next. <1st of all you have BW fish (mollies) combined with soft
water loving fish (loaches & algae eaters). It's
hard to diagnose a problem without any symptoms. I would
decide if you want a BW tank or a FW tank. Those clown
loaches will grow to around 12" & not knowing what kind of
algae eaters you have, I can't tell you about them, except that if
they are common Plecos, they grow to 18". If they are
Chinese algae eaters, they are monsters when adults. They
stop eating algae & start attacking other fish eating their slime
coat. Are you doing regular weekly water changes?> Also I
LOST an African butterfly. It simply disappeared. <I
guarantee you it is dried up on the floor somewhere. I
won't keep those fish anymore, due to their jumping ability--being
able to fly several feet through the air to catch bugs in low-hanging
branches over the water, in their natural habitat.> Can you help???
<Sounds to me, like you need to do much more research on the species
you are interested in, before purchasing your fish. Check
the species profiles at WWM & other fish
sites. ~PP>
Brackish stocking My girlfriend has a Fresh,
Brackish and Salt tank. She wants to add some spice to her
Brackish tank. She keeps the salinity very low. She has a Scat, Mono,
Puffer and Archer, all fairly big. <Sounds pretty spicy
already! Those are all cool fish! Monos are schooling fish,
so if she could find some the same size, it would be cool to see them
schooling, but they grow to 1' a piece & would need around 600g
for a school of 5. Most of the fish mentioned need SW as
adults. You said they were fairly large, so I assume they
are approaching that age? Monos, scats & green spotted
puffers (T nigroviridis--you didn't mention what puffer you had),
are all are born in FW, then they migrate through the estuaries
(streams) between FW lakes and the ocean, to live out their adult lives
in saltwater. I'm not sure about archers.> She wants to add
something else like some type of catfish, a clown knife, Bala shark or
a cichlid. Can any of these fish be acclimated to a brackish tank with
low salinity? <absolutely not! Most catfish & the
clown knife (CK grow over 4'), come from soft waters, the opposite
of BW.> Are there any other Brackish fish she can get? Scott Michael
mentions that a white spotted grouper can go brackish, but at 1.014 or
higher. I think she keeps her tank at 1.004. Are there any other marine
fish that can go brackish? <You'd be better off making that BW
tank marine. I would raise the SG .002/week, so as not to
destroy the FW nitrifying bacteria faster than the SW bacteria can grow
(they are different animals). Then you could add some SW
fish. My 6" adult GSPs live in a marine tank
w/damselfish & a tomato clownfish. Just beware--if a GSP
the puffer you have, it can kill most any fish it can catch!> What
about Damsels? Thanks. <How big is that tank
anyway? Scats grow as large as your outstretched hand,
archers--1'. Puffers & scats are messy eaters and
high waste producers. Extra filtration is necessary for these dirty
fish. Immaculate aquarium upkeep is a must.
~PP> A new brackish aquarium (10/19/03) Hello
there... <Hi! Ananda here tonight...> my name is Robert Baxter
and I've got a few questions about the proper maintenance of a
brackish aquarium I just set up. I have two aquariums, one 55 gallon
and a 10 gallon. Just recently a plague of Ich wiped out half the fish
in my 55 while all the fish of the 10 gallon survived. In the large one
I originally had two Oscars, two angels (very veteran angles, have
lived with two 12" Oscars before, two 8" Pacus at a later
time, and now with the two baby 2.5" Oscars), a two Raphael
catfishes, a fat fin catfish, three zebra Danios (originally cycled the
aquarium, Oscar chow), a large plecostomus, and two convicts. Both
Raphael's, the convicts, all the zebras, and the fat fin catfish
died before the Ich was suppressed with advice from a real expert.
<Let me see...leaving the 55 with the Pleco, angels, and small
Oscars?> Having taken her advice as the resident brackish nerd in
the city and probably the entire area, I decided to move all my little
fish from my 10 gallon aquarium (two tiny Plecos, an albino Cory and 11
neon tetras to re-cycle the aquarium after a total cleaning) into my 55
gallon and start up a brackish aquarium. <Uh, neon tetras are
definitely *not* what I'd use to cycle a tank... and those Neons
may be destined to be Oscar lunch.> Now my large aquarium is good
with my Oscars happily fed many Neons and a new catfish to clean the
floor (the two extra Plecos will be adopted by a store where I'm
good with), and I just got the 10 gallon set up. With black volcanic
sand and a few plants to help stabilize the water, I put in two
bumblebee gobies and a pufferfish of equal size. Now at the pet store I
was told that the gobies eat shrimp food pellets (or at least
that's what they feed them at the store), but after having read
articles about gobies here on these Q&A pages, I am worried that I
don't have the right food. <If you've got the gobies eating
dry food, you're in luck. Most bumblebee gobies will not eat dry
food. You can add some fishy vitamin drops to them to make them more
nutritious.> The pufferfish has delightfully been eating all my
remaining frozen blood worms from a deceased eel, but I don't know
if he will continue to like that or not. <Puffers can get bored of
some foods. And they *need* hard-shelled foods, including seafoods,
snails, and the like. Check out the assorted "Puffer Feeding
FAQs" on the WetWebMedia site.> Ok, here's enough beating
around the bush. What is the optimal hardness, temperature, and food
for this tank to be set up for breeding? <For breeding the bumblebee
gobies?? It probably depends on the specific species of bumblebee
gobies -- there are several similar species. Your first step would be
to identify the exact species, and then check http://www.fishbase.org for more info
about that species.> There are only about 4 pet stores in this city
where I could look for frozen or live foods, but I wouldn't expect
to find anything exotic here. Professional suggestions? <The frozen
seafood section at the grocery store is going to be a primary source of
foods for your gobies & puffer. For example, one of my puffers'
favorite foods is shrimp tails. I buy tail-on shrimp, chop off the end
of the shrimp for the big gobies, and the puffers get the tail
sections, with the shell still on. Just take care to freeze any fresh
seafood for about a week to kill off any nasties it might be carrying.
--Ananda> Robert Baxter
Eating Problems with an African Fahaka Puffer/Brackish
Fish Compatibility Ananda, <Yep, I'm back...> First off,
I just wanted to thank you for getting back to me. Getting advice when
you really need it is better than not knowing what to do next, so
thanks. <You're welcome. :-)> So the puffer, he/she is eating
now. I don't know if it was the formaldehyde that I put in the tank
or if it was a change in diet, but it is now eating like it always did.
<I would guess diet.> I changed to krill and he/she seems to like
it. <I have heard of extremely few puffers who turn down krill.>
You had mentioned that his teeth may need some work, I read the links
you had included in the email, not for nothing but a Dremel tool seems
a little over the top, I don't know if that is the road I want to
take. <Okay, but then you'll need harder-shelled foods than
krill....> I also read that you can put crabs, clams and or mussels
in the tank, is that a possibility for my tank? <Yup. I would avoid
freshwater mussels that have not been frozen, however...there is some
anecdotal evidence that these can be disease carriers.> What would
you recommend? He does have a set of teeth on him, but I don't
think it is restricting him from eating. <Try some other foods and
see how he does. Shrimp tails are an easy one to start with, as are
crab bits (especially the pointy ends of the crab legs).> You
mentioned that my tank may be a little small (20 gal) for the fish that
I have in the tank. <For their adult sizes, no "may be"
about it.> How many gallons would you recommend for them. I have the
Fahaka puffer, <Pufferpunk just got a 125 gallon tank for hers.>
2 Mono's, <Long-term, 75 gallon, minimum...also depends on what
other fish you keep in with them, since they need a brackish tank going
to saltwater> one yellow Labidochromis <Probably a 55 would be
sufficient> and a Pleco. <Long-term, maybe a 90 gallon -- what
the fish stores don't tell you is that these guys can get to be
2' long. It *might* be able to share the Fahaka's tank, if the
Fahaka will leave it alone.> I think you said somewhere around 55
gal? <It depends on the species in the tank....> You also sad
that as the Mono's mature, they will need brackish water and
eventually salt water as they approach their adult size. How long does
it take to reach their adult size, how salty should the water be, can
they remain in the same tank as the other fish, and how can
you tell if the fish already needs saltier
water. <It should probably have saltier water now.
How big is it?> More questions, what should the average temperature,
of the tank I have now, be considering different types of fish?
<Most people I know go with 76 degrees for most of their fish. Some
particular species like warmer temps, but 76 should be good for
now.> Sorry about the length of this email, but I figured that I
should ask as many questions I could based on the helpful response I
received from you before. <If you'd like more peoples'
opinions, do check out our brackish and freshwater forums on http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/!> I
know I may be doing some things wrong with the tank I have now, I would
rather know what I am doing than do further damage to the poor little
fish. <And we are happy that you're investigating things now,
*before* those fish have difficulties.> Thanks again, Chris
<You're welcome. --Ananda>
Puffer confusion (09/17/03) <Hi! Ananda here
today...> I have had a Fig-8 puffer (2 inches) in a brackish system
(29 gallon, SG=1.008, pH=8.2), with a green scat (3.5 inches ), and
five bumblebee gobies. Everything was going good for a
while, until my scat became a little too comfortable, and aggressive.
<They get big, too... too large for a 29 gallon, eventually.> I
don't know what I was thinking, but when I was at the LFS, I fell
for what they called a Jade Puffer (about 3.5 inches; also known as
Ceylon puffer, and same genus/species as fig-8). <I'm not
certain they're the same species... they are sometimes sold as the
same genus/species and have some similarities, but are from very
different areas.> I tried the new puffer in my existing tank after a
slow acclimation. Once in the tank, aggression was higher
than before, but I probably should have been anticipating that, so now
the Ceylon puffer is alone in a 20H. The scat is scared for
his life right? <Well, that may be getting a bit anthropomorphic,
but possibly...> I know your site says fig-8's are freshwater,
but I have read both sides of the matter. <Me, too.>
I would like to get rid of my scat, and go freshwater with both tanks
if possible. I would appreciate any help. Ian <Hmmm.
Your bumblebee gobies are definitely brackish. If you wish to keep
them, you should have at least one brackish tank. --Ananda>
Help with my brackish water tank Bob
<Amanda> I read your recommendations on plants for brackish water
and I just wanted to see if what you thought about my situation... I
recently introduced bumble bee gobys to my formerly VERY happy fresh
water tank ... now after some research I am learning they need brackish
water... <Yes> ok I don't want them to die... but the tank is
doing so well ... I have some Japanese shrimp, vale, Sagittarius, and
neon tetras... plus the new bumble bee's will everyone be ok with a
little more salt? <Actually... most all, but not the Neons. I would
put them in a system with softer, more acidic water... with no added
salt. Bob Fenner> Thank you Amanda
Re: brackish water question... Here is my
problem... I recently bought five bumble bee goby's even more
recently I learned they need brackish water... (no one at the pet store
said a thing) <Mmm, must be the same tank, Amanda> The tank they
are in is my favorite - it is well planted with fast growing Val and
Sagittarius... there are two Japanese shrimp and about ten neon
tetras... will adding a small amount of salt for the bumble bee's
harm the others? <Just the Neons> I am hesitant because the tank
is so well balanced I never have to clean any algae ... just remove the
Val when it starts to take over... Thank you so much for any ideas....
Amanda <Be chatting, Bob Fenner>
Brackish Livestocking Formula Dear Bob, Is there a
specific formula for how many fish you can fit in a brackish water
aquarium. <No real formula... same sorts of general rules per
thumb... an inch maximum per 2-3 gallons...> Is it the same as a
freshwater aquarium? Irene <More conservative... due to their
typically more active metabolisms, tendency to be more aggressive.
When/where in doubt, allow more room is a commonality. Bob
Fenner>
55 gallon tank (brackish livestocking mainly)
Hello again! <<Hi... JasonC this time.>> I wrote just
yesterday and you replied instantly! thank you so much! Well, I went
out and bought some furan 2 for my sick Arius seemanni, but by the time
I got home it was too late, he had died while I was gone. His physical
condition had diminished so fast and when I finally realized what it
was, it was too late, but thank you so much for your help! <<I am
sorry to hear of your loss.>> On a lighter note...I have been
reading massive amounts of articles and care sheets - you name it! and
everything conflicts horribly and I haven't been able to pin down
exactly what I should be doing... I am relatively new to brackish
keeping and I am very new to large aquaria (I'm used to small tanks
with cheap livestock - goldfish!) so I'm not really sure where my
inches to gallons should sit. I have heard 1 inch per gallon for fresh
and 1 inch per five gallons for marine, but brackish is neither
so...??? <<Erk... I'm not at all a fan of inch-per-gallon
ratios. They are a poor guide and typically lead to overcrowded
systems.>> what do I do? <<Be conservative, stock less than
you think you should.>> Or maybe better is to give the fish I
would like to have and maybe you can let me know if there are too many!
I would like to keep 3 mono Sebae, 3 marbled gobies (really a brackish
fish? the LFS says yes, but is the SG too heavy for the Monos or the
gobies?) and one dog faced puffer. <<Hmm... well, you are
actually leaning more towards a marine system here. The puffer and
Monos would all need a specific gravity of 1.021-1.025 to thrive. As
for those gobies - they reach a maximum of two feet and probably
aren't really suitable for anything but the largest aquaria. In
addition, these go towards the more freshwater end of brackish rather
than close to marine. All that being said, you didn't mention the
size of your tank.>> The puffer is actually one of the problems!
I placed an order for fish and I just asked the woman to put me down
for a dog faced puffer (my intention was A. hispidus), but apparently
nearly all of the Arothron species are called dog faced puffers and so
I could be getting anything! I have seen a lot of pages and say the
nigropunctatus are the most commonly available but that they are also
marine, should I decline the fish if that's what it turns out to be
or will he adjust to heavy brackish? (1.011) <<It may adjust for
a little while, but in the long term will not survive such a low SPG -
these are true marine fish.>> I have tried to find info on my own
but I haven't found anything specific. <<Try reading up here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/monos.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tetraodontpuffers.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracgobioids.htm
>> I'm worried! puffers are amazing fish, and I certainly
don't want to put a little puffer into a brackish tank where
he'll be unhappy or maybe even die! <<Perhaps consider a
marine tank.>> I've heard they're very adaptable, but I
don't want to make him miserable! At any rate I have a billion more
questions but I don't want to bother you that much at once!
<<Well... you've got some reading there. Do check out those
articles and the FAQs beyond - could be your questions have already
been asked and answered there.>> Thank you again for your
amazingly quick reply on the last email, you rock! Have a great day and
thanks for your patience with me! Sincerely, Rachael <<Cheers, J
-- >>
Sick Arius seemanni Hi Bob We have 3 Arius
seemanni in a 46 gal. hexagonal tank with 10 African cichlids, 3 tiger
barbs, 3 golden barbs, 4 cherry barbs, and 2 common places. <wow...
what a truly bizarre mix <G> of fishes from Africa, Asia and
South America. Really, you have fishes needing three different water
qualities here: African for hard, alkaline and mildly brackish...
neutral Asia water quality preferences... and soft acidic south
American demons (Pleco). It is difficult if at all possible to maintain
all such fishes in good health in the long run under such compromised
water quality> The water is brackish. ph 7.8, ammonia-norm,
nitrate-norm temp -80. we have two fake plants and lots of brook rocks,
and crushed coral on the bottom, <all conducive to the African
cichlids> a magnum 350 filter, and two 6" air stones.
<is the magnum the only biological filter?!?! If so... it is very
poorly suited and undersized for the job. Really just a good mechanical
and chemical filter instead. Do add much better biological filtration
(like an Eheim with ceramic noodles and course foam or a wet/dry
filter> The catfish have developed white spotty lumps all over their
bodies and are not active as when we bought them a week ago they also
have not eaten for about a day. Do you know what this is and if so what
can we do about it? <hmmm.... likely a bacterial infection, but do
review the archives on disease to see if a photo or description can
help: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm> Thank You, Jenessa
<best regards, Anthony Calfo>
brackish water fish to freshwater Hi Bob, I am
thinking about starting a new aquarium and I was wondering if you could
answer a quick question for me. The question I wanted to ask was: Is it
possible to keep brackish water fish in a freshwater tank? If you could
give me some feedback I would really appreciate it. <Some species,
yes... as long as the water is hard, alkaline... Please take a read
through our Brackish Subweb:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/BrackishSubWebIndex.htm
and chat with other "brackish aquarists" on our Chatforum:
http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/ Bob Fenner> Chris Sais
Brackish Anemones Just curious if you have any
information on the plausibility of keeping anemones in a brackish water
tank? I've heard that the Beadlet, Snakelock, & Starlet
anemones can be acclimated to a brackish environment. <Only
have some notion as to the actual species you mention, but yes, do know
of, have kept Actinarians in (even collected same from) brackish water
systems... and will get off my duff and write, post more on these
topics soon (did outlines for "components",
"set-up", "maintenance" during a recent trip away),
onto actual livestock groups. The ones thus far:
http://wetwebmedia.com/brackish.htm> I plan on setting up a tank w/
a specific gravity of approximately 1.01. I do not want to cause any
undue stress on the animals and I can't find very much reliable
information on the subject (not a good sign). Any information you could
send my way would be appreciated. Thank you for your time. <There
have been many articles over the years, even a couple of small
book/lets on brackish biotopes... but not much that is/was complete...
Perhaps you will be the one to "put it all together". Bob
Fenner>
Brackish Questions Been slowly lifting the
salinity of my brackish tank; targeting .017, .018, etc... any advice
on which marine fish can tolerate (or even thrive) in these conditions?
I've been told the damsels do well, so I'm wondering about any
other fish and/or anemones... <<If I were you, I would post this
question on the WWM discussion forum, in the brackish area. There are
some avid brackish drinkers there who probably have some experience
with this. http://talk.wetwebfotos.com/
If you prefer, I can post it for you...>> as well, the water went
cloudy and all the fish became aggressive toward each other (this is in
another brackish tank) after living healthy and peaceful lives for
months. I've changed the water a few times, cleaned the filter
(canister type), tried feeding less, etc...but the cloudiness
hasn't really changed. lots of orange-brown algae starting up as
well..... what to do? <<for this, I would start with some
activated carbon, if you haven't run some already.>> thanks
for any advice Toronto fish nerd <<you are quite welcome. Cheers,
J -- >>
Brackish aquariums Do you know which fishes I can
keep together with a mudskipper in a 60l aquarium, with a water depth
on 15 cm, Ph 7, sg. 1.005-1.015 and with a hard water quality?
<please begin to research your interest in brackish aquariology at:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brackish.htm
Best regards, Anthony>
Re: Sourcing Livestock, FW Do you any where that I
can buy a white molly? <Contact your local stores... or the etailers
on WetWebMedia.com Links pages> What's a good site to buy
brackish fish? <Need to look about. Ask the folks on our Chatforum:
http://talk.wetwebfotos.com/ Bob Fenner> thanks
Hey Mr. Fenner (livestocking a brackish system) I
am wanting to keep three Monos (Monodactylus Argenteus) and a puffer.
Nigroviridis) or two in a 75 gal aquarium, would this work? and I'm
thinking about whether to get sand or gravel for my bottom and a
canister or one or two box filters. any suggestions? Should do okay...
Please read through the various Brackish Water Set-Up et al. pieces on
our WWM site:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brackish.htm I would use a
calcareous substrate, and a hang on filter... or sump type. Bob
Fenner>
Re: Hey Mr. Fenner any suggestions for the
substrate? <Please use the search feature on, read over WWM here.
Bob Fenner>
Re: Hey Mr. Fenner oh by the way, I think your
site has a pretty good layout:) <Thank you. Suggestions for
improvement gladly accepted. Bob Fenner>
Brackish Livestock Selection Dear Sir: <Just
Bob, please> I have an established 35 gallon tank with 6 Gouramis
approx 2", five black mollies approx 2", one Plecostomus
approx 4", 3 green catfish approx 1", and 4 leopard or
spotted puffers 1" to 1.5" I added the puffers without really
knowing what I was getting into. The people at the LFS didn't
really know about them. In fact they told me that they would eat flake
food. <Would like to see these folks live on dry cereal for a
while> After I began researching them on the internet I began
feeding them brine shrimp worms etc.. and they seem to be doing well
(it's been about a week). I have put in approx 1 tablespoon of
aquarium salt for each 7 gallons and all fish seem fine with that. Now
that I have this working I am wondering what will have to change as
these fish grow. I realize that the mollies are also brackish and am
considering trading in the Gouramis for other brackish type fish.
<Mmm, they may be fine with this amount of salt, and even more.
Please read through the brackish livestock section here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brackish.htm
including the livestock area> But I wonder if I really have room for
more anyway? <You are wise to not overload your system. All much
healthier, happier with room to spare> I would like to possibly add
a freshwater snowflake eel that I have seen on the Internet what is
your opinion on this. <My area on these species:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwmorayeels.htm I would leave off with
trying one here... too likely to eat your other fishes... and/or jump
out> You have a great site (already bookmarked). I appreciate any
help. <Ah, a pleasure my friend in fish. Bob Fenner> Thanks, D.
Joe Hall
Fwd: brackish fish hello FAMA, I was wondering if
you had any information on brackish fish, mostly puffers, Australian
bullrout and the gobies <Hi. Your request was forwarded to me
by the fine folks at FAMA. Please see the listings of brackish
livestock articles posted on our site: www.WetWebMedia.com starting
here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brackishfishes.htm Bob
Fenner>
